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Bird Photos - Pg2

Taking bird photos is a great way to learn about birds and how to identify them.

As a late-developing wildlife enthusiast, I often feel overwhelmed by the expertise of my bird-watching companions when we're out in the bush or on safari.

These are guys who don't need a spotting scope or even binoculars to spot a tiny Chestnutbacked Finchlark in the scrub and grass 20 or 30 meters away.

All I see is the scrub and grass, never mind trying to photograph the little creature!

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Wildlife Pendants

Gold Pelican Pendant

Click on picture to open larger version.
Yellowbilled stork African Spoonbills Blackheaded Heron
Hooded vulture, immature specimen Hooded Vulture on tree stump Southern Ground Hornbill
Helmeted Guineafowl Helmeted Guineafowl Crested Frankolin
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Bateleur eagle in flight Lesser Masked Weaver Male Ostrich
White Faced Owl White Faced Owl, immature specimen Scops Owl
Redheaded Weaver Bateleur Eagle, immature Whitefronted Bee-eater
Bird Photo Captions

Row 1:
1.Yellowbilled stork, Kruger National Park, South Africa
2.African Spoonbills, Tala Private Game Reserve, South Africa
3.Blackheaded Heron, Tala Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Row 2:
1.Hooded Vulture, immature, Kruger National Park, S.Africa
2.Hooded Vulture, Kruger National Park, South Africa
3.Southern Ground Hornbill, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Row 3:
1.Helmeted Guineafowl foraging, Kruger National Park, S.Africa
2.Helmeted Guineafowl, Kruger National Park, South Africa
3.Crested Frankolin in tree, Kruger National Park, S.Africa

Row 4:
1.Bateleur Eagle in flight, Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia
2.Lesser Masked Weaver, Kruger National Park, South Africa
3.Male Ostrich foraging, Tala Private Game Reserve, S.Africa

Row 5:
1.White Faced Owl, Kruger National Park, South Africa
2.White Faced Owl, immature, Kruger National Park, South Africa
3.Scops Owl, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Row 6:
1.Redheaded Weaver in summer plumage, Kruger Park, S.Africa
2.Young bateleur eagle, Kruger National Park, South Africa
3.Whitefronted Bee-eater, Kruger National Park, South Africa

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Long Lens Adds New Dimension
But the recent purchase of a Canon 100-400mm image-stabilized lens has allowed me to start taking better bird photos.

Coupled to a Canon 350D SLR digital camera, this awesome piece of glass gives me the equivalent of a 640mm F5.6 lens when fully zoomed.

Although smaller specimens often remain out of reach, at least I can now get some pictures of larger birds.

It's not all plain sailing. Since acquiring the lens, I've been on safari to the Kruger National Park, Chobe National Park in Botswana (briefly) and Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park.

Camera Shake Remains a Threat
In all cases I've had to photograph from a vehicle, so use of a solid tripod is impossible. At max zoom (640mm equivalent), camera shake is a threat, even with an image-stabilized lens.

So a bean-bag becomes essential, but I'm still finding a good number of my bird photos are not pin-sharp as a result of subject and/or camera movement.

But the new lens has added a dimension to my wildlife photography, not only by bringing more subjects within range, but also by forcing me to identify the birds I snap.

Essential Reference Guides
Previously neglected books like Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa, the Field Companion to Roberts, and Ian Sinclair's Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa, are now in constant use as I go through bird pictures on my monitor.

These books have different strengths: Roberts is still regarded as the "bible" and contains in-depth information; the Field Guide is handy for finding information quickly, while Sinclair's book offers actual photos of birds rather than drawings, so is useful for comparisons.

Please note that we also offer Bird Stock Images for purchase with a royalty-free license.

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