Fen Drayton RSPB. May 2010.
I set off for Fen Drayton not much after 4am to see what I could get image wise. First point of call was a stretch of road that nearly always produces Barn owls. Fortunately this time I was able to get a shot of one before it departed, which is usually the norm. And what with a lovely sunrise it started off well.
Whether I was in the wrong place or not, probably, I don't know. But there weren't many Terns flying around the waters, in the past Ive hunkered down and waited for them to pass and click away, but that was not the case today. As always there are good numbers of warblers during the breeding season here, and first up were the vocal Sedge warblers. Not always showing at the tops of scrub but always giving themselves away by the calls.
The Whitethroats were very active collecting insects and caterpillars and flying off to an awaiting family no doubt. A nice surprise was a Garden warbler which alighted a hedge not far from myself and unaware until I clicked off a few shots whereby it took flight, but I had an image I didn't expect to get and that bettered any of that species Id taken before.
I capped the morning off by eventually getting a couple of images of the Reed warblers. Not that they weren't active or in short supply, but because they are buggers for getting a shot without a frame full of reeds in the way. And with a supporting cast of hundreds of Damselflies and a passing Emperor and what looked like a Scarce Chaser I was ready to get out of the heat and head home. One bird which I had hoped of connecting with early morning were Swifts. On a previous visit on a previous year I had photographed them in swarms feeding on insects above the trees before it had gotten too hot and the flies had ascended, but on this occasion I did not see one Swift at all, hopefully it was just an off day for what is one of my favourite birds.
I set off for Fen Drayton not much after 4am to see what I could get image wise. First point of call was a stretch of road that nearly always produces Barn owls. Fortunately this time I was able to get a shot of one before it departed, which is usually the norm. And what with a lovely sunrise it started off well.
Whether I was in the wrong place or not, probably, I don't know. But there weren't many Terns flying around the waters, in the past Ive hunkered down and waited for them to pass and click away, but that was not the case today. As always there are good numbers of warblers during the breeding season here, and first up were the vocal Sedge warblers. Not always showing at the tops of scrub but always giving themselves away by the calls.
The Whitethroats were very active collecting insects and caterpillars and flying off to an awaiting family no doubt. A nice surprise was a Garden warbler which alighted a hedge not far from myself and unaware until I clicked off a few shots whereby it took flight, but I had an image I didn't expect to get and that bettered any of that species Id taken before.
I capped the morning off by eventually getting a couple of images of the Reed warblers. Not that they weren't active or in short supply, but because they are buggers for getting a shot without a frame full of reeds in the way. And with a supporting cast of hundreds of Damselflies and a passing Emperor and what looked like a Scarce Chaser I was ready to get out of the heat and head home. One bird which I had hoped of connecting with early morning were Swifts. On a previous visit on a previous year I had photographed them in swarms feeding on insects above the trees before it had gotten too hot and the flies had ascended, but on this occasion I did not see one Swift at all, hopefully it was just an off day for what is one of my favourite birds.
