With the third day now begun I headed straight to the nearest headland and the Antinioti Lagoon. It really was just a continuation of the beach at Roda at the other end of this small bay.
I found the perfect spot at last. The ground cover was ideal for migratory birds dropping in so hopefully I'd get lucky.
What I found to be the reality though was that birding was extremely difficult. The lagoon held nothing other than a few Coot and a Common Kingfisher that was always seen flying at distance and as for the birds in the bushes, you had to be fast, extremely fast, to lock on focus and get a shot off. There wasn't a shortage, there were quite a lot about but they flew out of deep cover and straight back in to the middle of a bush most of the time. Occasionally, and only very occasionally one might land on a visible branch before dropping in to cover.
The majority were Blackcaps but this shot confirmed that the species I was after were there too!
It took me several days and hours of waiting before I got something acceptable.
One shot and down they went.
I rarely got the second shot either.
Still Sardinian Warbler was a good addition to my year list even if after several days I eventually decided I was never going to get anything worthwhile and gave up trying! I imagine in the spring when the birds are singing from the bush tops it's a much easier opportunity but in the autumn they appeared very furtive.
The photography was indeed hard work. Over the course of 5 days and 6 or 7 visits the number of species I recorded was minimal.
Stonechat
House Sparrow
Hooded Crow
and Starling.
Nothing to write home about but at least something!
I was so desperate I even started photographing fish!
as well as butterflies
This one was laying eggs.
.
On one afternoon I persuaded Claire to come along with me on the promise I wouldn't take my camera, well only a 24-105 lens for some scene shots. It was the one of only two times I had a bird pose for ages as it fed within a few feet of me.
Ah well, that's the way it goes!
TBC
I found the perfect spot at last. The ground cover was ideal for migratory birds dropping in so hopefully I'd get lucky.
What I found to be the reality though was that birding was extremely difficult. The lagoon held nothing other than a few Coot and a Common Kingfisher that was always seen flying at distance and as for the birds in the bushes, you had to be fast, extremely fast, to lock on focus and get a shot off. There wasn't a shortage, there were quite a lot about but they flew out of deep cover and straight back in to the middle of a bush most of the time. Occasionally, and only very occasionally one might land on a visible branch before dropping in to cover.
The majority were Blackcaps but this shot confirmed that the species I was after were there too!
It took me several days and hours of waiting before I got something acceptable.
One shot and down they went.
I rarely got the second shot either.
Still Sardinian Warbler was a good addition to my year list even if after several days I eventually decided I was never going to get anything worthwhile and gave up trying! I imagine in the spring when the birds are singing from the bush tops it's a much easier opportunity but in the autumn they appeared very furtive.
The photography was indeed hard work. Over the course of 5 days and 6 or 7 visits the number of species I recorded was minimal.
Stonechat
House Sparrow
Hooded Crow
and Starling.
Nothing to write home about but at least something!
I was so desperate I even started photographing fish!
as well as butterflies
This one was laying eggs.
.On one afternoon I persuaded Claire to come along with me on the promise I wouldn't take my camera, well only a 24-105 lens for some scene shots. It was the one of only two times I had a bird pose for ages as it fed within a few feet of me.
Ah well, that's the way it goes!
TBC
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