So its the raining season and one of the most difficult time to do this project – wet, poor lighting and…mmm the lightning! but still this is also when the birds come out to play especially after the rain – here in this area where you can find acres of grass field and as much as 5ft tall. Loads of wild life right inside the grass fields – insects, snakes, frogs yeah and birds! particularly the ‘Yellow Bellied Prinia’ aka YbP.

It wasn’t so difficult to spot the YbP, she loves to sing and her melodies are really something to enjoy. We have this wonderful system given from God – that is the ‘eyes – so beautifully created we can spot pratically anything so when the YbP sneaks out from the maze of reeds or sedges we’ll spot it…yeah!

Still this small beauti is illusive – she will dart right into or fly above the grass fields from any slightest movement from me. So i’ve to be camouflage and mostly be a still ‘mime – artist’ which i’ve quite acustom to maybe even master it…wow! again YbP she is illusive and i need to lure her out: these grass fields have a slight uneven top and there is always taller grass stalk – thats where i want the YbP to be. You can find a fitting one with a good colour Bg…yeah! Now comes the lure: YbP calls, i got it using a recorded calls. Camera settings for BiF – yeah! Again i must say its always not succesfull…luring her that is…

Oh yes…. what about the ‘Lesser Coucal? well one at a time bro…one at a time!

To be continue….

Thanks for reading ~ Novice at Work

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

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!

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?