Lesson 2 - The Kestrel

[Chumley]

Right, I think I'm starting to get the hang of the song-bird-on-the-feeder scenario. Still got a lot to learn, but it's starting to come together. One or two half-decent shots of tits and finches where you can just about make out little feather details and so on.

Now I could spend the rest of my life trying to perfect that, but every so often you think, yeah, whatever, I'll try something else. So, lesson 2....

The Kestrel

I see a Kestrel (not the same one) pretty much every day. Either hovering next to the side of the road or sat in a tree, right next to a bus stop or a layby. I can generally count the number of feathers on its chest, vole hairs in its beak etc, but as soon as I stop the car, off it goes. If I wait, it doesn't come back.

If I come back another day and sit there for hours with the windows down and no music on getting cold and bored it doesn't show up.

So my question is.............

How do I get near enough to a Kestrel with my camera in my hand to get a decent shot?

All advice welcome.
Chumley

[Chris_Johnstone]

Hey Chumley,

I'm by no means an expert and I'm probably in the same situation with this subject minus the car, plus a bike. I often come across kestrels when I'm out and what I find is that they move between perches when they are not hovering. It appears to be an energy saving tactic. The bird will stop on a branch and look at the ground, move on to another tree and do the same 50 feet further along. Assume that these perches are used frequently, or at least often and camp by one for an hour or two. Your bus stop perch may not be ideal because it may be busy at certain times of the day. Although, in saying that, birds like kestrels and buzzards are attracted to roads and grassy verges where there is long grass for their prey to hide in. Set-asides around fields are excellent habitats for mice etc so check out places near the bus stop like these.

Birds of prey, as a general rule, are lazy creatures. They take the evolutionarily stable strategy of conserving energy to the extreme so if you do see one hovering in a similar spot on separate occasions it may be that this is a good spot for foraging.

These points are all speculation - I don't know your exact situation and how busy your area is and so on but think about what the bird is trying to achieve or avoid and apply your strategy for photographing the birds over this.

You can appreciate the amount of research pro photographers do in order to get some good shots of more elusive wild animals they've never encountered before.

Good luck

Chris

[Chumley]

Thanks for your comments Chris.

I tend to get impatient after an hour or so, especially when it's cold. Maybe I'll wait for Spring and then try again. This is the closest so far....



Unfortunately the sun was behind the bird and I made a complete hash of the exposure. I only had time for a couple of shots and then it flew off.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by Chumley

Thanks for your comments Chris.

I tend to get impatient after an hour or so, especially when it's cold. Maybe I'll wait for Spring and then try again. This is the closest so far....



Unfortunately the sun was behind the bird and I made a complete hash of the exposure. I only had time for a couple of shots and then it flew off.

An option might be to visit a bird of prey centre or perhaps a "safari park" type place like Gigrin Farm or somewhere similar, somewhere where you are certain to get close to a bird of prey where you are likely to have a very good chance to get close to and get a chance to practice photographing them and develop you technique. A point to remember is that success is harder to achieve in situations such as where you are trying to take your photo simply because you are likely to have very limited time and only one or two chances to get your shot. Something also worth bearing in mind is that birds in these situations are more likely to be "spooked" by a photographer than they would be in situations where they are used to encountering people pointing camera lenses at them. Just think how easy it is to photograph Mallard and other "wild"fowl at the local park lake and just how timid they are and how easily they are "spooked" elsewhere. Points that are all too often forgotten or not realised by people who ought to know better.

SW