One of my biggest weaknesses as a photographer and as a human being, is that I’m easily distracted.
Catch me on a particularly bad day and you’ll discover a house full of tell-tale signs. From the keys left hanging outside the door to a half-made sandwich abandoned on the sideboard. You might even find a packet of crisps absent-mindedly misplaced in the fridge.
My personal photography projects can experience similar moments of mind wanderings and distraction. Over time I’ve learned to be more disciplined with my approach to photography, but sometimes, I think there is an interesting line between doggedly pursuing something and knowing when to change tact, or even subject matter. My experience with this Treecreeper nest last year was one such occasion.
It was early morning and I’d decided to dedicate the time looking for Curlew breeding behaviour over an area of land soon to be turned into housing (Sun Lane Development).
On the way, I stumbled upon a tree creeper that was evidently feeding young in a hidden nest. Grabbing a few snaps, my brain was suddenly torn. Should I press on with the Curlew or stay? I chose to stay and was rewarded with a magical encounter as I documented nestlings turning to fledglings.
My approach
I’ve embedded a video below the photo gallery that goes into more detail on my approach and shares some video footage of the experience. But the important thing to highlight is that I kept my distance, careful not to alter the behaviour of the feeding parents or draw attention to potential predators. And when your presence doesn’t inhibit or alter the behaviour of the surrounding wildlife you can sometimes be rewarded with something special…
