These mesmerising birds always enthral me and it’s interesting how even the tiniest change of pose can make a marked difference to the portrait.
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 2500, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400mm L IS USM EXT
I met up with some of my beautiful family at the Healesville Sanctuary today; it was overcast and a bit cold but absolutely wonderful. It was gorgeous to see the little ones excited about birds and beetles, koalas and kangas.
This Bush Stone-curlew lives in the parrot flight aviary. They are secretive birds that rely on camouflage rather than flight for protection which makes them easier to photograph, if you’re lucky enough to spot them in the first place! Their calmness is especially appreciated in overcast conditions which affect the settings I can use on my camera. Today that meant using a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/800th of a second and a very high ISO of 2500.
They feed mainly at night, foraging on the ground for invertebrates, small reptiles and the occasional small mammal.
I was sitting on the ground for these shots and by opening the aperture as wide as possible I decreased the depth of field, which blurred the background and enabled the bird to stand out. If I’d taken this shot with my phone, the background, which was close behind the bird, would have been just as sharp as the subject.
1/800, f/5.6, ISO 2500, focal length 560mm
Canon 5DSR, Canon 200-400mm L IS USM EXT
I like both of these portraits, especially the head angles, but find the shot above more engaging. The bird turned towards its reflection in my lens and fluffed up its feathers. If you flip back and forth between the two images you’ll see how much fluffier its neck and chest look in the second shot. I love the way its feathers are standing out from each other, giving them more definition.
A photograph of this species, that I took in the wild a few years ago, now graces the front cover of a novel. I really must read it, soon!
Happy birding, stay safe, Kim
~ Browse prints and gifts Lirralirra Shop
~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra
~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
Both are beautiful photos. I love curlews. We have them on our property and everynight they call out so loud just outside our windows. I love their calls but I never see them during the day they must be so good at camouflaging!
How fantastic to have them on your property Georgina! And how interesting that you don’t see them during the day… their camouflage is definitely remarkable
Your beautiful photography once again highlights the amazing colour and texture of the feathers.
I agree about the second shot being more engaging. I think the bird is saying,”Do I look better at this angle?”
Thank you Margot. Such a funny thought about what the bird could be saying!
Both shots are stunners – but the second is more intimate and engaging.
How lovely that you could meet up with family. If nothing else blasted Covid has reinforced just how important and precious a treat that is.
And, as an aside, I would assuredly pick up a book with a curlew on the cover…
You are so right about family EC, feeling their tiny hands in mine is enough to keep me smiling in my sleep.