There’s beauty all around us
Argus photographer Ken Finegan discovered a rewarding new pastime in his own back garden during lockdown
FOR all of us eagerly waiting on things to settle down and get back to semi-normality we need input into our lives. Something to enthral, amuse, interest us. So be it with this sample of bird pictures you see before you.
I do not claim to be a wildlife photographer and probably never will. I have an interest in producing good images but seeing some of my friends waiting patiently for hours, sometimes days in a cold hide to catch a glimpse of that elusive bird or animal is not my vocation.
This all came about when my wife Áine decided to buy some feed for the birds during the recent cold spell. She was recommended two types of seed, one mixed and one sunflower kernels. ‘ This will attract a wide selection of birds’ she was told. And so the story begins!
Comments from me such as ‘what’s that bird’? ….. ‘never saw one like that before, beautiful colours’ started to fuel my interest. Firstly in knowing the names of the birds and beginning to recognise them and then wanting to photograph them. Google became very popular together with real advice from Peter Rooney and David Symmons who really ‘ know their stuff ’.
As with every genre of photography, I started to watch them closer to see their behaviour, finding their habits and getting an idea as to how I would start to photograph them. I tried initially to photograph them through the patio door so not to startle them but the quality wasn’t good enough.
You’ve guessed it, I got a stool, a heavy warm jacket and a cup of tea, opened the door and waited. The first to arrive was a Coal Tit, VERY small and VERY fast. His visit to the seed tray was like a smash and grab raid; swoop in, land, grab one seed in his beak and he’s gone. Focusing on these little ‘devils’ was very difficult but a great challenge.
The Gold Finches proved a little easier. They give you a chance to focus and their bright colours are very rewarding to view when you get a picture. Several other species of birds appeared over a period of time. They may have been there from the start but I was that busy trying to focus on the Coal Tit I probably missed them!
We can pass hours watching these beautiful birds, admiring their colours and their antics. As in all walks of life you get the elegant ones who swoop in, strut their stuff and nibble at the seed and fly off. The bullies who sit trying not to let any other birds feed at their section only to have another bird creep up behind them and steal their seed as they are in the middle of a argument.
The little Black Caps really don’t care. They fly in, sit in the middle of the bowl, eat and don’t really bother about anyone else. Some of the birds you have to watch out for are the Rooks, Crows and Starlings, if you don’t want to see all of your seed go in a flash.
It is something now we look forward to every day and brightens up our lives. It’s a nice feeling to be inviting wildlife into our garden and seeing them live and become part of our day to day experience. They don’t even pay attention to our dog ‘Milo’ now. He barks at the cats to protect the birds (well that’s what we say but really, he just dislikes cats!)