Grey Hooded warbler

[Dipankar Mazumdar]

Dear All,
Grey hooded warbler from the Sattal Birding camp.
EOS 50D+ 300f4+ 1.4xII @ f5.6, 1/250, ISO1600

Learnt some hard bird photography lessons this trip.

a) Birds are frisky by nature :001_smile:, this means that a shutter speed of 1/500 is always required for any kind of sharp shots. In my case it meant a perpetual ISO 1600, which on a 50D is not the ideal scenario

b)The 300f4+ 1.4x II on a crop body is not adequate, specially for the Himalayan birds which are pretty small in size. The least i could have done was to lug Anu's 500f4. Or maybe I needed more time and possibly a hide.

c) My birding guide Hari Lama, was extremely disapproving of my fitness levels. While he was a ghoral skipping from rock to rock, I was a veritable Slow Loris !!!. Big difference in Sitting on a gypsy and watching the scenery going part and trekking down steep hill slopes to reach the stream to photograph a Brown Dipper. With a degree of reprimand in his tone, Hari lama suggested that I should have practiced 10 days before coming there.

Having said all of the above, had a fantastic birding trip. My 9year old son had a great time notching up 86 Lifers including a Khoklass Pheasant and the very rare Yellow Throated martin. Strongly recommend a trip to Sattal for anybody with even a remote interest in birds.

Cheers
Dipankar

[Mrudul Godbole]

Lovely bird. The eye contact is nice.Maybe adding a bit more space from the right to the left would be good. I agree with the points you have mentioned. Carrying long lenses on treks is a problem too, you need to be really well prepared (physically) for the trip. Look forward to more from Sattal. How long were you there? Thanks for sharing.

[Bhargava Srivari]

Quite a lot of lessons you learnt:) How long did you stay there?

Now, the details on the bird are nice. HighISO, so some noise visible. Cropiing more would not be good, but at the time of shooting, you could have moved the camera slightly towards the left. May be next time:) Then, you would also fare better in approaching birds, isn't it?:p

tfs

Bhargava

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Dear Dipankar,

Good to hear your experience. After my leg wound and infections, I was given steroid by doctors and I thought I will start running like Ben Johnson (the canadian sprinter who was stripped off his 100m title for steroid abuse). :D Unfortunately, I find myself moving more like a snail. I have ordered some heavy duty tripod and fluid heads and I am sure, carrying those along with my 400mm f2.8 will make for interesting experience. I think we need to really be super fit.

If one is going on a trekking trip to hills, it is important to hit the treadmill (if not open air running). It is easy to make composition mistakes when one is tired. Also, dropping equipment like TCs etc are easier when you are tired. May be I will ask a fitness expert to give our members some tips.

This is a beautiful bird. I like the eye contact. The background is well diffused. Wish the light was better. However, in these places most of the times the light level remains low. Haven't been to Sattal for a long long time. Hope I will get time to plan a trip later this year.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi