A frozen Monday morning at -11°C and with a lot of wind from Russia was not the most comfortable situation in which to wait for a long time for something to happen. After two hours most of the fellow photographers in our hide packed up and moved to a warmer environment for a hot cup of tea or coffee. The lagoon is now completely frozen and covered in snow so that even the water birds make themselves very rare.
All of a sudden the reeds started moving and before long a scavenger pointed his nose looking for dead birds or some other edible fare
The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is an animal with a large habitat including forests and fields but also villages and even large cities where it is much easier to get food by scavenging rubbish dumps and dustbins. This specimen here lives in the forest close to the lake and comes out regularly to search for dead water birds or small rodents which fall victim to the severe cold that has been keeping Europe in its fierce grip for the last two weeks. Its beautiful thick winter fur protects it well against the low temperatures. On the other hand, food is not as freely available as it is closer to human presence. While red foxes in cities become almost oblivious to human presence, this one ran off immediately when it heard the shutter clicks, even from a distance of 50 metres.
The whole series of about 25 frames resulted in four usable pictures of which this one was the most attractive.
It is not often one can observe a species of bird around here that is much more common in Africa and the Middle East, the Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). So when I heard there was one around at one of my favourite spots on Lake Neuchâtel I seized the opportunity on a nice sunny morning hoping to spot the bird and maybe take a picture or two.
Well, I did not have to wait long when it strode out of the reeds where it had been hiding. The first pictures were nothing to boast about but later on during that morning it posed in beautiful light, searching for prey and eventually catching something unidentifiable:
All of a sudden it flew off again while I was replacing the batteries in my camera. Indeed a frustrating moment for a wildlife photographer.
In a few weeks when temperatures around here will start to fall again it will be gone back to warmer regions in Africa. We all hope that these beautiful birds will come back next year to enrich our local fauna for at least during the summer months.
PS: While the heron hid behind the reeds between two series of pictures our faithful Kingfisher appeared suddenly and posed on a branch about six metres from the camera. I had a split second chance to capture one of our most colourful indigenous birds in a close-up view:
That’s it for today.
Cheers!
Larger sized pictures at http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com. The Purple Heron Gallery has been updated with three more pictures.
Another three picture have been added on 24/08/2011 from last Sunday’s session at the lake.
Last Sunday was announced bright and shiny after a prolonged period of lower temperatures associated with clouds and rain. An excellent reason to rise early and visit the birds on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel. The morning turned out to be cloudless and the early sun gave a wonderful warm light.
About half an hour after entering the hide a Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) appeared and flew around the lagoon in search for some prey. Eventually, a fish passed underneath and the Kingfisher quickly plunged into the water and came up again immediately with its catch. And the photographer was ready to shoot in a fraction of a second:
A few minutes later the bird flew up to a branch a few metres away from the hide which allowed me to take a picture of its glory. This is a male bird as the lower bill is black (orange in females):
Some time later a Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) showed up patrolling the shoreline looking for molluscs:
Towards the end of my stay in the hide suddenly a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) landed in front of my lens and remained long enough for a couple of pictures. Take note that this bird is smaller than the Great Egret and has a black bill instead of a yellow one:
Then if took off again showing its characteristic black legs with the yellow feet
All in all I remained there for four hours waiting for opportunities and the time was well spent in my opinion. Bird photography depends a lot on luck and this was one of my luckier days.
Cheers!
As a bird photographer living close to one of the biggest lakes in Switzerland I am also very fond of landscape photography involving lakes. Lake Neuchâtel, my “home ground”, gives a natural background to my bird photos but smaller lakes in the plain or higher up in the mountains give me a lot of inspiration.
Lake Neuchâtel lagoon:
In my wider surroundings there is a peaceful lake in a large peat bog up in the Jura mountains which is called Etang de la Gruère. The black water yields wonderful reflections
and lovely details
Higher up in the Swiss Alps you can find small lakes with the mountains as a photogenic backdrop.
Lake Ritom and the Gotthard mountain range:
Or a very small lake on Alp Flix:
OK, these are not the Great Lakes of North America but I find them quite charming and worthwhile for a picture.
More on http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com
The Great Egret (Ardea alba or Casmerodius albus) is a large bird that can be found all over the world close to water surfaces. It is not to be confused with the Snowy Egret (Egretta garzetta) which is smaller than the Great Egret and has a black bill whereas the adult Great Egret’s bill is yellow.
Although its sheer size helps with photography as the distance to the bird can be longer, taking good photographs requires patience (tell me where it doesn’t) and unobtrusive behaviour such as using a hide.
Great Egret on frozen Lake Neuchâtel
Stretching its wings
As can be seen very easily, the best season for taking pictures of this bird is from autumn to early spring, at least in central Europe. As from early summer the birds will leave to go breeding in eastern Europe. Some colonies can be found in eastern Austria.
A bird in late winter
It is encouraging to see that a species that had virtually disappeared for a long time in western Europe is finding its way back. New breeding colonies around here would be a success for nature conservation in our country.
More wildlife pictures at http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com
There a two species of kites in Switzerland, one is the migratory Black Kite (Milvus migrans), the other one is the more sedentary Red Kite (Milvus milvus). Both species can be seen living close together and flying majestically in the blue summer skies. As I live close to a big lake I have a strong population of Black Kites in my surroundings which makes them a bit less hard to photograph.
