Came across this Capercaillie shot from a few years back. As a challenge, some of us pro photographers were given (by the Scottish Nature Photography Awards) possibly the cheapest digital camera you can buy and told to go out and get the best photo you could with it, just to prove that getting great photos DOESN'T mean having hugely expensive kit. I carried it (a wee compact) around for a few days then chanced on a wild male Capercaillie clucking and clopping to himself in woodland. 1/2
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2/2 Capercaillie are highly endangered and also highly protected so when I came across this big guy I had to be very careful even although it wasn't the breeding or lekking season. I took GPS co-ordinates and shared the location with RSPB staff as it was in an unusual area. What a privilege to meet him, I thanked him for being so nice and posing for the camera then I quietly left the area and he wandered off. I won the camera challenge ๐ ๐ท
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@Dolphinchaz That's brilliant mate. It's always a privilege to get up close with nature.
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@JackTheCat Aye but see that pair of industrial shears that the Cappers call a beak - scary equipment ๐ฑ
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@Dolphinchaz what a delight, it's awesome even coming across a black grouse, a capercailie must be next level
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@ruari Yes Ruari, Black Grouse are lovely but these guys are in a different league. An experience likely never to be repeated again.
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@Dolphinchaz Wanna see one I took in the garden this morning? I make no excuses for it being shit - I literally pointed and clicked without really looking what I was doing ๐คฃ ๐คฃ
I tend to lean in to being utterly terrible at photography ๐
Yours is excellent.
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@fkamiah17 It's a blackbird in a tree - job done as they say, I'll never criticise anyone else's photos, I know how bloody hard it is to get good shots. ๐
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@Dolphinchaz I'm completely impervious to criticism (of my photography at least ๐ ) - radical acceptance and all that.
It'd be a lot easier if the little fuckers would sit still for a few seconds together ๐ ๐
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@fkamiah17 That's one of my little prayers under my breath when photographing wildlife "a lot easier if the little fuckers would sit still for a few seconds" ๐ ๐ ๐
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@Dolphinchaz ๐
This one's from this morning too, when one of the little fuckers actually did sit still for a few seconds ๐ฑ
https://syzito.xyz/@fkamiah17/113803771983906090
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@fkamiah17 That's great - well done ๐ค
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@Dolphinchaz First (and almost certainly last) time for everything ๐
Thanks though, that's very kind ๐
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@fkamiah17 Getting birds is SO hard, especially if you are shooting through glass and/or the bird is jumping in and out of focus with the feeder in the shot. I wouldn't call myself a good bird photographer, not in the least. Look at Jim's bird work - excellent ๐ @JimsPhotos
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@Dolphinchaz I'll check it out, ta!
I'm sure you're aware of Jess's stuff, which is also excellent @handmade_ghost ๐
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@fkamiah17 @handmade_ghost Yes, thanks - Jess's work is great, a super range of subjects too.
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@handmade_ghost ๐ฅฐ
How did the negotiations go?
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@fkamiah17 Oh, they'll likely be going on all year. We're still negotiating ground rules (spoiler alert: admin's lawyer would like negotiations to be closed to the public and not available for remote access). ๐๐คจโ
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@handmade_ghost "We're going to take the absolute piss but we don't want anyone to see/find out/challenge us" ๐ ๐ก โ
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@Dolphinchaz
Would love to see one someday. Every time I see a photo I think โDeath Metal Chickenโ though.
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@IcooIey They are BIG birds and pretty intimidating with a very sharp and powerful beak. Not to be messed with. Sadly their number in Scotland are critically low now, but more plentiful in Scandinavia.
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@Dolphinchaz
You had a marvelous encounter! I remember seeing David Attenborough interact with one. They have such confidence.
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@IcooIey Yes, and sometimes the "confidence" escalates into aggression - the males are known to be very tetchy. I've heard tales of observers and photographers being chased out of an area.
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@Dolphinchaz Nicely done! I agree. The gearheads talk about their high powered cameras but don't actually take any photos.
Again, nice shot!
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@Dianora Thank you Diane - very kind ๐
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@Dolphinchaz
Well done!
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@cynblogger Thank you - very kind of you to say ๐ค
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@Dolphinchaz wow what a fun shot!
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@loren Thanks Loren, it was an encounter that I'll never forget with this huge guy.
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@Dolphinchaz I didn't know what capercaillies were until I read a scientific paper about them a few years ago and I never forgot! Pretty cool animals!
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@jakalopes They are wonderful characters - huge birds with a huge presence ๐
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@Dolphinchaz They make hilarious noises. like someone messing about with a polystyrene cup with a lid.
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@KaraLG84 They do make amazing sounds Kara ๐ฎ Nothing else quite like them that I've heard.
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@Dolphinchaz never even heard of this bird before! thanks so much for sharing.
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@acm_redfox You're very welcome ๐ค
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@Dolphinchaz so handsome!
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@Dolphinchaz Provincial bird of Central Finland! I have met one of these in Heinola Bird Sanctuary -- it was there permanently because it was 24/7/365 in lekking mode and attacking everything, from tree stumps to trucks.
You could make clop-clucks at it, spread your coat a bit, and whoop, it would attack the cage in order to rip your face off.
Truly magnificent bird.
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@Skiriki Yes, the males can be really aggressive, we had a few that were in danger as they were chasing people and dogs near some woodland walks - I think one was killed by a dog eventually.
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