When it was forecast that Wednesday would be a fine day the urge to go and see the Bee-eaters at East Leake again was too strong particularly if I would have a chance of getting better shots than my previous visit when the weather was grim.
Decided to have an early start and it was 5.30 AM when I drove down the slip road onto the M42. What was a surprise was how busy the motorway was at that early hour.Luckily the traffic thinned out past the M6 toll road and the 40+ mile journey soon passed.
There were only 3 cars in the RSPB car park when I got there which was a surprise considering what a nice day it was.Got to the viewing point at 6.30 AM and joined 5 other photographers there who were taking shots of 3 Bee-eaters on their favourite Ash tree about 80+ metres away.
Too far for me to get a decent shot with my 400 lens but wonderful to see these spectacular birds in bright sunshine.The others were getting decent shots but there were two 500 lenses two 600 lenses and one 800 lens being used all with converters attached.Made me feel very inadequate with my 400 lens and it took me back half a century ago having the same feeling at senior school in the showers with the team after a rugby match.
Later on in the morning there were 5 Bee-eaters on show in the Ash tree.
I realised very quickly if I was going to get a decent shot I would have to go for flight shots when and if they flew a bit closer.This is one of the first flight shot I managed.It's not a good one but I thought it interesting because the bird has caught a pretty big dragonfly.
After a pretty long wait ( I was at the VP from 6.30 till 10.15 AM) I managed some decent flight shots.This first one was tricky to get because the bird flew right over head.What was very pleasing to me was that the guys with big lens on tripods could not get these flight shots. Ahhh What a shame ! !
Here are a few more flight shots that I was very pleased with.The birds don't help as the zoom around very fast hawking for food.
1 comment:
nice shots max
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