The Christmas Robin

Just before Christmas I heard about a Robin, in Bedfordshire that had nested. Further, it was expected that the clutch of eggs that this pair had laid would hatch on Christmas Day. While this was being reported as an “Ahh” Story, it really is not that at all, as if the eggs hatch the parents will not be able to find the food the chicks need to survive.

As the chicks require a high protein diet of insects, particularly of grubs and caterpillars to build up body mass, these chicks will starve. At other times of the year it would be possible to supplement their food by providing Mealworms, even that option is not available.

It is just another tragic example of a changing climate.

Digital Wildlife Photography

One of the main reasons that I started this on line journal, was that when I moved to the village, I started encountering some remarkable wildlife and I was having some really great experiences. It was in fact my excitement at these close encounters with the natural world that made me want to share. However, I didn’t want to just post up some geeks list, even though to many I am a geek, and I wanted to try and make the postings interesting. (One of the people that knows me said that it’s like reading your soul.)

I quickly realised that images were going to be important. While I had and still have some good film cameras, what I really needed was a digital camera if only to share what I was seeing at the time and not weeks later. The one I had at the time was not that good. Having worked in the professional photographic industry, image quality has always been important to this mouse. However, the cost of going digital appeared to be out of my league, so I compromised and got a reasonable compact digital camera, and many of the images here were taken on that. A Fuji A350 for all those geeks (like me) out there.

However I had expected to use my film cameras to do most of the wildlife photography. Yet this created a paradox, often it was the unexpected occurrences of an animal, bird or insect, which seemed to make some of my posts more entertaining. Therefore I was finding myself weighed down with equipment, or I just would not have the right lenses with me.

Further I was starting to rely on the digital camera much more. I have to say that I am now becoming a convert to digital photography. It does have its limitations, for example anything high contrast it doesn’t cope with well. But that may be the nature of the model of camera I have been using. Also it may be that unlike film we need to know more about the chips used in the cameras. But I was never that much of an anorak about film cameras so I don’t particularly want to waste my time, or fill my head with technical rubbish about what’s best this week. Apart from anything else, it goes against my non-consumerists grain.

But I have started looking seriously at what’s out there and what fits my needs. I decided I would look at older second hand cameras and found a Dimage Z1 on an internet auction site. While not anywhere near the resolution I would wish for, I thought I would see if this was closer to what I needed.

While I do want to take decent images, there are times when just being able to say that today I saw this bird and here’s the picture was becoming just as important as not being laden down with heavy and cumbersome equipment.

Well here are the results of me playing with my new toy. I could see be becoming a convert to digital. Further as it will reduce my pollution levels as I will not be causing a lot of nasty chemicals to be used, it will ease my guilt about despoiling the earth while trying to save it.