This sweet youngster was hiding in the grass, relying on camouflage – which doesn’t seem to add up when looking at the clarity of the photograph but it was quite a long way from me and there were sticks and branches around which made the bird difficult to spot, especially as it was below the level of much of the grass.
1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 2000, focal length 560mm, handheld
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400 L IS USM EXT
This photograph was surprisingly awkward to take. I wanted to get down low to create the kind of intimate portrait I prefer but if I rested in a squat I was too low to see the bird through the grass but if I just bent down the angle was wrong. The level I needed to maintain made hand-holding a long lens less comfortable than usual. It was a test of my balance as well as my arm and leg muscles!
And it was tricky because of the bird turning its head back and forth, and the grass between us which was waving around in the breeze and often obscuring parts of the bird’s face.
I really like the nestled, half-hidden look of this photograph. I feel as though I’m sharing something that was supposed to stay hidden, which is true as it seemed to be waiting for its parents to return. It made no attempt to move away and I kept my distance as I didn’t want to disturb it. This youngster was in the same general area as last week’s Wedge-tailed Eagle chicks but luckily tucked under the tree canopy and some distance from where the adult eagles were circling. Thankfully eagles take mainly ground dwelling mammals and a few reptiles. They occasionally take large birds like cockatoos and currawongs but rarely bother with smaller birds like this bronzewing.
Common Bronzewings are stocky little pigeons that can be found in many parts of Australia apart from the driest deserts and dense rain forests. They grow to about 33cm and weigh over 300g.
I’m glad to have seen this little one and am grateful for the work-out and the image.
Happy birding, Kim
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Excellent shot Kim of the Bronzewing’s head/eye with white band underneath and soft looking ruffled breast feathers. Also liked the way in which the bird’s wing showed just a small amount of distinguishing bronze colouring leading me to think this could be a part of a future ID quiz? The softly waving grasses were a perfect foreground framing. Warm regards, Alison.
I’ve just added ‘mystery’ to the keywords for this photograph Alison, thank you for your idea. Perhaps I’ll make the next one a more straightforward ID quiz, some interesting thoughts are coming to mind! Waiting for those grasses to frame the bird, rather than obscure it, took a bit of time. I’m glad my muscles and balance held out long enough, Kim
Well captured. I doubt I could have managed it (my stability is woeful).
And how I wish that ‘Commmon’ Bronzewings were. I have only once seen them in my city.
It would have been good if I could have squatted for the shot but the strange position between a squat and a bend was pretty tricky. I wonder where they live in your city, maybe there are some dry woodlands around…
There are dry woodlands not far away. Sometimes VERY dry. I suspect they came into the city during one of our many droughts when pickings were scarce in their home territory.
That would make sense. Let’s hope they just come for a visit next time, without suffering from any drought conditions!
Such a little sweetie, well done getting such a great picture!
Thanks Alyssa. I think it’s seriously sweet too.