N-Photo - The Nikon Magazine - UK (2019-12)

was that I’d never actually seen one before. But my
priority now, when I’m out and about in the country,
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quarters to produce a publishable image.
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can reveal astonishing detail, even at considerable
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to 200 species satisfactorily.

At one with the environment
I’ve never found sitting still and urging my mind
towards emptiness to be an easy experience. When
I’m out taking pictures of birds, though, I can lose
myself as profoundly as more conventional
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In following the trajectory of that tiny bird, I am led
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of their avian society, as close as I will ever get to
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‘oneness’ with my surroundings gives me a better
chance of taking the photographs I want.

Using your ears
Remember to listen. For decades I ignored my ears
and relied entirely on my eyes to spot and identify
species. More recently, I have listened ever more
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photograph. Frequently I now hear a bird before

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warbler, say, in full voice on an Oxfordshire reserve,



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glacier – can infuse a photograph with a certain

energy and personality.

RAPTORS AND OWLS

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capture our imagination through the ferocity of

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of their wings. They are the undisputed lords and

ladies of their habitats and perch, hover or swoop

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mighty splendour of the golden eagle to the stealth

of the miniature merlin, a mere quarter of its size,

birds of prey rule their landscapes.

There are 16 breeding species in the UK and



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Montagu’s harrier on safari in Kenya (there are

fewer than a handful of breeding pairs in Britain) –

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to t he Forest of Dea n i n Engla nd have proved

fruitless. Gliding as it does through dense trees, it

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during a brief spring spell, when partners put on a

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it’s no bad thing to have target species that you

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cathedral spires and I’ve seen a sparrowhawk high

Above left: Tawny eagle,

Kenya. Birds of prey

offer a wonderful

opportunity to work

with a subject that is

intense and majestic.

Above right: White-

tailed eagle, Isle of Mull.

Some raptors are

harder to photograph

than others, so the use

of hides – and even bait

• can come into play.