Common Redstart is one of my favourite of all bird species however they are now restricted as a breeding bird in Norfolk to a handful of locations in the brecks.
By mid / late April a male bird was reported from East Wretham Heath. I've never met with much success trying to photograph Redstarts, so to give myself the best chance of a shot and to minimise any disturbance to the birds I tried the sit and wait approach, or rather lie and wait. I placed the lens on a bean bag, got down on my belly and waited...........three hours later I had some reasonable shots, although my back and shoulders were killing me and my bladder at the end of it all was ready to burst.
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| Common Redstart, East Wretham Heath, Norfolk - April 2014 |
The sixth bird
Returning to my spring visit to Magee Marsh, Ohio, Prothonotary Warblers were ever present during my stay there and indeed a few pairs breed along the board-walk. To me they are one of the most attractive and striking of the American Warblers, vivid bright golden head and underparts and contrasting blue wings. I didn't manage decent shots until the last day, in fact I was just about to leave the board-walk for the final time when this fine male bird posed well for me.
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| Prothonotary Warbler, Magee Marsh, Ohio - May 2014 |
All shots taken on a tripod with a shutter speed of 1/200, ISO200, focal length 700mm and using an external flash and fresnel lens / better beamer.
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