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| TITLE: | Moorhen balancing on bent-over Reedmace to pluck the fluffy seeds
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| INFO: | "Photographed from Ivy North Hide during a 'Bittern watch' session. This is likely the same Moorhen as in the previous image which was taken a few days earlier - this time though it's not shot though the dark one-way glass! as I could get an angle through the end opening window, though the light angle is still not great.
Recalling the earlier occasion when I'd seen a Moorhen right on top of a Reedmace I was on the lookout for this behaviour which I thought made for an interesting (and amusing) image, and hoped to get better shots, shooting through the dark windows if necessary. From the open end window I'd seen this Moorhen on the water looking up at an angled-over Reedmace, so I was ready when it flapped up to the stem and balanced its way along toward the seed-head itself. Of course, as it did so, the stem slowly bent over more and more, nevertheless the Moorhen kept on going and began plucking at the fluffy seeds, flapping to keep its balance. After a minute or so of flapping and pecking, the Moorhen stretched a little too far, the plant bent right over and the bird finally lost its grip and balance and fell off into the water, while the Reedmace snapped back to its original angled position leaving behind a small cloud of fluffy seeds which floated down to the water where the Moorhen was busy mopping up." February 2011 (Ivy North Hide) |
| TECH: | Nikon D700, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 zoom lens at 400mm with 1.4x teleconverter, ISO 2500, f8, 1/1500 sec.
Hide shelf platform with bean bag. Cropped image about 60% of frame. |
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