It’s autumn which means we forego swimming in the pool for long walks around the island. Birds are very prevalent here. In fact, many tourist pay to take bird watching tours. I guess that makes sense given that the guides know just where to look for local wildlife. As locals, we have come to know the best spots. It just takes a little patience and the willingness to open your eyes and ears.
On this particular day, I heard them before I saw them. Their urgent chittering begging me to look and find their location. My son and I both paused, eyes scanning the trees. Tourists walked by. I am not sure how they could be oblivious to the sounds. They simply pointed to the ducks and moved onward at the rapid pace in which the world seems to move these days.
We stood still and before long, the birds revealed themselves. A group of three Bahamas Kingfishers were either playing some sort of game or arguing over who was king of the pond. One would land on a branch only for another to chase it off so it could occupy that very branch. Then the third bird would do the same. It was an odd sort of leap frog. We stood watching and laughing, deciding to stay a little while to watch them at their sport.
I pulled my camera out of my purse. Could I catch a photo of one in flight? There was nothing to do but try. I was glad for my digital camera today. The zoom feature came in handy. The birds did fly close, but the majority of the action was taking place on the far side of the pond. It didn’t take me long to figure out the birds were flying in a pattern. They kept landing in the same groupings of trees again an again. I set up the shot and leaned against the dock railing to steady the camera. Click. Click. Click. The birds were just tiny dots in the viewfinder. Was I getting good photos? No way to tell. So I just kept snapping shot after shot.
Twenty minutes or so passed. The sun was peeking out of the clouds and the island heat was smothering us just a bit too much. My son asked if I had gotten any good photos of the birds. I told him I wasn’t sure since I really couldn’t see the view finder all that well in the bright light. We headed home, anxious to download the camera to see if there were any treasures. I guess the one advantage to not being able to see the digital screen is that it’s almost like waiting for the film to get developed.
The first photo revealed two of the birds arguing in one of the trees. Many of the shots that followed weren’t wonderful, but I did get a few shots I loved.
I managed to catch one of the Kingfisher’s in regal form right after he had chased one of the other birds from this very perch.
I also caught the perfect shot of one of the male Bahamian Belted Kingfishers in flight.
There are likely many birds in your neighborhood. Discovering them is as easy as opening your eyes and ears. Watch for regular patterns in their behavior, and with a little patience, you will know just where to set up your camera for some great photos. Patterns may emerge within minutes, or it may take days to ascertain the birds’ regular activities. In most instances, you won’t be able to get close to your feathered subjects. Choose a camera which will enable you to zoom in on your subject. While my camera does have a digital view finder, I can not see it in bright light. If this is the case with your equipment, don’t be afraid to zoom in and shoot from the hip. Good photos come with practice. So don’t be afraid to just snap away.
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