Great shot again Jens, I was waiting for it to see after reading your comment on MFT.
Wish I could spend a few hours with you in the snow , to bad it's to far fore my on the bicycle...

cheers,

You wrote:
> Now You must tell it Jens, how do you do it.

You have to plan ahead if you want to get good kingfisher pictures.

I saw the kingfisher at this location last winter in February. Unfortunately, the surroundings doesn't look very natural (it is the ouitlet from a sewage treatment plant). So, this autumn - in November, I brought branch of a tree (the one seen in Swedish Kingfisher) at a strategic place, with easy access, nice background, exposed to the afternoot sun, and 1.5 meters over some still water.

Then, yesterday, I dressed in winter camo-clothes and placed myself about 4 meters from the branch which unfortunately had ice underneath. The bird appeared pretty soon but kept landing at another place, 10 meters away where the water was free. It is the place seen in this picture where it eats the fish - you see it is not exactly a beautiful natural setting... However, after 3 hours (when both my memory cards were full and I was about to leave) a mink came and scared the kingfisher so that it flew over to 'my' branch.

I can only regret that the mink appeared so late so that I had to shoot at the worst imagineable light for wildlife. Also, I regret that I didn't have more memory cards with me. Now, as it turned out, I had to chimp and delete images from earlier in the day - with the bird sitting there - 3.8 meters in front of me - in order to get room for these images.

So, as always with wildlife, the name of the game is to study your subject and plan ahead. Don't rely on too long lenses and occasional encounters of the bird you desire to shoot.

Today the light was better so I went there and got some more nice pictures, this time at decent ISO and exposure times but still at that 10 meter distance.

Cheers, Jens.

Patience is a virtue they say Jens....regards bevellee

Great picture Jens.Thanks for the explanation how you took this picture.

> Wish I could spend a few hours with you in the snow , to bad it's to far fore my on the bicycle...

I am also always on bicycle when out on my excursions. If you come this way, just let me know - I'll lend you my bike if I can borrow your ZD300 ;-)

Cheers, Jens.

aren't animals ungrateful at times? :-)

> This is a very special photo and it sounds like it is your reward for your effort and planning.

Definitely!

Cheers, Jens.

Jens Birch wrote:
> I am also always on bicycle when out on my excursions. If you come this way, just let me know
> - I'll lend you my bike if I can borrow your ZD300 ;-)

That's a deal.
While the ZD300 is to heavy to carry around on the bike why not..
Where about are you located in Sweden....?
You will be surpriced when Fons is knocking on your door one day for his bike....!

regards, Fons

Fons van Swaal wrote:
> Jens Birch wrote:
> > I am also always on bicycle when out on my excursions. If you come this way, just let me know
> > - I'll lend you my bike if I can borrow your ZD300 ;-)
>
> That's a deal.
> While the ZD300 is to heavy to carry around on the bike why not..
> Where about are you located in Sweden....?
> You will be surpriced when Fons is knocking on your door one day for his bike....!
>
> regards, Fons
>

Hi Fons,

I live in Link?ping, 200 km SW of Stockholm. Just drop me a mail in advance - I am frequently travelling in work.

See you! - I have many bikes ;-)

Jens.