I have been a keen photographer (hobby) for a while and over the past year I have started enjoying taking more and more photos of birds. Its all fun from a photography standpoint but I have found myself wanting to know more about the birds I take photos of and being able to identify them would be a good start so that is what brings me here.
I live in the Illawarra NSW. I want to try and take at least one decent photo from as many different species that can be found here as I can.
My next target is Azure Kingfisher. Anyone know where exactly I can find them. I have followed many a stream and waterways and still have not spotted any.
Thank you all.
Alex
Same story as me Abelski...the photography came before the birds, and although I love them both still...the birds are the stronger side of my interest these days. I rarely find myself wanting to shoot other stuff!!!! I regularly torment myself with the small rainforest birds ( as they are close) that are the hardest targets for any bird photographer !!! LOL
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hehe. I know what you mean. I love taking photographs of small birds. They are so cute but SOOOOOO hard to photograph. More so because most of them dont stop at a spot for more than a second.
I tortured myself 3 moths ago trying to get a decent photo of what I think now is the most difficult bird to photograph. A swallow gliding above the ponds at work. I have no idea what they were doing. There is small fish there and now and then they would actually hit the water and in an instant keep flying. I never saw them take a fish though. It also looks like from some of the photos they had their beaks open as they were gliding close over the surface of the water. Much like a whale shark gliding through water picking up plankton. Strange.
Anyway good to be here. I hope I learn more about birds than I do now.
I was born to live and I live to die.
Hi abeleski, my grandmother taught me, if the swallows are flying high, the weather is going to be fine, if they are flying low, it's going to rain! It's because of the pressure of the atmosphere, that the insects are either flying high or low. So ,I'm certain, the swallows were catching insect close to the surface of the lake.
M-L
Araminta:
I am not sure that they were chasing insects. I couldnt see any in front of them. They were just skimming the surface with beak open. I might try and dig up some of the photos so you can see what I mean. They arent very clean but should be able to see what I am talking about. Might open a new thread and ask the question.
Thanks again.
I was born to live and I live to die.
...Hmmm, they might have been scooping up insects sitting on the surface of the water? (You know the ones that don't sink and drown.LOL)
M-L
Hello Alex
Welcome to BIBY. Hopefully you will find some Azure Kingfishers soon.
Here is a photo of one I found last winter. Though I see them regularly around Penrith, but to photograph them you need to put in a bit of effort. :)
http://www.amatteroflight.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Azure-Kingfisher-v1_038211.jpg
Ohh you are such a tease Windhover. I hate you. ...I am joking ofcourse. Thats an awesome photo. As I said before. I would be happy just to see one. Have not seen one with my eyes in the wild yet. I went out today to try and find them here in the Illawarra and the place where we were going was flooded from the rain the other day. Oh well. Will have to try in a few days.
And yes I am prepared to put in the effort.
I was born to live and I live to die.