Marievale South Africa

Crowned plover, Vanellus coronatus, single bird on ground, South Africa, August 2015

Canon Eos 7D Mk2. 800mm f5.6 lens. 400 iso. 1/2500th at f5.6.

This was taken at Marievale Bird Sanctuary, not far from Johannesburg, South Africa. Arguably the best nature reserve I have ever been to for bird photography. Certainly we have nothing like it in the U.K. The hides are in the right place for photography from a light and background point of view. None are at water level, but they are low down rather than up on stilts. Outside of the hides are numerous perches at the right distance for pictures and the windows are mostly large enough for large lenses. On the Saturday there were about 12 local photographers present, all with big lenses, so it is well known to them.

You can either walk or drive around the sanctuary and the tracks get you close to the waters edge for photographs. Very important to me too is the fact that I can get out of the car, so when close enough to waders such as this Crowned plover I could slip out on the far side of the vehicle, place a bean bag on the floor and shoot around the front wheel at ground level. It makes such a difference to be able to get down low. Then you just need the plover to start displaying.

Waders

Last year I had a lie down wooden hide in place on the wader scrapes and did very well. This year the water levels have dropped to expose enough mud to attract the birds in, but none have appeared. Instead they are using a pool a couple of miles away that I do not normally associate with waders and they are there in abundance. Funny creatures birds! The Little-ringed plovers started to display a little and I wondered if they would attempt to breed, but it is not really suitable as the reed beds encroach too close to the bare earth where they might nest and I think they prefer a bit more of a view.

As ever lying down produces much more interesting pictures, but there is no wooden hide so I simply put a piece of carpet down, lie on that and cover myself in scrim. Even the nervous Green sandpipers accept me quickly and come very close.

All pictures taken with the 800mm f5.6 Canon lens and a 7D Mk2.

Green sandpiper, Tringa ochropus, single bird by water, Warwickshire, July 2015

Little-ringed plover, Charadrius dubius, single bird, Warwickshire, June 2015

Northern lapwing, Vanellus vanellus, single bird by water, Warwickshire, July 2015

Redshank, Tringa totanus, single bird by water, Warwickshire, June 2015

Curlew sandpiper

Perhaps my favourite image from a recent trip to Romania. It was taken by lying down at the waters edge covered in scrim netting and waiting. Always an uncomfortable position to be in, but it makes such a difference to the pictures. The bird had been bathing and will always jump up and dry its wings when it has finished and fortunately the wind was blowing in the right direction as the bird will always leap into the breeze.

Curlew sandpiper, Calidris ferruginea, single bird in water wing stretching, Romania, May 2015

Canon 7d Mk2. 800mm lens. 1/4000th at F5.6. 400 iso.

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