There were a lot of raptors in the rice paddy tonight : at least five, three Pied Harriers ( 2 male and 1 female) and two Eastern Marsh Harriers, both male. Before heading out I was thinking that male Pied Harriers have been much rarer sightings so far this winter. So I was pleased to see the boys strutting their stuff tonight. There were probably more birds out there than the five but it was pretty difficult to keep tabs on them all at the same time as they were spread out over a very large area. I can be sure the male Pied Harriers and Eastern Marsh Harriers were different birds as they were in the air at the same time but in different parts of the paddy.
Now that I have managed to add Grey-head Lapwing to my list my next target is to get some decent raptor shots and I want to get a decent shot of Common Kingfisher. I am working on the raptors and came close to producing some publishable shots tonight. I think it may take until into the New Year as I badly need a bit more light. Trying to shoot raptors in flight in fading light with a digiscoping rig is certainly a challenge. But as I say I am refining my technique and getting close to it. If I finally get a decent shot or two I'll tell you about the technique! No sign tonight of the aforementioned Grey-headed Lapwings: something tells me they are morning birds.
No comments:
Post a Comment