Sheewai » bird photography

sheewai — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:07 +0000

Its nice to be colourful isn’t it…yeah! well the reason for the colourful banner is this bird ‘Grey Heron’ – when he perch he’s so plain like a skinny boring bird. But when he is in action expressing his whatever you will see the beauty – his head crest pops out like a crown with his large wing, his feather waving with the wind like a silk gown and his colour seem to be radiant….mmmm

couple months old chick with inmature crowns…cute

This work was done early this year and i was using Nikon D200 + Sigma 150-500 lens. Its breeding season then and i was having a wonderful time observing them – again time is always not on my side i never did photo the parents coming back with food. I waited and waited but no show….how come?

this parent looks after the chicks she goes off and on to bring back water under her belly – water the chicks…

looks like next round i need to camp out yah! this time it will be done with canon gear and HD video video documenting this bird is really difficult especially when you need expression otherwise its hours of stills – expression when food is being brought to them and when they are about to fledge. So its a pretty short film – i then added my so call ‘making of the grey heron’…lolz

Title: Searching for the Grey Heron – ‘The spot & setup’

I was able to find the right spot closes to the nest (as required full cover & hide) and got shots of the chicks but the surrounding is not adviseable its under the nesting tree…wooow! ouch! ouch!

week old chicks

video: Searching for the Grey Heron – ‘parenting & chicks’ Pt II

again next roung early next year, if i get my 5d2 – i will redo all my work into

(with permission from Bro Romy)….oh yeah!

Thank you for reading ~ Novice at Work

sheewai — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:22:36 +0000

these things happen: the last encounter with the lapwings nesting site, i guessed the time of the hatching and i was ’spot on’ – on that day my camcorder was send for service…how timely can that be arrrr! Though i was able to take some pictures worse after comparing with the pictures of the pacific swallows it was confirm lens problem. As you can see from the pictures taken – what a day! So pardon the unsharp pictures still do enjoy the videos edited – lens send to csc.

The lapwing’s chicks once hatch minute or so they will be up on their feet and looking for the parents. Looking around their nest nesting area you find no sign of a bird nest – no eggs shell or feather. The parent lapwings will remove any remain of their chicks.

not sharp..not sharp!

The above works that i’ve done is a learning, observing..etc process for me as for all the past work too – when i upgrade i will be back with…HD and better technic! yay! lookout for my coming blog on ‘migrating to HD’.

Thank you for reading ~ Novice at Work

sheewai — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:53:48 +0000

In early Aug. 2009..while waiting for the chicks to hatch I went looking for the My work is tocapture their expression: movement. The bird or (bird in flight) also the landing and take off. Its really difficult for this two birds, especially for a novice like me but not impossible. What a trip on my work – you really need to observe the birds in order to get what you want, for ’swallow’ its out in the open and it took me four ‘outings’ to finally come to this: a young thin tree , with a wide green BG. Where the swallow will land perch on the branch -

everytime same tree…same branch! under the sun no shade! Worse the thin tree with the thin branch and moving with the wind…wow! how the AF of my 1d3? difficult but with another two ’outings’ of practise shooting I got it! but hey.. not sharp! not sharp…whats happening!…aiya and BG not green enough - caught some of the sky high light …lolz!

Thank you for reading ~ Novice at Work

Pacific Swallows

sheewai — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 07:51:36 +0000

Thank you for reading ~ Novice at Work

sheewai — Sat, 30 May 2009 07:51:41 +0000

What are the chances of spotting an ‘endanger species’ pitta megarhyncha- the SG resident mangrove pitta! that day was actually plan for my ‘photography learning lesson’, I’ve migrated to canon and i love it – well so far! so planing to learn the canon system by photographing flight birds like the grey heron, pipits or sandpipers if any. Out in the open day light also in the forest low light good way to learn the EV on canon system: OK so there were mangroves around where i am heading and the call just rang out ‘wieuw-wieuw’..recorded by Craig Robson. it was loud and
continuous, you don’t get continuous call so near to you in the forest – mostly after short calls the bird will fly off noticing you are around them! Surprisingly i remember that call – don’t know why but i did yippee!

Right! so quickly set up my position where i can observed them, hiding myself in the mangrove with mozzies, snakes and mangroves crustacean.lolz i am swam – really! Then they came – yes they! i counted at that time 2 couple. First what it seems like ‘territorial’ fight, only two keep chasing each other (males?) from tree to tree..ahem..mangroves trees. This lasted for few hours flying over me and even perching close to me (3m!) OK time for me to record them – i expose myself for my gear setup and still they around never leaving what a fortunate encountering! Quickly pick a spot no time to survey – right deeper into the mangrove i go. Light wasn’t good plus I’m still learning (canon), good and bad for that moment:

There is no excuse for this shot it could should have been sharper, tech sharper! But I’ve – I’m learning…lolz. so is the video, I don’t have much space to move and i don’t want to frighten the bird I guess what i did – moving slowly like a tortoise, the pitta thinking I’m just another animal or a moving tree (I’m camo dressed) it worked! Better i counted 6 pittas and this time some were displaying mating dance. I believe I wont have this moment again…or will I?