Project 8 “The Decisive Moment”. Non-assignment Images (2): “Avocet
Behaviour” (28 March 2014)
I paid a visit to RSPB Titchwell
nature reserve in Norfolk in order to photograph the many wading birds that use
the reserve. Avocets were feeding in the mud and water beneath the bank upon
which I was standing. The avocet is a wading bird with an unusual, up-curved
bill that it swishes from side to side in order to feed on invertebrates in the
mud. The following sequence of images was taken over a ten minute period.
I was using my Nikon D7000
camera, equipped with 300mm Nikon f4 lens and 1.4x converter, in order to get
close to the birds that I was studying. The weather was overcast, but bright. I
noticed that one avocet was leaving a trail of footprints in the mud as it
moved about: I took a few images of this bird, together with the trail of
footprints (Image 1; cropped to concentrate on the bird’s features). The bird
started feeding whilst still on the mud, moving its bill from side to side.
Normally the bird feeds in the water, where the tip of the bill cannot be seen,
so I tried to take some photographs that demonstrated its mode of feeding: Image 2 was my favourite from this
sequence. I was about to move on when I noticed a second, female avocet in the
water nearby, having developed a “submissive” pose (Image 3). I realised that
the birds were likely to mate, so moved along the bank to a position from which
I hoped to get a better view. The second bird approached, until it was next to
the female (Image 4). As expected, the birds mated. Unfortunately, the birds
turned slightly away from me and I was unable to get a side-on or frontal view
of the event. I took several photos of the brief event, of which Image 5 was a
typical example, before the male dismounted (Image 6) and the birds moved away.
The whole mating event had taken under one minute.
The Decisive Moment
Feeding and reproduction,
together with migration, finding shelter and avoiding predation, summarise the
basic requirements for birds and many other animals. This short sequence of
events concentrates on the first two. Image 2, which highlights the avocets’
unusual method of feeding, and Image 4, in which both parties acknowledge that
mating will take place, clearly show decisive moments in the birds’ lives. The
latter photograph is my favourite, because it demonstrates an important
interaction between the birds and can, with a little knowledge, be clearly
interpreted. However, the photographs of the mating process and its aftermath
were unsatisfactory, because I did not have and could not gain eye contact with
both birds. For this reason I considered the sequence, which I had not planned
for, not to be suitable for submission for Assignment 2, Project 8
.
The camera and lens combination
generally worked well although, because I was using a fast shutter speed to
capture the action, the aperture was not sufficiently narrow to ensure that
details of the birds’ plumage were always sharp.
The sequence from Image 1 to
Image 6 is another example of a picture story, in which a sequence of events is
illustrated without the need for captions. It is therefore useful preparation
for the Major Project. The image sequence is shown below.
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
Image 6
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