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Having had to endure - sorry, enjoy - all of Jeff's (and other forum contributors) fantastic Waxwing photos this winter we finally gave in on Saturday to try and see the long-staying but mobile flock that has been hanging around the research park on the outskirts of Norwich. We didn't realise at the time that they range over a very large area and often go missing for long periods - until hearing that some people had been 4 or 5 times before seeing them (or giving up). The forecast was sunshine and showers with a fresh, gusty wind so not great for either viewing or photography - and had we known how the weather would turn out I suspect we wouldn't have tried.
As it was as soon as we walked up the entrance road we spotted a flock of starling-sized birds wheeling over the car park before disappearing behind the buildings but the distinctive calls told us that at least the Waxwings were around. Soon the rain started - and persisted without any breaks for the next two hours! After waiting for 40 minutes or so the flock returned and landed in the topmost branches of probably the tallest oak in the park ... where they remained until we gave up and left over an hour later. Occasionally a few birds would drop into one of the few berry-laden bushes around the car park but always just to pluck a single berry which they carried back to the oak to eat. Of course we took a few "record" shots but at around 40m distance and at the top of a 40-foot-plus tree, in continuous rain, the results were to say the least very ordinary. My wife counted 34 birds so a decent sized flock and always lovely to see (and hear) so perhaps we'll give then another try before they either run out of berries or return to Scandinavia!
So these are my best "arty" shots - rather too heavily processed I think in the rather fruitless effort to get something worth keeping! OM-1.1 150-400 + 1.35TC + 1.4x TC ISO 3200
As it was as soon as we walked up the entrance road we spotted a flock of starling-sized birds wheeling over the car park before disappearing behind the buildings but the distinctive calls told us that at least the Waxwings were around. Soon the rain started - and persisted without any breaks for the next two hours! After waiting for 40 minutes or so the flock returned and landed in the topmost branches of probably the tallest oak in the park ... where they remained until we gave up and left over an hour later. Occasionally a few birds would drop into one of the few berry-laden bushes around the car park but always just to pluck a single berry which they carried back to the oak to eat. Of course we took a few "record" shots but at around 40m distance and at the top of a 40-foot-plus tree, in continuous rain, the results were to say the least very ordinary. My wife counted 34 birds so a decent sized flock and always lovely to see (and hear) so perhaps we'll give then another try before they either run out of berries or return to Scandinavia!
So these are my best "arty" shots - rather too heavily processed I think in the rather fruitless effort to get something worth keeping! OM-1.1 150-400 + 1.35TC + 1.4x TC ISO 3200
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