This shot shows Mrs Woodie (dad has no part in raising the young) + 2 chicks in the open moorland.
Despite what most of us would expect, this is actually not such a daft area for her to breed in. The lack of close tree cover is made up for by the mixed clumps of tall grasses, and the whole area is riddled with wet flushes and sykes - ideal territory for feeding youngsters in. As you can see, her colouring matches the "straw" grasses and, unless you've noted her position carefully, when she crouches down she is very difficult to spot.
I'll put John out of his misery in the next few posts and post a few shots showing the chicks more clearly
Discussion
9 repliesThis shot shows Mrs Woodie (dad has no part in raising the young) + 2 chicks in the open moorland.
Despite what most of us would expect, this is actually not such a daft area for her to breed in. The lack of close tree cover is made up for by the mixed clumps of tall grasses, and the whole area is riddled with wet flushes and sykes - ideal territory for feeding youngsters in. As you can see, her colouring matches the "straw" grasses and, unless you've noted her position carefully, when she crouches down she is very difficult to spot.
I'll put John out of his misery in the next few posts and post a few shots showing the chicks more clearly
I think a shot like this on open moor must be almost as rare as 'hen's teeth'
David
I might be way off the mark, but do ya think a flash would help in such contrasty situations?
Looking forward to more,
John
As they're against the sun, yes a flash would have helped...but I didn't have it with me.
"Hen's Teeth" David...I've a few of those if you want some
Can I ask: What is a `syke`?
Tim
a great shot of an elusive bird.
John
Aberdeen