www.guernseybirdnerd.com

Hello folks, I'm back from France and yes, that's right, back at work. I've not processed all my shots from France yet but most of them are of Gwendoline being a beautifully behaved and fantastic daughter and Marcia being an equally well behaved and fantastic fiance.

I did get a few keepers and I've added a few to my galleries (Montagu's Harrier, Melodious Warbler, Blackcap) so watch this space.

On our return I was delighted to hear reports of a Black-winged Stilt being seen locally, it's a bird I've 'dipped' on a few times now. I eventually got the shots I pictured in my mind and I am well pleased with them.

The morning after the report I was out the door at about 06:45 and in position (for the light) by 07:10. When I say in position I mean on water level in full guillie suit and behind a camo net at the farthest end of the pond from the bird. I sat and watched it feeding and it was quickly obvious that it was limping and either had sustained an injury or had some sort of ailment. This made it's movements clumbsy and awkward; a far cry from the elegance of a fully fit stilt. I'd previously seen them in France.

Undeterred I sat and watched and waited, hoping that it would make it's way around the perifery of the pond and into range. It continued to feed but it's progress towards me was slow and arduous. A little egret then flew in and encouraged it back in the other direction. The egret, however did provide me atleast with a couple of decent shots. It left as the first other birders arrived.

Over the next three hours it became fairly apparent that the end of the pond I was at held little interest for our Stilt but I found entertainment in the voyeuristic persuit of watching birders come and go, get record shots, moan about the light etc etc. Very interesting indeed.

I decided my best chance would come in the evening when the light was at the other end and vowed I would return.

As promised I came back and the pond was still being regularly visited by birders and interested parties. I donned the top half of my guillie suit and made my way down to the last brambly cover before the grassy pond edge. I peeked over the top and the bird was some thirty feet away still busily feeding. I slowly crept, comando style (but with pants) to about 7 feet from the ponds edge. My tripod and camera in position and the bird totally unaware or un perturbed by my presence.

I laid in wait for the bird to make it's way back towards me, the pattern it had displayed all morning, and sure enough within 10 minutes or so it was feeding literally feet in front of me bathed in unbroken evening sunshine. I was still aware of onlookers behind me because I could hear them but I dare not turn or make any movements. i took a couple of individual shots first to ensure that my shutter noise would not cause the bird any undue stress and it seemed oblivious.

Eventually it came too close to photograph so I just lay there watching this beauty go about it's business. Once I had the shots I could I waited until it had wandered off to it's starting point and I rolled away leaving it happily feeding.

There's alot to be said for field craft, camouflague and getting down to eye level with a bird in this situation makes a world of difference. Letting the bird get close to you rather than trying to get close to the bird is also the best technique in my opinion. The shot I am most pleased with is this full frame, composed in camera, effort. It is an elegent pose despite the birds obvious affliction.