News archive

January 2010

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Indoor Meetings - Aspects of Wildlife Photography by Barry Hilling

Those who attended this meeting may remember how it was summarised in the Vote of Thanks: firstly, each picture came as a complete surprise; and, secondly, the depth of knowledge shown by the speaker in his commentary was quite amazing. And that is exactly what it was. From slugs to beetles to butterflies, dragonflies and moths to birds to mammals - the variety of form and colour coupled with unusual and interesting facts about the subjects made this a gripping and informative evening. Almost all of the photographs had been taken in natural light using a tripod, but wildlife photography is not simple. Barry explained that time in hides is sometimes necessary: he spent 11 days in one to get his picture of a bittern. Still, it was good to be told that the number of "booming" males has increased markedly over the past decade. Suitable clothes are important: stout wellingtons for wading in ponds to get shots of dragonflies, for example. And some dragonflies apparently tend to return to a favourite spot, a habit which, once known, can be exploited to provide time for setting up equipment. Some wild creatures may need to be tempted by food: a good example was the photograph of a great spotted woodpecker which had been attracted to peanuts stuffed into cracks in the bark of a suitable tree. Goldfinches we know will leave home for nyjer seed; but how many in our audience were aware of the fact that the RSPB set up a campaign many years ago against their being kept in cages?

Another factor that merits probably more consideration than it normally gets is the background. Barry said that he often does a little "gardening" to clear away stray grass, twigs, leaves or even spiders' webs to improve the composition. Background colour too can make the difference between a good and bad photograph. I remember well the shot of viper's bugloss taken against a pale yellow background which showed it off to perfection. It may be necessary to think about exposure to prevent burn-out when photographing, for example, mute swans or white flowers. Conversely, the exposure may need to be put up a stop to bring out feather detail on birds such as cormorants. Beanbags positioned on car windows have a place; Barry's picture of a lapwing was taken in this way. Sometimes a monopod and telephoto lens are preferable, however, especially when there is a need to keep a safe distance away from the subject, and this was the technique used for the photograph of red deer in Richmond Park. It can be easier to photograph shy animals in surroundings where they are more used to people: witness the shot of a grey heron taken at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes. On windy days a light tent is helpful to prevent movement. We saw a shot of a Chiltern gentian taken in this way. And if all else fails, then a visit to the British Wildlife Centre in East Surrey can be well worth the journey for capturing on film animals such as otters and wildcats.

I have mentioned some of the photographs we saw that illustrated the points made by our lecturer. But there were plenty of other memorable pictures. I recall the shot of the larva of a privet hawk-moth for which Barry was awarded the runner-up prize in a Butterfly of the Year competition; and the pictures of a lovely Emperor moth larva taken on Thursley Common, a carnival beetle, and an arctic tern set against a white background. Many will know of this little (it is only about 15 inches long) bird's legendary migration from the Arctic to Antarctica and back each year, a round distance of about 25,000 miles ( but I understand from recent research that some individuals actually travel a total of about 50,000 miles annually). And as a result of moving between Arctic and Antarctic summers, the arctic tern sees more daylight than any other creature on earth. I also remember the slide of a gorgeous red fox. And that of a blue tit whose chicks need to hatch precisely when their main food, moth caterpillars, are emerging from their eggs in the oak trees. It was not mentioned at the time, but another facet of this tiny bird that I find fascinating is the fact that the males have an ultraviolet radiance that is reflected from their caps, which just look blue to us, but which can be detected by other blue tits; the more intense the light, the more attractive the male is to the female. From Bulgaria, there was an appealing photograph of a pretty nesting little ringed plover and from the Greek island of Lesbos a Kentish plover together with a black winged stilt (the bird with the longest legs compared to its size). A very varied evening then; a good illustration of biodiversity together with useful tips for our photographers.

Brian Shreeve


Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Forthcoming meeting - Wednesday 27th January 2010

Aspects of Wildlife Photography - by Barry Hilling. Come and join the NWSURREY RSPB for this talk in which birds are well featured. The speaker, who is an associate of the Royal Photographic Society, will not only explain how he obtained the photographs but also provide factual information about the wildlife subjects pictured throughout the year.

Sunday, 10 January 2010

Important advice from the RSPB in the freezing conditions

The RSPB has issued advice about watching birds responsibly and about feeding birds in the garden. Please don't forget to put out fresh water and to change it regularly to stop it being frozen. Click on the link below for full details--