Dabchick with Catch!

[Aditya Panda]

I had a blast with a couple of Little Grebes, or Dabchicks, at the Kaushalyaganga wetlands yesterday. Using a car as a hide, I managed to let two of them, both males, swim very close to me- hardly 20 feet away. They were close enough for me to get near full-frame images (this one is a 20% crop) with only my 300/4 without a TC. Something I had never even dreamt of doing with Dabchicks- they're shy and will hardly fit into a man's palm!

It was interesting to observe these guys from so close. I got to observe their behaviour a bit, and even saw (and photographed) one of them calling- lovely, funny call! After this guy came up with the fish, it played around a bit with it, perhaps trying to get a better grip, and then swallowed it whole. I'll post more of the sequence soon. Somehow I forgot to carry my beanbag, as it was an impulse trip. I hope Pentax's 'Shake Reduction' has taken care of that sufficiently.

Cheers,
Aditya



EXIF:

PENTAX K 10D,
SMC PENTAX DA* 300mmF4 ED(IF) SDM
Aperture Priority
Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec
Aperture: f/4
Sensitivity: ISO 100
Exposure Compensation: -0.3 EV
Metering Mode: Spot

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Aditya,
I agree. These dabchicks are quick and are very wary of human presence. Nice capture with fish.

The car doesn't allow a lower angle. I hope someday I would be able to click nice behavioural shots of these little fellows. I guess, there is no other way but to set up a hide.

[Aditya Panda]

Yes, I wish it would have been possible to shoot form a lower angle. And there seems to be no other way to do it other than set up a hide.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Aditya,
Look forward to more images from Kaushalyaganga. It is hardly a couple of kilometers from my house in Bhubaneswar, but I was completely ignorant of its existence. We need to document all the wetlands. They are vanishing without we coming to know about it.