Sigma 150 - 600 strikes again.
23rd November 2018
It was a much better day yesterday than on Tuesday when I saw the Bewick’s Swan, (previous blog) - that day was horribly cold, grey and generally very unpleasant. However, because the light was much better after an early morning fog had dissipated and the wind had dropped I decided to have another go at the Great White Egrets down at Llangors Lake, there are six birds there this autumn – quite a good count for the lake. These birds are expanding in numbers the same way as the Little Egrets did, it’s quite amazing to think that until relatively recently these birds would have initiated a ‘Twitch’. They are still reportable but are now quite widespread throughout the mid and south of the UK. Large numbers can be found on the Somerset levels and some areas of the UK are now, from an ornithological point of view, exhibiting quite a distinctive Mediterranean – like picture, with Little, Great and Cattle Egrets, Glossy Ibis and Little Bittern, etc. The northerly movement of these birds, hitherto found only in warmer climes, exemplifies how things are changing. I know this is only small and relatively insignificant in the bigger global warming picture but nevertheless these little examples are hard evidence of what is evolving around us. It was a shame that the Bewick’s Swan didn’t stay any longer but these Egrets should over – winter at the lake giving hopefully more photographic opportunities.
I was in the bird hide at the lake mid-morning and it was really quiet, just a couple of Water Rails scooting across a pathway between the reed beds and a brief visit by a fly – through Kingfisher. At some distance I could see a Great White Egret flying low over the lake coming in the direction of the hide. I was getting ready for the birds fly past, they generally don’t come too close to the hide because these are shy birds. This bird was, however, flying with an unusual purpose towards me and it kept getting closer until it came within shooting range of my lens, (Sigma 150-600 Contemporary), I took some shots at 600mm,
but the bird kept coming nearer, so I was forced to zoom – out. This is not usually the scenario that I experience with these birds but I still couldn’t frame the bird so I was forced to zoom out even more!
If I had brought my 600 f4 prime lens I would not have been unable to take a shot as most of the birds wings would have been clipped out of the frame.
Finally it slowed right up and landed, wings opened right out,
in a little disused channel that was used to launch small boats in years gone by. Annoyingly I could only take a shot through some Willows that were obscuring my view, (I am pleased to hear that these Willows will be cut down soon), because there’s no point in having a nice bird hide that is obstructed by foliage. The Egret didn’t stay long in the channel because it was now aware of my presence and it flew up and over the reed beds and disappeared – usual behaviour. I had, however, by virtue of a zoom lens got some real close – ups of a very shy bird.
At the risk of repeating myself, my little Sigma lens does it again!
I was in the bird hide at the lake mid-morning and it was really quiet, just a couple of Water Rails scooting across a pathway between the reed beds and a brief visit by a fly – through Kingfisher. At some distance I could see a Great White Egret flying low over the lake coming in the direction of the hide. I was getting ready for the birds fly past, they generally don’t come too close to the hide because these are shy birds. This bird was, however, flying with an unusual purpose towards me and it kept getting closer until it came within shooting range of my lens, (Sigma 150-600 Contemporary), I took some shots at 600mm,
but the bird kept coming nearer, so I was forced to zoom – out. This is not usually the scenario that I experience with these birds but I still couldn’t frame the bird so I was forced to zoom out even more!
If I had brought my 600 f4 prime lens I would not have been unable to take a shot as most of the birds wings would have been clipped out of the frame.
Finally it slowed right up and landed, wings opened right out,
in a little disused channel that was used to launch small boats in years gone by. Annoyingly I could only take a shot through some Willows that were obscuring my view, (I am pleased to hear that these Willows will be cut down soon), because there’s no point in having a nice bird hide that is obstructed by foliage. The Egret didn’t stay long in the channel because it was now aware of my presence and it flew up and over the reed beds and disappeared – usual behaviour. I had, however, by virtue of a zoom lens got some real close – ups of a very shy bird.
At the risk of repeating myself, my little Sigma lens does it again!