Flock Photography

I've never been a fan of photographing waterfowl. They always seem to be doing the same thing; floating, sitting and eating.

However, opposite of the behavior of most birds in the PNW, the winter is when waterfowl arrive and accumulate in large numbers. Finally, the photography becomes interesting.

When large flocks of various types of geese, ducks, cranes, swans, etc... swarm together to feed, I love taking random shots of the masses of birds and seeing what character the photos take on. Every now and then, some nice shots appear.

The hard part is getting close when thousands of eyes are keeping a lookout for anything suspicious! The key is observing where birds like to congregate and feed, then concealing yourself in a likely place and waiting for them to come to you. Most of the time this doesn't work.... but when it does it is really exciting! Suddenly you're surrounded by the thunder of a daunting number of wings. Then birds are waddling around you, unsuspecting, going about their business. There is something very endearing about observing animals when they are unaware of your presence, like you're getting a peak into their secret lives.

Anyway, be ready to snag those shots when the flock moves on! Get your camera settings ready BEFORE the birds arrive, and don't be afraid of blur. Sometimes the photos with blur are the best ones.

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----FawlingFeatherz