Right Place, Right Time

 Unless you are working in a studio or a prepared set of some kind a great deal of success in photography is about being in the right place at the right time. Of course you won't know what you have missed if you don't see it but there have been many times when I have been in the right place but I haven't been ready or I have just seen the bird I wanted to photograph fly away as I arrived or got set up. Imagine the frustration of arriving at a hide to be told by another photographer that a kingfisher has been about and seeing the fantastic images he has captured and then sitting for an hour or so afterwards and seeing nothing.

Last October I went down to Cornwall for a short break, I was mostly prepared to photograph the landscape and some sunsets. I was not expecting to do any wildlife photography, because it was short break I knew I wouldn't have the time to sit for a long time staking out my prey as it were.

On the last day of my trip I was visiting St Ives and after a spell sitting on the beach and paddling in the cold sea I went in search of a place to eat. I was walking around a small headland and got talking to a guy from Lancashire who was watching some birds on the rocks, they were Rock Pipits and he was excited because he had never seen them before. At this point in time my camera was packed away, food not photography was on my mind. As I left him to the pipits I walked around the path and spotted a small group of people with their mobile phones held high as they tried to photograph a kestrel that was hovering just above the path. I have rarely seen a wild kestrel so close and at first I just watched and then realised I was missing an opportunity. I got my camera out and started shooting before realising that the settings were all wrong. I soon rectified that and then gradually approached closer and closer to get what I think are some amazing shots. This chance encounter was certainly a case of being in the right place at the right time. I was buzzing, not just because I knew I had got some good photos but because being so close to this beautiful bird was a real treat and an experience I won't forget.

As an aside, you will know that kestrels and other birds of prey have exceptional vision, they can spot their prey from tiny movements from height and then approach almost silently before going in for the kill. But, did you know that they also have the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum and this allows them to see the urine/scent trails of mice and small rodents which reflect UV light and leave what can be described as a "glow trail" this can lead the kestrel to its prey by following the trail even if the mouse is hidden.

Anyway here are some of the shots I captured that evening, you can see from the first 2 images how close it was to the path.