Wrens

[Cap'n Fishy]

Wrens - they are our country's most common bird - and one of the most difficult to get good shots of... I am finding!

Went back to the Botanics today to see if I could get some better shots of the wrens at the wee pond on the north side. Sure enough, there were at least 2 stooging about, plus a third in the background, somewhere, singing. I really wanted to get the classic shot of one sitting on a perch, tail cocked, beak open, singing its heart out. That one still eludes me. Meanwhile, here are the others...

At first, I only had them across the other side of the pond from me, so a very heavy crop...

(By the way, I don't know if it helps folk to get a larger view of the images by clicking on them?)

But, after a while of me standing still, I got one come round more to my side, and I got a closer shot of it, requiring less of a crop...

It's a heavily-shaded area, even in the middle of the day, so ISO levels were from 1250 to 3200. All shots at 560 mm, f8, 1/250 sec and cropped.

Col

 

[Mrtrout]

Beautiful shots.
S.

 

[diawl bach]

Wren's calls are beautiful and about twenty times bigger than the bird itself.

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

Wren's calls are beautiful and about twenty times bigger than the bird itself.

Yeh - it's astonishing what comes out of their lungs, given their size. It's what I home in on when I am trying to find them... that and their 'scolding' call that they give you when they take exception to your being in their vicinity. Still doesn't really help me though - the wee bastards always seem to suss when you are trying to photograph them and bugger-off out of it!

Col

 

[codyarrow]

I often find them in the wood store at dusk. Maybe this is why in my minds eye they are darker?

Had no idea they are that common.

 

[Fishtales]

Great shots as usual Col.

 

[4wings]

Brilliant shots, I watch them as they hunt around the garden and even under the porch following the grapevine. I have found the occasional tiny empty nest. Considering they are the most common bird
the only way you know they are around is that song, very loud!

 

[Cap'n Fishy]

I often find them in the wood store at dusk. Maybe this is why in my minds eye they are darker?

They spend so much time stooging about in the shadows that they appear quite dark. The camera is taking an exposure reading and metering it based on 18% grey. So, when presented with a dark scene, it increases the exposure to make everything appear brighter - unless I tell it to do otherwise. I could dial it back down to present a darker, more shadowy scene, but prefer to let it stay up to present a brighter scene to the eye.

Col

 

[bobmiddlepoint]

Had no idea they are that common.

I always thought of them as woodland birds until I moved to Uist where there are no woods but hundreds of wrens. I think they are just so small they can make do with heather and cracks in rocks and walls. It was noticable after the very cold weather of the Beast from the East that Uist wren numbers crashed. I guess they just froze/starved.

There seem to be plenty on North Sutherland too, one (or two!) started nesting under our campervan this year.


Andy

 

[codyarrow]

There seem to be plenty on North Sutherland too, one (or two!) started nesting under our campervan this year.


Andy

Where you taking them on holiday?

 

[lukewarm]

Top notch Cap’

 

[ohanzee]

Trogs