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- John
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I've never had such a hard time trying to photograph a bird. Bit of a story, too. I went to the Fortrose golf course (on the recent holiday) after walking past it on a coastal walk the previous day and stood listening to their wonderful song. Skylarks seenm to like hovering over golf courses...and airfields. I've heard them in both locations before. Next day I returned hoping to get some shots. I asked a golfing pair if I was allowed to walk across the greens. Yes, it's all open to anyone .All around there are gorse bushes. They'd make a great photo themselves with their vibrant yellow flowers..smell like coconut, too. The birds were there...maybe the same ones...somewhere up there above me and when down on the grass never came close to me so I hid behind a gorse bush but they remained a way off .Only once did one come a little closer but not much. I had my 150-600 on a 7D11 too. All at 1/2500 sec for the hovering ones.After a while and many useless shots I happen to look to my left to a part of the golf course below me when I saw ball flying straight at me. Nothing I could do. Fortunately, it landed a few metres from me on sandy soil and in amongst the gorse bushes. Along came the golfer looking for it. He apologised and said he hadn't seen me. I told him not to worry as I was hiding to get my shots. I took a break from the camera and we looked for the gold ball. Never found it. I assume when people walk around the golf course it's at their own risk. The man said it was ok that I was there..no restrictions.
What's amazing is how long it takes to locate a singing skylark when it's up above..I read that they can go to 300m but generally 50-100m. Wonderful song as everyone knows. No wonder Vaughn Williams wrote his 'The Lark Ascending' composition and it was once voted the country's favourite classical piece. It's even said that it's aerodynamics inspired the design of the Stuka and the siren sound that it made during a dive as the skylark continues singing during descent. Seems it's only the male that does this. Eventually I managed these three shots. It looks like it caught a meal up there, too. I really don't know if it's the same one..they all looked the same to me.
They'd disappear for while..probably to another part of the course and return.
What's amazing is how long it takes to locate a singing skylark when it's up above..I read that they can go to 300m but generally 50-100m. Wonderful song as everyone knows. No wonder Vaughn Williams wrote his 'The Lark Ascending' composition and it was once voted the country's favourite classical piece. It's even said that it's aerodynamics inspired the design of the Stuka and the siren sound that it made during a dive as the skylark continues singing during descent. Seems it's only the male that does this. Eventually I managed these three shots. It looks like it caught a meal up there, too. I really don't know if it's the same one..they all looked the same to me.
They'd disappear for while..probably to another part of the course and return.
