Favourites
Some birds find a straight way into one’s heart. See below for my three favourites.
Kingfishers are simply beautiful, their feathers on wings and back iridescent, oscillating between greenish, blueish and turquoise hues depending on the direction and intensity of light. They are quite skittish, but tolerate your presence if you are staying very still near one of their perches overhanging creeks or river banks. If their hunt for small fish is successful, they are magnetically drawn back to the perch and a photo session can easily last an hour or so.
Dippers live near my home on a shallow, fast-flowing, gravel-bed stream. There is a nest box under a small bridge that I look after. Every January, I put on a wetsuit and go into the stream to clean the box. A little later, a pair of dippers starts to build a nest, and in the spring, two broods follow in quick succession. When the young leave the nest, they are cared for during a few more days in the vicinity of the adult birds before moving off on their own. To experience these days is a gift.
Northern Gannets are fascinating and skilful fliers. They inhabit the red cliffs of Heligoland and I love to go there for a couple of days of sheer photography heaven. A visit to Germany’s only deep sea island between April and June is a great experience. Nest-building, breeding and rearing of the young on the upper floors of the cliffs can be observed at close range – a portrait lens is recommended. Spectacular shots of the approaching gannets and their often bumpy landings at the colony are also guaranteed.
