This month – Brent Goose
North Norfolk is an excellent place to see and photograph dark-bellied Brent Geese, with locations such as Titchwell RSPB reserve, Burnham Overy Staithe and Wells providing outstanding opportunities. Their feeding habits are linked to tides and time of day, and flocks take to the air on a regular basis, sometimes visiting freshwater pools to bathe. It is relatively easy to take images of birds from below but the prize is to get upperwing shots. Windy days are often best, and in locations where birds are obliged to make a fairly rapid descent. You will need to use a fast shutter speed to capture the movement – at least 1/4,000s if the birds are reasonably close to you.
Two of the best places to see and photograph pale-bellied Brents are Wexford Wildfowl Reserve in south-east Ireland and Strangford Lough in County Down. Flocks – typically hundreds-strong – take to the air on a regular basis, either spooked by some perceived threat, or in search of fresh grazing pastures. If you want to capture the spectacle of numbers then a medium-length lens such as a 300mm is ideal. Because members of the flock are unlikely to be in exactly the same plane of focus, a good depth of field (say f/11) will help, with a shutter speed of at least 1/2,500s employed, if you want to ‘freeze’ the movement.
Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve in Hampshire is a great location for close-up views of dark-bellied Brents. Don’t be put off by the proximity of the M27 and the deafening traffic noise. Opportunities for photography improve throughout the winter, as the feeding habits of the birds shift from the mudflats to the grassy fields contained within the seawall. Dog-proof fencing means that, on occasions, geese will feed within perhaps 10 metres of paths, seemingly oblivious to passers-by. Try to photograph from as low as possible (through the wire perhaps) and don’t neglect the main lagoon for flight shots: flocks come and go regularly, visiting the brackish water for a good wash and brush up.
Feeding Brent Geese are peaceable creatures for much of the time, but once in a while, minor disputes erupt for no apparent reason. Although brief, such mild-mannered squabbles can make for interesting photographs, so be on the look-out for neck-stretching displays of aggression.
Flocks of dark-bellied Brents can be found all along the Solent, on the Hampshire coast, where suitable combinations of saltmarsh and relatively undisturbed grassland fields occur in proximity. Particularly good locations include coastal marshes west of Lymington (Normandy, Pennington and Keyhaven) and saltmarshes in the lee of Hurst Beach. Opportunities for flight photography are superb, although you will need a bit of patience as the birds spend much of the time grazing. Sooner or later, though, a passing Peregrine, Buzzard or Marsh Harrier will usually spook the birds, and result in a fly-by.
If you own a pair of chest waders, or don’t mind getting wet and muddy, then try getting down to water level in a saltmarsh to photograph feeding Brents. If you are patient and keep still, birds will sometimes come close enough for you to use a medium-length lens (such as a 300mm), rather than a massive telephoto. Because of the unpredictable nature of these situations, a telephoto zoom comes into its own. With feeding birds, movement is not such an issue and you could trade shutter speed for depth of field – f/11 or f/16 for example – to give the resulting image environmental context. It goes without saying that you should always be aware of the dangers of a rising tide.
A sunset shot of flying Brents is the perfect way to end a cold winter’s day; this image was taken at Chichester Harbour, near Emsworth in Hampshire. Remember to check images on the back of your camera to make sure the exposure is correct. When shooting into the sun, it is easy to end up with an underexposed result so you may need to ‘dial in’ some exposure compensation.