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| TITLE: | Bittern wading across shallow water channel from reedbed
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| INFO: | "Again, not a fantastic image as I've cropped in a lot for web display here. Taken from Ivy North Hide, where one or two were showing occasionally once again - my third session in the hide (during Jan/Feb 2011). The forecast was for sunny and clear but the area around Blashford was very misty (no wind) and, after getting into the hide first thing, the misty conditions persisted with visibility sometimes only out to the edge of the reedbeds. The Bittern was seen during this time but was not really worth photographing in the conditions. Frustratingly, the mistiness lingered and didn't clear fully until an hour before midday.
Of course, by this time, the Bittern(s) (it's thought there were two aound) had decided to stay well in amongst the central reeds for the next hour or more! However, other birds entertained and it was one of the busiest times I've had in the hide - both for birds and for people! Bird-wise a Water-Rail was seen well several times including catching and eating a small frog, Treecreeper on close tree trunks, Cetti's showed close too, and the Great Egret turned up in the reeds along with Little Egret and Grey Heron. People-wise, by late morning the hide was pretty much jam-packed! with both watchers and photographers, the latter (including myself!) all trying to point lenses through the north end single opening window overlooking the reedbed, and those more desperate trying an angle shot through the hated one-way front windows.... Finally, in early afternoon, one of the Bitterns showed itself and began to cross one of the open channels between the reeds, thankfully when the sun strength and direction had improved. The pose in this shot is quite nice and there is a bit of a reflection to boot, though, as I say, I've cropped in a lot for display here.." February 2011 |
| TECH: | Nikon D700, Nikkor 200-400mm f4 zoom lens at 400mm with 1.4x teleconverter, ISO 900, f8, 1/1000 sec.
Hide shelf platform with ball head. Cropped image about 20% of frame. |
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