Kingfishers on a rainy day.
02nd August 2016
A look at the weather forecast on Sunday for the coming week made my mind up very quickly. If I wanted to photograph my local Kingfishers it would have to be at first light on Monday morning. Heavy and prolonged rain was predicted from mid-morning and throughout the rest of the day and the rest of the week was also unsettled with further wind and rain.
I made my usual preparations the night before, charged my camera batteries, made some sandwiches and a drink, packed my hide, machete and wellingtons in the boot of my car. I also got my head torch ready, checked its batteries got my birding clothes ready, put them in a spare bedroom set the alarm on my phone, (it seems pedantic but you haven’t got time to mess about at 04.30 in the morning). I was awake prior to the alarm going off, I got up quietly and made some tea and a slice of toast, (even that takes some eating at that time). It was still dark when I left at 05.00 and the early morning was quite still and dry although a little fresher than of late, a sign of things to come no doubt!
I love being up at first light when most people are in bed, it’s so ‘new’ and quite special for me. I left quietly in the car and made my way down empty roads to where I park for access to the River Usk. I had packed a thicker fleece for today just in case I got caught in the predicted rain, it is a bit warm but the weather forecast warranted it. I got into my wellingtons locked the car and hauled my kit, (portable hide, large camera bag, tripod, food and drink), down to the river, phew!!
Walking through the woods in semi darkness and approaching the river I could hear a Blackbird alarm calling, it could obviously hear and see me coming, although I thought I was being very careful. My head torch is really invaluable in these situations it leaves your hands free to move branches to one side etc. As I neared the Kingfisher site I hoped my perches were still intact, that’s why I always carry a machete to cut new ones if necessary. I needn’t have worried because everything was how I’d left it. The perches I have made are above the river and are just extensions of the existing overhanging trees and are therefore not affected by flooding. I knew the river would be very benign anyway because we have had no rain since my last visit. These perches will hopefully be unaffected by the inevitable rise in river levels after the forecasted heavy rain.
It was breaking light and I quickly set my hide up in a previously decided spot, this is another thing I always do beforehand, (more planning). It’s no good trying to find your best position on the day of your shoot, I covered my camera bag with two bin liners to try to keep it dry because it’s too big to fit inside my portable hide. I got into my hide with my tripod and camera and zipped everything closed, I relaxed and just waited. It was now about 05.45 and the light was beginning to build, although I could see there would be cloud all day. However, I wasn’t complaining after my last experience with the sun and heat, (previous blog).
It was now 06.15 and suddenly there was a Kingfisher on one of the perches.
It’s quite remarkable with these birds, sometimes there is no warning, no ‘peeping’ they just appear, that’s why you have to concentrate 100% of the time or you will miss a shot. The light was now steadily increasing with the background a pleasing light early-morning grey.
If I have enough light I like to deliberately under-expose in these situations because it darkens the background even further and highlights the subject.
I managed to take a number of shots as the birds came back and fore to the perches.
It’s really pleasing to see them doing this when you have created the situation, I despair at these so-called photographers that go to these manufactured sites for birds. I saw on the internet this week a site in Norfolk charging between £150 and £250 a day for Kingfisher ‘Tuition’! One site charging £420 for a one to one session to photograph these birds, these people must have too much money. In addition I don’t think they are birders, they have served little or no birding apprenticeship and they are either too lazy or useless to go out and find their own birds. You can always tell them they don’t even carry binoculars. I’m afraid, however, that this is the way it’s going, known as chequebook birding etc. I for one will always do it the old way!!
Rant over; By 08.00 there were a few spots of rain in the air and this steadily increased until it began to rain really heavily. This was a test for my portable hide and apart from a few drips it held up quite well. The birds had also disappeared because the effect of the rain hitting the river was breaking up the surface and preventing clear views of the small fish. I suppose there’s not much point sitting out on a perch getting soaking wet if you can’t see anything. In between one of the now really heavy showers I quickly packed up and left. I will have to wait for river levels to subside before my next session with these lovely birds.
I made my usual preparations the night before, charged my camera batteries, made some sandwiches and a drink, packed my hide, machete and wellingtons in the boot of my car. I also got my head torch ready, checked its batteries got my birding clothes ready, put them in a spare bedroom set the alarm on my phone, (it seems pedantic but you haven’t got time to mess about at 04.30 in the morning). I was awake prior to the alarm going off, I got up quietly and made some tea and a slice of toast, (even that takes some eating at that time). It was still dark when I left at 05.00 and the early morning was quite still and dry although a little fresher than of late, a sign of things to come no doubt!
I love being up at first light when most people are in bed, it’s so ‘new’ and quite special for me. I left quietly in the car and made my way down empty roads to where I park for access to the River Usk. I had packed a thicker fleece for today just in case I got caught in the predicted rain, it is a bit warm but the weather forecast warranted it. I got into my wellingtons locked the car and hauled my kit, (portable hide, large camera bag, tripod, food and drink), down to the river, phew!!
Walking through the woods in semi darkness and approaching the river I could hear a Blackbird alarm calling, it could obviously hear and see me coming, although I thought I was being very careful. My head torch is really invaluable in these situations it leaves your hands free to move branches to one side etc. As I neared the Kingfisher site I hoped my perches were still intact, that’s why I always carry a machete to cut new ones if necessary. I needn’t have worried because everything was how I’d left it. The perches I have made are above the river and are just extensions of the existing overhanging trees and are therefore not affected by flooding. I knew the river would be very benign anyway because we have had no rain since my last visit. These perches will hopefully be unaffected by the inevitable rise in river levels after the forecasted heavy rain.
It was breaking light and I quickly set my hide up in a previously decided spot, this is another thing I always do beforehand, (more planning). It’s no good trying to find your best position on the day of your shoot, I covered my camera bag with two bin liners to try to keep it dry because it’s too big to fit inside my portable hide. I got into my hide with my tripod and camera and zipped everything closed, I relaxed and just waited. It was now about 05.45 and the light was beginning to build, although I could see there would be cloud all day. However, I wasn’t complaining after my last experience with the sun and heat, (previous blog).
It was now 06.15 and suddenly there was a Kingfisher on one of the perches.
It’s quite remarkable with these birds, sometimes there is no warning, no ‘peeping’ they just appear, that’s why you have to concentrate 100% of the time or you will miss a shot. The light was now steadily increasing with the background a pleasing light early-morning grey.
If I have enough light I like to deliberately under-expose in these situations because it darkens the background even further and highlights the subject.
I managed to take a number of shots as the birds came back and fore to the perches.
It’s really pleasing to see them doing this when you have created the situation, I despair at these so-called photographers that go to these manufactured sites for birds. I saw on the internet this week a site in Norfolk charging between £150 and £250 a day for Kingfisher ‘Tuition’! One site charging £420 for a one to one session to photograph these birds, these people must have too much money. In addition I don’t think they are birders, they have served little or no birding apprenticeship and they are either too lazy or useless to go out and find their own birds. You can always tell them they don’t even carry binoculars. I’m afraid, however, that this is the way it’s going, known as chequebook birding etc. I for one will always do it the old way!!
Rant over; By 08.00 there were a few spots of rain in the air and this steadily increased until it began to rain really heavily. This was a test for my portable hide and apart from a few drips it held up quite well. The birds had also disappeared because the effect of the rain hitting the river was breaking up the surface and preventing clear views of the small fish. I suppose there’s not much point sitting out on a perch getting soaking wet if you can’t see anything. In between one of the now really heavy showers I quickly packed up and left. I will have to wait for river levels to subside before my next session with these lovely birds.