Phill Luckhurst
BPN Member
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2015
- Messages
- 126
The Osprey was called “Almost a dirt bird here” which makes us Brits envious of our US friends. The species was effectively extinc (the same old persecution cause) here a few years back but thanks to the efforts of many they now visit our shores in small numbers to breed. Numbers are so small that at the few sites where they can be photographed this can only be done from a paid hide. These cost between £90 for a short session up to £250 a day per person. One such hide take around £4000 a day as the subject is so popular. I am far too tight to pay for any of the paid per session hides in the UK so have to rely on luck. A couple of days ago Lady Luck visited me and an Osprey on migration dropped in at a local lake to feed. It always stayed a little distant from the bank sadly. I only heard about the bird at 1 in the afternoon so by the time I had driven to the lake it was 2pm. With cloudy skies and the sun setting about half 4 I had very little time. The bird repeatedly vanished having been harassed by the gulls. It did however come for a feed a few times . Here it nabbed a small roach in the setting sun. I know it is not perfect but I was really happy just to see this rare for here species. I got quite a few shots of it diving and exiting the lake with and without fish. I was a little gutted to have a perfectly timed talons just hitting the water dive shot ruined by my own ineptitude. That however is part of the fun for me. Shot handheld with the Canon R7 and 200-800 at 800mm with a high ISO and heavy crop. Just wish it was closer. The bird does look very orange but that was due to the setting sun illuminating it.
- Canon EOS R7
- ƒ/9
- 800mm
- 1/1250s
- ISO 1000
- Sun, 27 October 2024 4:46 PM