As birds of prey, both species are extremely difficult to approach and the photographs one gets are mostly of flying birds such as this Red Kite:
or this Black Kite:
Occasionally, and when food plays a role in attracting these birds, photography can be made from a closer distance. “Close” meaning 20 to 30 metres as with this Black Kite:
The populations of both species have been increasing over the last few years which is encouraging. Hopefully this is not a temporary phenomenon.
Other pictures at http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com
Small birds, especially passerines, are a real challenge to photograph. They cannot sit still while you focus and when you are ready they already have flown away to the next branch.
Again, one of the secrets is to draw their attention with what they like most, i.e. food. Having a bird feeder installed is, although not a guarantee, a way to increase the probability to get more chances to take pictures of these attractive animals. A good time to do this is the cold season as the birds may not have enough food anyway. Ornithologists are not so happy with this idea since they tend to recommend feeding only in the most extreme situations when birds would not survive without.
With the right equipment like a long lens and converters one is able to obtain close portraits of these small creatures such as a Greenfinch:
or a Blue Tit
or a Tree Sparrow bringing nesting material
With some luck (you know that’s one of the main ingredients for successful wildlife photography) even bigger birds come to visit the feeders such as this spotted woodpecker
A hide is not necessary but enough time to let the birds get accustomed to the photographer. Avoid rapid movements and much noise. The use of flashlight is possible as animals are generally much more sensitive to noise than to light. The failure rate in this type of wildlife photography is very high so do not expect too much from even a large series of frames. Five to ten percent “keepers” would be an enormous success. One in a hundred or less is more realistic.
That’s it for now. More pictures of small birds at http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com/
A favourite location for wildlife photographers are the shores of lakes and ponds where they can observe and, hopefully, photograph birds and other animals. Some of the birds that are not too difficult to take pictures of are the smaller water birds like ducks. I don’t think there is anyone remotely interested in nature who has not been intrigued by the most common species, the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Males and females are strikingly different as it so often happens with birds. The males have to impress and the females to hide so that both have a chance to survive as a species.
Mallard drake
The female is less spectacular although at times it can show off, too:
But most of the time you find them in pairs, even in exceptional places as here in a public fountain in the centre of the city of Basel
But Mallards are not the only water bird species one runs into when photographing close to the water. Other species are the Goosander whom the Americans call Merganser (Mergus merganser). Here’s a male bird:
and his female who is much less colourful:
There’s also the Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)
and the Common Coot (Fulica atra)
and many others, of course, some of them on my website http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com. The section of water birds is being completed all the time so come back frequently.
A technical note: many of these birds can be photographed using medium telephoto lenses as they are not shy at all. As usual, some food will attract them even more. Don’t hesitate to go out and try your luck.
Another tip: try to get as low as possible when taking your pictures. Eye level would be best, of course. If you detest crawling on your belly in a wet environment carry a sheet of solid plastic for insulation. A dustbin liner works very well for me.
Although not an insect photographer I was thrilled when some friends invited me a couple of years ago to go and photograph Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) in an abandoned quarry in southern Germany. The spring day was very hot and the animals could be expected to be active.
I took my macro lens and a tripod (among a few other things, of course) and walked into the quarry which abounded with tall grasses and shrubs. It took some time to see the insects as they are protected by camouflage
As the animals are able to observe their surroundings attentively as can be seen by their turning their heads following the photographer, I soon abandoned the use of the tripod and followed them around the stems shooting handheld:
Some of them were mating and the difference in size between the male and the female is striking:
It seems that females devour their mates after the act but only in captivity. Here the male managed to get away quickly enough.
Some females were ready to lay their eggs as shown by their swollen abdomen:
By the way, the colour difference appears to be based on the colour of the environment where the insects moult. Close to the ground they are more brownish whereas up in the foliage they become bright green. That’s what someone told me that day and I had to believe it. But I found a reference confirming this theory, albeit an old one: http://pubs.esc-sec.ca/doi/pdf/10.4039/Ent76113-6
All photos in the following link: http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com/praying_mantis
The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a large bird whose habitat spans the whole northern hemisphere of Eurasia and North America. One of its natural advantages is that it can feed on anything. The other advantage is its high intelligence which was proved by its independent ability to solve problems. Unfortunately, this property led in the Middle Ages to the accusation that it cooperates with evil forces whereas the same phenomenon was venerated by the North American indigenous peoples.
The difference between the somewhat smaller Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) and the Common Raven ist the latter’s larger bill and a lozenge-shaped tail. Another difference is the voice of the raven which is deeper and also more varied.
In Switzerland its preferred habitat, large forests bordering on wide open areas, has shrunk over the last decades so that the raven was forced to retreat to the mountains. You find it in large numbers in the Alps as well as in the higher regions of the Jura mountains. That’s where I managed to shoot my first portraits of this fascinating bird:
It is a gregarious animal and is very often found in groups and large flocks
An excellent flyer
is not afraid of attacking gleefully larger birds of prey like the White-tailed Sea Eagle:
Taking pictures of the Common Raven is not very easy. It takes a long telephoto lens, preferably a hide, a lot of patience and some food (carrion) to attract the birds. Only then you can record its natural beauty and elegance and observe its behaviour clearly showing the animal’s intelligence and social competence.
All pictures from my homepage http://hhsiegrist.zenfolio.com
