Do I need a camera?
Frequently asked questions about birding #13
Do I need a camera when I go birding?
No.
But I guarantee you will be saying “If only I had a camera” far too many times.
I carry a small camera bag containing a small digital camera when I go birding. They are so small, light and easy to use. I’ve got so many wonderful photos over recent months that it has totally renewed my interest in photography.
A word of warning: always take spare batteries. I had a wonderful opportunity to take a photo of a rare bird once and the batteries died just a few minutes before. I now carry TWO sets of spare batteries! I’m a slow learner.
Update November 2013:
Since writing this article I have taken many thousands of photos, both here in Australia and overseas. I have included the best of them on this site. Browse through the archives for articles which might interest you; most have at least one photo. Below is a selection of just a few.
Red-collared Lorikeet at Adelaide Zoo
Crested pigeon
White-browed Woodswallow
Sacred Kingfisher
Great Bird photo site
No Comments »29th August, 2006; Category: Photos
A great birding site for photos of Australian birds is Peter Fuller’s Australian Bird Photography.
Of particular interest is the gallery featuring birds in flight.
Amazing photography.
It gives me something to which to aspire with my photography.
To view my photo gallery click here.
How to be a Birder part 14
Hint # 14 Use a camera
With the advent of cheap, easy to use digital cameras with great zoom facilities, bird photography has become accessible to everyone. One doesn’t need to buy big, expensive telephoto lenses to get great shots of birds. An added bonus is that you don’t have to lug around a wheel barrow load of camera equipment, lenses, tripod, flash units and other assorted gear. If that turns you on, fine. Go ahead and ruin your back. Only joking. If you want to go down the professional photographer path you probably will need a truck load of gear, but for the ordinary birder, the modern digital camera means light, compact, ease of use and great results.
When I purchased a new digital camera in the middle of 2005 I rediscovered my interest in photography. Many years ago, over 30 years ago in fact, I bought a cheap SLR. I even got to the point of developing my own slide photos. I couldn’t really afford too many extras like expensive telephoto lens, and gradually the interest waned. The digital age has reignited a passion for photography.
I bought a Canon Powershot S2 IS digital camera with a 12x zoom facility. Now this was something of compromise. I bought it especially for the trek in the Everest region I did last January (read my travel blog for details of my adventures). I wanted a powerful camera with plenty of zoom but it had to be compact. I didn’t want to carry a great deal of heavy equipment, and the Canon, while something of a compromise, was ideal.
It has proved to be amazingly adept as a great camera for bird photography. It is easy to carry, even with binoculars around my neck. I have a loop tied in the strap so that it fits over my wrist and just dangles from there when not in use. This way it doesn’t bang against my binoculars. Nor does it interfere with viewing a bird using the binoculars. It is simple and quick to use and the 12x zoom facility is brilliant.
UPDATE: The model of camera I write about above has been through a series of different models and seems to be no longer available. Several new series of models have replaced it, and prices have dropped in recent years. Check out your favourite camera shop.
Updated November 2013.
Silver Gull
Wood Ducks in the Wittunga Botanic Gardens
Wood Ducks are common and widespread throughout much of Australia. They are a common sight as the graze near lakes, rivers and dams. They are also very common in parks and gardens where there is a water feature.
Australian Wood Duck (male)
On our visit to the Wittunga Botanic Gardens a few days ago we were approached by quite a few Wood Ducks. I guess they thought that we were going to give them some kind of food handout. They obviously hadn’t seen us eating our lunch before we went on our walk through the park.
Australian Wood Duck (female)
I had seen Wood Ducks on many previous occasions. Not until I started taking these photos did I realise how different the male and female are in this species. They were so accommodating I hardly needed to use the zoom lens on my camera either.
And didn’t they pose beautifully for me?
Great Birding Moments #7 Koala
Last Thursday we travelled to Adelaide to attend the funeral of the mother of a close friend. On our way home we detoured to a part of the Adelaide Hills we hadn’t visited for several years. Near the hills suburb of Blackwood are the Wittunga Botanic Gardens. This is an annex of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens which are within walking distance of the Adelaide CBD.
The Wittunga Botanic Gardens are set in the midst of housing on two sides, a school on another side and a transport corridor for trains on yet another side. The main access road is a busy four lane highway. Despite all of this, it is remarkably peaceful within the gardens themselves. I’ll be posting more reflections on our visit in coming days.
One sighting rather delighted me.
Perched high in a eucalyptus tree – I didn’t take any notice of its species name – was an Australian Magpie. Not something to really rave about as they are quite common in the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas. This magpie was a little different. It was most upset and was screeching its displeasure at the sleeping Koala near the top of the same tree. It flapped its wings and called raucously, but it didn’t actually approach closer to the mammal more than about a metre away. Its concern was shared by a Noisy Miner who made several bombing raids near the head of the drowsy Koala.
While this all happened, the Koala just kept on snoozing. Below is one of the photos I was able to take.
Koala and Magpie