BIRDS

Bird photography

Photography fine art
Although I love birds, I’ve never been and I never will be a real twitcher / birder, it’s just not in my genes.
I sure love them, but I love them as every other creature and I couldn’t care less if they’re rare or not. When it comes to bird photography, I have two main interests:

 

1. The easygoingness of the bird

I use a full frame Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 300mm f/4L IS USM, which is way too short for photographing camera-shy creatures. Especially when you don’t like to wear camouflage gear either. Because of my very short focal distance I have to come pretty close and the last thing I want to capture is a disturbed, scared or angry bird. I like my models to be fully at ease 😉

 

2. The setting and light

Personally I prefer a very common bird in special light and beautiful setting above a boring photo of an extremely rare bird. Having said that, of course I do have my preferences, like utterly cute little owlets in fantastic backlight, Eurasian Bitterns doing silly walks, mating Kingfishers on a perch, angry swans, short-eared owls in flight, happily dancing White Throated Dippers, high speed mosquito chasing baby ducklings, god-wit silhouettes at sunset, elegant storks in the snow, imperturbable night-herons, or evil little goslings….
But I can get just as happy with a totally common starling feeding its youngsters or a sparrow enjoying its bath and hopefully this leads to beautiful bird photos with a personal touch…

 

The March of the Goslings
Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
“Reflections in Blue” There’s something so magical about swans. Their dignity, the serenity that surrounds them… Did you ever notice that even the water and the wind seem to hold their breath when swan swims by…
Little Owl with Mouse
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Repetitions Greylag Goose (Anser anser)
Geese in the mist at sunrise
F;ock of Starlings
Blending Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
Swan at sunset
White on white
White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)
Little Owl in warm light
Gull in the Snow
Pretty in Pink
Mute swan (Cygnus olor)
Empty spaces
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Back-lit Little Owlet
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Autumn heron II
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Eurasian bittern participating Ministry of Silly Walks
Duckling silhouette reflected in the water
Bird Song
Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris)
Gotcha!
Wild Duckling (Anas platyrhynchos)
Whassssuuuuup
Egyptian gosling
Hidden Heron
Easter Chick
What Bittern, Where?!
Portrait of a Eurasian Bittern or Great Bittern (Botaurus Stellaris) using its camouflage technique in the snow
Flying short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
Little Owl (Athena noctua) in a Tree
Cold Feet
European Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Starling murmuration at sunset
Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)
Eurasian Bittern flying from a reed bed
Backpack Quack
Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
“Ode to Swans” Swans are SO strong. I have never seen them actually break an arm, nor do I believe that they would lower themselves to such a thing. But I do think they could…just in case. 😉 In springtime, swans look like dream boats; a floating suit of feathers, where baby swans can play til they drop in an endless soft feather bed …. how cool is that …?! This in contrasts with the sudden ferocity that arises when facing danger. (or a coot). Running over the water like consummate basilisks and flapping their wings as if they want to break the ditch in half! Swans are truly magical creatures, gliding over the water surface, as if controlled by something invisible. (which is actually the case) Pure dignity and calmness. Control to the max. That’s to say: until you arouse their anger. Do them injustice, you better hide! Nothing and nobody will stop them. That whiteness, that grace; almost supernatural purity. And at the same time there is this dark look; which unfathomable depths lie behind….? Swans; so soft and yet so strong, so loving and graceful, so ferocious and unpredictable …. Personifications of contrast. Never a dull moment with a swan. And sometimes I wonder … why did nobody ever get the idea to make the swan a symbol of feminity …?
Natural Born Killer Duckling chasing a mosquito
Gull in a Snowstorm
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Blue Love
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Heron & cherry blossom
Little Owl hunting
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Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Early Birds
Geese at sunrise
Empty Spaces V – Heron silhouette
PINKISH
Robin in the snow
Colourful Goose
Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Long-eared Owlet
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus, previously Strix otus)
Heron and fall colours
Autumn heron
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day
I’m too Sexy for this Site
Wild Duck | Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Godwit Silhouette
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)
Swan Lake
The Thinker
Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Yellow duckling and its reflection
Short-eared Owl in Flight
Long-eared Owl (Asio otus, previously Strix otus)
Blue Heron, Red Tree
Blue heron on a beautiful autumn day
Gosling at Sunset
Egyptian gosling (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Moody Robin
Gotta whole lot of living to do
Wild Duckling (Anas platyrhynchos)
FEED ME!
Common Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris)
Morning Magic
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Serenity
Mute Swan (Cynus olor)
The Murmuration Makers Starling Murmuration

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Geese silhouettes in flight
Autumn Egret
Yellow duckling reflected in the water
Dream Duckling
It’s actually a cute gosling….
We are Family…
Egyptian goslings (Alopochen aegyptiaca)
Portrait of a young Western Jackdaw
Western Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)
Bath Duck
Swan in the Mist
Love from Above
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)
Cute baby bird
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)
Macro by Proxy White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
Curious little owlet
Little Owl (Athene noctua)