07-15-2013, 08:35 PM
Had a couple of days and a night by the river, lovely weather and so relaxing. I say relaxing but this morning was amusingly frustrating in the wildlife/camera department.
I was up at about 6.30, it's a lovely time to look out over the river and marshes. The sun was shining and the water was still and I spent a few minutes watching a barn owl quartering the marsh over the other side. Never quite near enough to get a good photo but very pleasant just to watch. I needed to put some washing on the line so going out of the door, arms full of pillow cases and sheets, the b****y barn owl decides to fly directly overhead. Wonderful view but no chance of a picture. I hang the washing out and just as I'm going back in a heron flies low straight down the river, no time to grab camera so I watch it glide away. Time to make a coffee and take in to Sarah to help her wake up (about 7 now) so think I should shut the outside door. Just as I'm doing that directly above I see something, for a split second I think it's the barn owl back but immediately realise it's a marsh harrier. We usually see marsh harriers but again at a distance over the marshes. Rush inside, grab camera, turn it on, rush outside to look for where it's gone. It had turned and was heading along the river and I just got the one shot of it retreating in the distance. One day I will get a good shot but even though we see them every time we stay at the river they never land and are usually too far away. This one is actually the best I've managed so far. The last photo is just a blown up portion of the first. The bird on the water is a crested grebe which was with its kid (grebeling? grebelet?) making a heck of a racket. I have done nothing to the distorted picture, that's full zoom with heat haze effect.
Link to DropBox gallery: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5zhex1a08jknotc/kmicKFuDEA
Paul
I was up at about 6.30, it's a lovely time to look out over the river and marshes. The sun was shining and the water was still and I spent a few minutes watching a barn owl quartering the marsh over the other side. Never quite near enough to get a good photo but very pleasant just to watch. I needed to put some washing on the line so going out of the door, arms full of pillow cases and sheets, the b****y barn owl decides to fly directly overhead. Wonderful view but no chance of a picture. I hang the washing out and just as I'm going back in a heron flies low straight down the river, no time to grab camera so I watch it glide away. Time to make a coffee and take in to Sarah to help her wake up (about 7 now) so think I should shut the outside door. Just as I'm doing that directly above I see something, for a split second I think it's the barn owl back but immediately realise it's a marsh harrier. We usually see marsh harriers but again at a distance over the marshes. Rush inside, grab camera, turn it on, rush outside to look for where it's gone. It had turned and was heading along the river and I just got the one shot of it retreating in the distance. One day I will get a good shot but even though we see them every time we stay at the river they never land and are usually too far away. This one is actually the best I've managed so far. The last photo is just a blown up portion of the first. The bird on the water is a crested grebe which was with its kid (grebeling? grebelet?) making a heck of a racket. I have done nothing to the distorted picture, that's full zoom with heat haze effect.
Link to DropBox gallery: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/5zhex1a08jknotc/kmicKFuDEA
Paul
miley-music039:
