Before you ask; No I am not talking about birdy snacks of any sort. Well technically I guess I am, but the snacks in this case are for t...
Before you ask; No I am not talking about birdy snacks of any sort. Well technically I guess I am, but the snacks in this case are for the birds, not made from them. "Pigeon Waffles" would probably not top the list of my 'must eat' breakfast choices.
Pigeons are a common sight in urban areas around the world. They're smart, robust social little birds and when it comes to food Pigeons are most definitely unfussy eaters. Anyone who has fed pigeons in a city park will probably know that some are even so bold as to grab the food out of your hands in a frenzied attempt to get more down their gob than the bird next to them.
Their love of food is also a great way to get some interesting close-up shots of the birds without the need for a telephoto lens of any magnitude.
On a recent outing to the Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh I just happened to be carrying my camera with me and noticed a bunch of pigeons on the prowl for food. As luck would have it a small food vendor nearby had some waffles for sale so I thought I'd try and temp the birds in close to the camera with a snack.
After choosing where I wanted my background to be and positioning the shot for some natural back lighting, I lay down on the path with the camera flat on the ground and started to throw crumbs for the birds, increasingly closer to me with each throw. Sure enough, up come the birds within easy reach and many easy screen filling shots. They were not even perturbed by the flash I was using for fill lighting.
Granted, pigeons are probably not a wildlife photographers first pick but they are nonetheless an entertaining and quirky subject and are as much fun to snap as they are to watch while you have a nice day out in the park.
| PIGEON WAFFLES Pigeon goodness but without all that pigeon flavour |
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