Rain and shine

Week 02, 07 January 2014 - Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City

I was back in the south of the country in the first week of the year in pretty diabolical weather (rain, cold and gusting wind) and as a result couldn't get out in the boat. I had been doing some reading about using flash in just such conditions, but finding a suitable subject was a challenge in itself. Eventually a bedraggled House Sparrow and White-eared Bulbul were a little obliging. The 'trick' or success with using flash is to provide light on your subject in a way that viewers are none the wiser that fill-flash was used. I was fairly satisfied with these preliminary results, of course the background for the Sparrow could have been a lot more pleasing, but he wasn't moving.

Male House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

White-eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus l. leucotis)

A few days later I was back under blue skies, but still lower temps with the wind chill added, so most birds kept out of view. A lone Painted Lady was seen 'thawing' out in the sun

Resident Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) 

and following some rain, we now have a colourful show of yellow winter flowers in all areas that held water.

A show of yellow winter flowers

One of the few birds seen out on the waterways was this dark form Western Reef Heron striding confidently along the shoreline...

Western Reef Heron (Egretta g. schistacea) - dark form