First outdoor test on 5D Mk II

The first thing I saw when I went out with the new 5D was a great spotted woodpecker. It was high up in a tree so I didn't get a great photo, but still. First time I've seen one of these in England. (Saw one in Wales over Christmas.)



I wanted to test the AI SERVO autofocus on this camera, and luckily I got a chance to test it on a little egret. Click on the photo to see it bigger.



The autofocus seemed to be working better than on my 350D; it seemed to be easier to keep the flying bird in focus. I want to test/practise this a lot more, as I have been kicking myself for such a long time for not getting much better at catching flying birds in action - in perfect focus. I hope it'll be a little easier with this camera.

Also, I love the sound of the 3,9 fps! 350D is not that much slower at 3 fps, but the 0.9 does make a surprisingly big difference. (I can only imagine what Canon EOS 1D Mark III's 10 fps feels like... drool...)

Frozen

Photos from our morning walk in Piddinghoe. First I spotted a little egret on the river.






Zebedee spotted a stick.



Once we got to the sailing lake, we saw that it was frozen! Couple of locals I met said they had never seen it freeze before.






Some dogs Z met today.






Couldn't resist another cute little robin...

Bird watching dog walk

Saw quite a few lapwings on our morning walk to Piddinghoe today.






All of a sudden there were lots of lapwings. Don't know whether they are playing or what, flying like that. Some sideways, one upside down!



Then there was a cormorant trying to get a struggling and wiggling eel into her mouth.



She was soon accompanied by her spouse.



For moral support, maybe.



Click to see the strange green eyes these cormorants have.



A little egret, hiding behind a yellow flower plant...



As usual, I couldn't get nearer to the egret as Zebedee scared it away. So I thought I'd shoot something that doesn't move so fast...



But I didn't give up. I turned back and walked for a bit, and there he was by the river.



The light was lovely in the evening at Castle Hill.

Still cloudy

Well, they say that it's going to clear up by the weekend, but until then - more clouds... (and not that impressive clouds at that)



Skittish little egret caught flying away in the distance. The river banks are so ugly at low tide that I don't mind that I have only the water as a background.... although would be nice to get a flying shot from the front of the bird! It seems fairly impossible to do when I'm just walking the dog, tohugh, rather than shooting from a hide-out like a proper wild life photographer; these birds are so skittish that they fly away before you get anyway near them - often before I have even spotted them.



In the afternoon we drove to pick something up from Heywards Heath, and on the way back got caught in terrible traffic on the A27 due to a traffic accident on the coastal road at Roedean near Brighton; the coastal road was closed, and as a consequence all other roads in the area were packed! It took us 1.5 hours to get to Kingston (would normally have been about 20 mins) and when we were there I saw a sign for a 16th century church so we went to have a look. (just to get a break from sitting in traffic!)



A lady just happened to be stepping into the church so I asked if I could come in, too. She said that yes, a few of them are going to have an evening pray and that I would be welcome to join them. I quickly exited the church and took some more photos outside. (Not that it was really worth taking any photos inside anyway!)



Zebedee got his pet passport last Friday and there is a place for a photo in it, so I better take his passport photo before we go abroad. Shall I go for a tourist look?

Little Egret

Finally I got slightly closer to a little egret.





But it didn't take long for it to fly away. They seem to be very timid birds.



Actually, first thing in the morning we went for a walk along the river towards Piddinhoe and I saw a grey heron! I think it's the first time I've seen a grey heron in the wild. And I didn't have a proper camera with me! I was kicking myself. From this on I will always take my 400mm lens with me when walking between home and Piddinghoe... I want to get photos of that magnificent bird.

Back on Castle Hill, the sea was almost dead calm.



Teasels have all gone brown now.