Wildlife Photographic Journals

Plan W - The Final Session

As I left home, before the sun had risen, I decided that the session ahead would be my last with the pair of Whinchat. I had really savioured my time with them and I knew that there was little more photographically I could get from the situation.

I was greeted by the female, perched at close range, in the soft early light of an overcast morning. The birds were now fully accustomed to my presence and hardly showed a flicker on my arrival.

For this session I decided to concentrate my efforts on the male bird which had been slightly more elusive than the female during my previous two sessions.

However, he had become bolder with time and was now spending a good deal of time perched at close range in front of the lens.

During my sessions with the birds I had noticed that the male would often show the characteristic food begging actions of a juvenile bird with rapid fluttering of a wings. As if the female didn't have enough to do keeping her growing brood fed!

To finish off this series a couple more photos of the male perched in heather and on a mossy perch.

The three sessions with the Whinchats had been a memorable experience and it was such a pleasure to be in their company for an extended time at such close quarters. This was made all the more enjoyable by being surround by by the beauty and solitude of moorland habitat which is rapidly becoming a favourite place of mine to spend time with the camera.