Recent Trip To Dawlish

htid

htid

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Chris
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Went away to Dawlish for a few days last month and am only just getting round to editing the pics. I go through it every time I visit my girlfriend who is at uni in Cornwall and we always see so many waders around that area, so we thought we'd go back to see if any had stayed behind over summer. The answer was a resounding NO :p Except for a few little egrets. Weather was rubbish and drizzling most of the time but at least I got something. Will just keep updating this thread as I get round to editing the rest, but for now:

Showing what the d500 and 500mm f4 is capable of...even if it's only a juvenile blackbird
Blackbird by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Goldfinch by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

First time I've ever got a house martin, so was quite please about that!
House Martin by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Coming in to land!
Little Egret by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

And my prized photo of the whole trip...a nightjar! We'd heard that they were in the area so we went to find some heathland where we thought they could be. Got there about 9pm, while it was still light, with the hope they'd be coming out soon. Waited 20 minutes and nothing, so we assumed they weren't in this field. Went back to the car and just as I was getting in, my dad said "I swear I just heard one!" We went back to the heathland and there were 3 flying about! I've never seen or heard one before and it's definitely a spooky sound! Unfortunately I'd already put my 500mm back in my backpack and in the boot so by the time I'd got it out and attached it to the camera, I'd lost about 5 minutes light so had to up the ISO. Not the best photo by any means, but at ISO 5000 on the d500, as a 100% crop, I'm pretty happy that I got anything at all. Now I just need to go back prepared...except I don't drive and it would be impossible to get there without driving!

Nightjar by Chris Cotton, on Flickr
 
Oh! I take not much of note from the hide(s) and across the mudflats, a pity :(
 
Box Brownie said:
Oh! I take not much of note from the hide(s) and across the mudflats, a pity :(
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I don't really understand. Do you mean you live there and don't pay attention to the mudflats?

wezza13 said:
Very nice Chris, that 500mm certainly does bring out lovely feather detail (y)

Look forward to seeing the rest
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Definitely does..but it's a heavy beast to carry around for hours haha
 
htid said:
I don't really understand. Do you mean you live there and don't pay attention to the mudflats?
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Sorry to confuse. No do not live there but have been a few times on short breaks and I thought that there were all year round residents not all migratory ones. Though on one trip we had a brief...........woah!!!!

Forget that a brain burp moment I was thinking of Seaton Marshes for the flocks seen, Dawlish was kind of quiet by comparison. Oh dear sorry about that :(:coat::exit:
 
Haha. To be honest we didn't think about them being migratory either and thought there would be some birds left...but literally, the estuary was dead except for crows, herring gulls and a few little egrets. In winter it's absolutely full, so think I'll try and have a weekend down there and hope for some good light!
 
htid said:
Haha. To be honest we didn't think about them being migratory either and thought there would be some birds left...but literally, the estuary was dead except for crows, herring gulls and a few little egrets. In winter it's absolutely full, so think I'll try and have a weekend down there and hope for some good light!
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If you are making the trip down and have the time do check out Seaton Marshes, not sure what will be there now but there were Redshanks aplenty, Oyster Catchers, a Curlew of two and sometime back I saw a Kingfisher from one of the hides..............and was told of a Water Rail but sadly no time to go to the other hide and try to see for myself!

Plus you can take a trip on the electric tram :)
 
Blackbird is a cracking pic , I'm waiting for it to fly off :p
 
Good set Chris, the exposure on the Little Egret is superb, I'm struggling with them at the moment ... what exposure were you using?
 
gramps said:
Good set Chris, the exposure on the Little Egret is superb, I'm struggling with them at the moment ... what exposure were you using?
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Thanks Roger :) It was an overcast day which made things easier than direct sunlight! EXIF is intact...1/3200th, f5.6 (with the 300mm PF plus 1.4tc so lowest I can go), 400 ISO. I think the light was the biggest help to be honest!
 
htid said:
Thanks Roger :) It was an overcast day which made things easier than direct sunlight! EXIF is intact...1/3200th, f5.6 (with the 300mm PF plus 1.4tc so lowest I can go), 400 ISO. I think the light was the biggest help to be honest!
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Sorry Chris, I meant, Matrix, Spot, Centre-weighted?
2nd set are good, Redstart superb :)
 
gramps said:
Sorry Chris, I meant, Matrix, Spot, Centre-weighted?
2nd set are good, Redstart superb :)
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Oh sorry, centre weighted. I need to look at what you guys have been saying in the d500 thread about what modes to use etc.!
 
htid said:
Oh sorry, centre weighted. I need to look at what you guys have been saying in the d500 thread about what modes to use etc.!
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That works for most things for me but with the Egrets it hasn't been working ... tried spot and spot with highlight protection but haven't got a single shot I'm pleased with yet! :(
 
wezza13 said:
The male Stonechat in this set for me.

Linnet looks like a huge crop or focused on the branch this side of it?

Light is probably the main aspect :)
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Linnet isnt a huge crop...that's about 67% zoom on the full size. It was raining though and wanted to make the most of being down there so just stayed in the rain taking what I could.
 
Final few I got from the trip:

Sparrow by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Wasn't sure whether to include this as it was a big crop, but the 500mm seems to have kept quite a lot of feather detail so thought I'd include it anyway
Yellowhammer by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Shame about the grass in front of the leg but nothing I could do
Whitethroat by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Waiting for mum or dad to bring food...
Whitethroat Chick by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

Feeding time
Feeding time by Chris Cotton, on Flickr

"Mum, I'm choking, I think it's too big!"
Feeding Time Part 2 by Chris Cotton, on Flickr
 
Chris,some really beautiful images here really mate i've been back a few times to look now,special grats on the Egret first up ha ha you know why that is special for me ,exposure is stunning and of course the IQ, Male stoney is just fabulous chris really mate and although the BKG is busy i'm very drawn to the white throat shots,a night jar as well cor,ok not the image you want but an image nonetheless. Can't help but love the more common blackbird and spadger shots mate the detail really is superb. Chris there is a real range in quality here ,but damn the good un's are good

take care

Stu
 
gramps said:
That works for most things for me but with the Egrets it hasn't been working ... tried spot and spot with highlight protection but haven't got a single shot I'm pleased with yet! :(
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I tend to use spot, chimp, manual/EC! Especially for Egrets which stay relatively static. If something's moving too fast, I just use the old (and failing!) Mk1 eyeballs - I'm not up to following BIF with long lenses.
 
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