Blog

Photographing Birds in the Snow

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE GARDEN SNOW

Although I have always had a deep interest in the wildlife that surrounds us, I don’t claim to be a nature photographer. It is a branch of photography about which I know little, and so I have great respect for those who achieve beautiful pictures of wild animals. But I still love photographing birds in the snow.

bird photography,wildlife photography,photoactive,philip dunn,fieldfare
Photographed through the double-glazed kitchen window – the drama of a life or death battle for survival

 

PHOTO DRAMA OUTSIDE THE KITCHEN WINDOW

No, my ‘prey’ has mostly been of the human kind – capturing people unawares in the street or in moments of drama or joy.

That doesn’t mean that I will miss easy opportunities to take pictures of the wild birds and animals I’m so fond of.

During this terrible cold spell, we’ve been putting out on the lawn the remaining, rather bruised, cooking apples that have been stored in our shed. The Blackbirds, Robins and Thrushes love them. A couple or three Blackbirds can polish off a large cooking apple in about 15 minutes at this time of year. I’ve counted at least 20 blackbirds at one time.

wildlife photography,bird photography
Blackbird V Fieldfare – it seems a pretty even contest – but you have to be quick to capture it on camera

 

This morning, however, the regular garden birds were inundated with a flock or fieldfares – that’s when the fun began. Among the Fieldfares were some Redwings. The Blackbirds fought back to protect their food source. This was a real battle for survival on one of the coldest winter days I can remember.

WIMP PHOTOGRAPHER – PHOTOGRAPHING BIRDS

I had to photograph the scene, but being of a wimpish disposition, there was no way I was going to sit outside to take pictures. Not in this weather. See, I told you I have respect for wildlife photographers, a proper one would have been out there braving the elements. I opted for a camera position behind the double glazed kitchen window.

bird photography,wildlife photography,philip dunn,fieldfare,blackbird
A hen Blackbird fights it out with a Fieldfare – the winner took the piece of apple

 

NO PICTURE PRIZES

I know the pictures won’t win any prizes, but I enjoyed taking them, and hope you enjoy seeing them. The session gave me another insight into the behaviour of our wild birds and made me aware of just how beautiful are the Fieldfares and Redwings that visit us each winter.

  • I used a Nikon D700 with a 70-200mm Nikkor f2.8 lens
  • Exposure compensation +1
  • ISO 400
  • Aperture priority mode
  • F5 which gave me a shutter speed of 1/2000th sec

 

wildlife photography-bird photography
Fieldfare fights back – aerial combat. Photograph by Philip Dunn

 

JOIN PHILIP DUNN ON A 121 PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE IN SHROPSHIRE

 

Tags: , ,

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Eddie Dewhurst March 7, 2018 Reply

    Dear Philip
    Great to here from you.I think your pictures are excellent.
    I have also had a garden full of birds,like you I stored apples
    over winter and these have been gratefully accepted along
    with peanuts and bird seed.
    I will be in touch with you in the near future
    Kind regards Eddie Dewhurst Please note my new email edew1887@yahoo.co.uk

  2. Eddie Dewhurst March 7, 2018 Reply

    Dear Philip
    Great to here from you.I think your pictures are excellent.
    I have also had a garden full of birds,like you I stored apples
    over winter and these have been gratefully accepted along
    with peanuts and bird seed.
    I will be in touch with you in the near future
    Kind regards Eddie Dewhurst

    1. Philip March 7, 2018 Reply

      Thanks Eddie,
      Good to hear from you, too.
      As I said in the post – I don’t pretend to be any great shakes as a wildlife photographer, but I did get a buzz from photographing those birds in the snow.
      Hope to see you again in Shropshire at some stage.
      Philip

Leave a Reply