New Camera

Of course you know that as soon as the battery was charged I was in the car and off to the inlet. I was hoping there were kingfishers about to try the new camera out on and I wasn't disappointed. I practiced on a few other birds first to make sure I had the settings where I wanted them, and I had to deal with clouds blocking out the sun but I think I got them mostly right.

The new camera has things in different places and that is going to take some getting used to. But that is just practice so I just need to take more photos to get it right. One of the things my obsession with the kingfishers has taught me, is that nothing is going to happen how I want it until  I have put in the hours to achieve it.

When I head out to the inlet now I do so with the intention of being there for at least two hours. Anything short of this doesn't really seem to work. I take a blanket in case it gets windy and it often does, and I take a good jacket as well. I have been caught out a few time and gone home shivering with cold when everyone else is hot. The wind chill factor coming off the water is always colder and if you are just sitting there it can chill you to the bone.

I am looking forward to my portable hide arriving because over winter I am hoping it will keep the wind off me a bit better and I will also be able to shoot the birds in the rain if they are out there. Yep I hear you, totally mad but very determined to put together a great portfolio of kingfisher images when I am done with them.

As we were heading off we rounded the bend and there were the spoonbills all tucked up for the night. I couldn't resist taking this shot, even though it meant deleting one of the kingfisher shots to make room on the card for it.