Whitethroat

At last we had a dry day, can you believe that we are saying that at this time of the year.   My plan for the last few days, although I haven't had the weather to follow it through, has been to try and concentrate on photographing the Whitethroats that have just started to arrive on migration.   This is a good time of year to photograph them because as soon as they arrive at their breeding grounds they sing to establish territories. They will perch in exposed places to sing loudly and for minutes at a time before moving on to another favourite spot.  I had a plan.  Knowing where they had bred last year I expected them to establishing territories at the moment. I took some camouflage stuff, my gillie suit and netting etc. and of course my camera with my 500 lens.  I sat myself down in a spot amongst dead bracken and  brambles with some Hawthorn and Rowan trees nearby. The camo worked because after a minute or so, a bird arrived and began to sing like a demon from one of the bare trees. It wasn't in a good spot for photos, hidden by branches and foliage.  I took a few shots though using the manual focus but they weren't really successful. Now knowing that this was a favourite tree to sing from a set myself up amongst the gorse bushes and stood this time.  I used the netting to make some kind of rudimentary hide which I was sure, would work well.  It did, a female Linnet came in and landed just about in the perfect place.  Unfortunately the light was coming from the wrong direction now, this photo lark is not easy you know, it's rare that you have a perfect set of circumstances.  I almost like the lighting in the photo, but only almost........  it's a female!

Female Linnet -Carduelis cannabina

I "cut my teeth" on this species.  When I was a boy they were one of the most common birds of my childhood. My father who introduced me to birds as a 5 year old was very familiar with them and one of the first nests that I saw was a Linnets nest.  My dad, when he was a child in the 1930's would take the eggs to put under his father's canaries, Linnets and a cross between a Canary and a Linnet, a mule, were very commonly kept as cage birds in the early 20th century. Now Linnets are in serious decline.

 

The background of this picture, also called the "Bokah" is acheived by using the 500mm lens. The bird is in the foreground and on an isolated branch. The background is far to far in the distance for the lens' s short depth of field and is, therefore blurred and out of focus. This makes the bird, which is the subject of the photo, stand out without any annoying or confusing backgrounds.  This is a feature of a 500mm lens and what you are trying to acheive. Incidentally the 500mm lens cost 1 penny short of £4000 so you would hope for a decent photo now and then!
Carrying on with the story of today's  Whitethroat photography , (click on the link to Wikipedia to read about them).  It was frustrating because after I had moved, instead of perching in front of me he chose a tree behind!  I could see him singing and really well,but I knew that the light wouldn't be any good at all and any photos would be useless  so I just watched and enjoyed his singing.  Then it was perched behind the gorse nearby and to my right, but that's what makes it interesting and satisfying.  Success is even more sweet if you have had to work hard for it.  

I have had quite an inspiring day today.  My application for a license to photograph Kingfishers at the nest has been granted.  This is a great bit of news and something that I am very proud to have achieved. The granting of a license from Natural England  is by no means a formality and I have been working for two years to get the necessary photos needed and that I had  to provide, to prove  my competence.  Kingfishers are a Schedule 1 bird and afforded special protection and it is absolutely against the law to photograph them at the nest without the required license. When I mention this to my none birding friends they look at me you s though I am  in some kind of fantasy land and making this up. One "friend" particularly was so  doubting to point of almost calling me a liar....weird!   The only disappointment is that when I checked the nest this evening I could see that they had definitely been flooded out and the chicks are drowned, this is very  sad but, being positive, I can see where either the Kingfishers have started a new burrow or more likely, Sand Martins who usually nest in a colony along this stretch.  So to be positive I am expecting them to attempt to nest again.