A Chiffy or two, and the Golden Radipole Reeds

Had a brilliant couple of hours with Mark and Den yesterday. We all met up over at Portland Castle hoping for some 'close in' seabirds, but no luck there. Strange how when the light is perfect, the subjects in the harbour are way out of range,,, but that's the game eh? Before Mark arrived me and Den had an encounter with several Chiffchaffs in the dwarf pines by the castle.

Mark's R.A.D.A.R must have been finely tuned on the day, because it picked up signals that Bearded Reedlings were showing well at Radipole, and off we all trotted. The Radipole reed beds were alive with avian activity, with quite a few species stuffing their faces with the reed seeds. If you want to see or photograph the Bearded Reedlings at Radipole your ears are your best chance, because you will most probably hear them before you see them. Their sweet pinging notes are distinctive when you have heard them a few times.
     OK,,, you strike lucky, and a small flock appears nearby,,, you now face the challenge of getting a half decent shot. Now,,, those beautiful sunlit reeds become a problem, because focusing is difficult.
I used to find this very frustrating, but 'back button focusing' makes this a lot easier. It enables you to use manual focus when the autofocus is failing, without the half pressed shutter button thwarting your efforts and re-focusing when you press to take the picture. In situations such as this you can use both constantly, as you hunt for focus on the subject. It was my friend Chris Rowland who first pointed out the advantages of BBF to me, and now after some initial scepticism it has become my natural reaction. The picture below could not have been taken without BBF. Its also the only shot of a female i captured on the day.

After this, and in the same spot a pair of Reed Buntings appeared, but it was just the female that put on a show, be it rather a distant one for her small size.

All in all,, a great few hours. Thanks to my companions for putting up with me, and make the most of your encounters, they are few, and far between.