Why did the (Long-billed Swamp) Chicken cross the Road?
Apparently, to frustrate the photographer...
An image from a special encounter last night. I stopped at local marsh area to do some birding around dusk. There were a pair of Virginia Rails calling back and forth across the road, so I cranked up the ISO and dug in hoping to get some good looks of the birds (not usually an easy thing...). I could hear one of the birds moving through the foliage, approaching the edge of the road, so I quickly moved my set-up to the opposite side of the road, hoping the bird would emerge from the vegetation and give me some good images. After peaking out from the foliage, the bird immediately started across the road at a pretty good clip only allowing me a couple sharp frames before he closed the distance enough to be inside the minimum focal distance of my lens (not so good on an old 800mm lens @ ~20ft). The bird then, naturally, slowed right down and casually walked by ~8ft away, giving me a few scornful looks then ducking back into the marsh grass. Even if I could focus, I had much to much lens - I should have mounted the 200-500mm instead. Live and learn...
Why did the (Long-billed Swamp) Chicken cross the Road?
Apparently, to frustrate the photographer...
An image from a special encounter last night. I stopped at local marsh area to do some birding around dusk. There were a pair of Virginia Rails calling back and forth across the road, so I cranked up the ISO and dug in hoping to get some good looks of the birds (not usually an easy thing...). I could hear one of the birds moving through the foliage, approaching the edge of the road, so I quickly moved my set-up to the opposite side of the road, hoping the bird would emerge from the vegetation and give me some good images. After peaking out from the foliage, the bird immediately started across the road at a pretty good clip only allowing me a couple sharp frames before he closed the distance enough to be inside the minimum focal distance of my lens (not so good on an old 800mm lens @ ~20ft). The bird then, naturally, slowed right down and casually walked by ~8ft away, giving me a few scornful looks then ducking back into the marsh grass. Even if I could focus, I had much to much lens - I should have mounted the 200-500mm instead. Live and learn...