A day on Sheppey, March 19th 2011

[KentYeti]

I've spent more days from before dawn to after sunset photographing steam railway locos than I care to remember.

Now, less than a month into bird photgraphy, I did it on Sheppey with birds yesterday for the first time.

I looked at the photos last night and felt I'd wasted the day a bit.

But put some effort today into sorting through the very large number I took and now think it was a worthwhilish sort of day.

The Nikon 70-300mm AF-S, VR lens is, IMHO, only just up to the job, and not suitable for the more distant flying birds shots. Hence the presentation of the five Short Eared Owl shots.

The lens user is also hardly up to the job as well at present. But if I hopefully progress I know where I will end up lens wise. Not yet though. I've got lots more to learn. And that includes working out where a bulky Yeti needs to locate himself to best photo flying birds etc.

Bird wise it was a lovely day once I'd decided to move around to avoid the low cloud and fog that lingered, (on the coast), until gone 1 pm. Marsh Harriers a plenty including sky dancing, a Hen Harrier, lots of Little Egret activity and the Barn and Short Eared Owls in the same field together again at Capel Fleet come evening.

Comments welcome.

Hope I've got the bird species right.

Sunrise to Moonrise on Sheppey:-

[Ukwildlifeo]

Nice set of photos.

Ive gone to Sheppey 3 (thurs, Fri + today) out of the last 4 days, at Elmley to be precise and despite the poor light (though bit better today) I've got a few keepers. The road into Elmley has been the richest photographically for sure

[Stevio125]

Welcome to the world of never having a lens long enough or the money to afford one fast enough, the constant fustration in the quality of the light or indeed its blasted position in the sky and why oh why do the little blighters keep flying off.

Yes I have had a bad weekend with the camera!

The times when it all comes together and you get the shots make it all worthwhile, if it was easy there would be no fun in it.

Nice shots though, I particulary like the little egret in flight, they can be very hard to get anywhere near so well done already.

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by Stevio125

Welcome to the world of never having a lens long enough or the money to afford one fast enough, the constant fustration in the quality of the light or indeed its blasted position in the sky and why oh why do the little blighters keep flying off.

Yes I have had a bad weekend with the camera!

The times when it all comes together and you get the shots make it all worthwhile, if it was easy there would be no fun in it.

Nice shots though, I particulary like the little egret in flight, they can be very hard to get anywhere near so well done already.

Aaah. The story of my life as a steam loco photographer. The tales I could tell. How about a long overnight trip sitting up in a dreadful second class French railways seat in 1972, and the return journey the same the next night. For the priviilge of spending an entire day sheltering from the rain equivalent of a Tsunami in a small platelayers hut next to a railway as a succession of diesel hauled trains passed by, with no need for steam locos to be used that particular Saturday. Don't we all love being photographers! LOL!

Re your comment re Little Egrets. There can sometimes be up to six not far from the access track across the Elmley Marsh to the RSPB centre. A track where you are asked not to get out of your car, (so I don't), but where you are told you are welcome to use your car as a hide, (so I do).

Maybe the Little Egrets have got used to the cars and no one getting out of them. So I've seen them do little "hop flights" quite often as they move a short distance when they are feeding. The one above close to my car (hide).

Sun not quite right, (is it ever?), and I only got it in the extreme side of the frame as my arm was wedged at it's limit up against the car door/open window and I had trouble tracking the bird. But it cropped well as the bird was close. Got a lovely shot of a low flying Marsh Harrier ten days ago on the same track with the same awkwardness with arm wedged in an unatural position as I tracked the bird. Probably end up needing surgery on my arm. but who cares if I've got the photo.

[sunnydale]

A lovely set of images Bryan , particularly the two sunrise shots and the Egret in flight! Well captured

[htcdude]

Great pics KentYeti,

I too have a 75-300mm Canon and never get anywhere near as good a shots as you have! I need to practice more me thinks

Went to Sheppey once, was such a miserable day weather wise, I'll defiately be back there sometime though!

Nige

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by htcdude

Great pics KentYeti,

I too have a 75-300mm Canon and never get anywhere near as good a shots as you have! I need to practice more me thinks

Went to Sheppey once, was such a miserable day weather wise, I'll defiately be back there sometime though!

Nige

Mine's a Nikon, but I doubt there is much difference. A good lens, but with the limitations that show up with the owl shots. I've now got a Nikon 300mm f4 prime lens which is a lot better for the distant shots. So what has the owl done since I got the prime lens? Changed it's late afternoon hunting circuit to move further away! LOL!

Oh. And lowish March sunshine and clear blue skies make an awfully big difference to the results almost regardless of what lens you are using.

Sheppey is fantastic at the moment. Even though the incredible parade of Marsh Harrier pairs I watched for several hours earlier this week has been disrupted by some farming activity on one of their main hunting routes. It got good again late afternoon yesterday though, when the tractors had gone home.

[KentYeti]

Originally Posted by sunnydale

A lovely set of images Bryan , particularly the two sunrise shots and the Egret in flight! Well captured

Thank you Sunny.

But the only reason I got the shots is because of Snake mentioning Sheppey to you, and to your gentle suggestions over quite a period of time that we should visit the Island.

I'm trying to build up a small knowledge base for when you come down next.

Helped enormously by a chance meeting with Snake on Sunday who generously gave me lots of advice.