An Uncultivated State: Getting in the mix....

When it comes to wildlife, there is nothing quite like getting up close and personal...

I live near the scenic headland of Hengistbury Head in Dorset near Bournemouth, which is an important local nature reserve. According to the Hengistbury Head Supporters Group, there have been recorded some 500 plant species, 700 moth species and 300 bird species, which is quite staggering for an area of only 160 hectares!

I wanted to get some shots of the nesting sand martins on the cliff face on the southern side of the head. They move so fast I knew it was going to be difficult to get any shot. Whatever I decided on I was going to need a fast shutter speed to capture the movement, so I decided to use my Nikon D300 with a prime 105mm f2.8D lens.

Positioning myself just a few meters from their nesting site I settled down and waited for the birds to ignore me and carry on with their business - which didn't take long! Once I had been there for 15 minutes or so they really didn't notice me and several times they did a fly by so close to my head I could feel the air moving as they went by! It was so great just being in the middle of so many of them and so close - I put my camera down and just watched for a while...

Eventually I decided I wanted to capture their aeronautic ability and their wonderful contours; eventually I came up with this shot... I'm fairly happy I think it certainly portrays their maneuverability but I think I can do better, so I'll be going back again soon...