Wiggly wagtail

Willie Wagtails can be tricky to photograph well as the exposure has to be spot on to keep detail in the blacks and the whites. Lighting can make this even trickier. I was so pleased that I faced the challenge with this wiggly wagtail at the bird bath.

It arrived at the bird bath looking very stately. I really liked the look of the fluffy white feathers curving around its body and wings.

It looked a little less stately when it landed at the edge of the bird bath, though those white feathers at each side look pretty fabulous to me. Writing that makes me feel like an even bigger bird-nerd than I realised I was!

It shuffled around, very thoughtfully, so I could get a profile shot. It’s interesting to see those paler feathers on its back.

And then the wiggles began. This outstretched wing baffles me. I cannot work out the markings on it. They are visible in the RAW file so it’s not that I’ve done anything strange during my basic post processing.

Looking at these shots makes me think they need some kind of musical backing. Its tiny foot is even slightly raised, while the wings and tail are all over the place.

I love the shot above. Such a flurry of loveliness.

And the final wiggle to rid itself of more droplets before shaking everything back where it belongs and heading off to do a little more foraging before the sun went down.

https://www.australianbirdtours.com.au/bird-photography-masterclass – just a reminder about the Western Treatment Plant birding/photography tour with myself and Des Palmer.

And another reminder about the VAPS Annual Convention with some beaut workshops and presentations, including mine on why ethical bird photography is better for birds, photographers and photographs: https://www.vaps.org.au/convention.html 

Happy birding, Kim

~ Facebook page Kim Wormald – lirralirra – 11K+ followers
~ Facebook group  Ethical Bird Photography
~ Etsy – prints via me at  Kim Wormald lirralirra