BY BEVERLEY I recently blogged about my splendid days at Kilcowera Station. Seeing the Bourke's parrots there was the highlight...but here's why this was one of my best and worst bird photography experiences to date. It was late in the day and I was turning back towards camp after spending several hours driving around the station, stopping regularly to find birds. As I rounded the turn to head towards Murder Bore, I came to a "slow down" sign because there was a significant dip in the road ahead. As I slowed, I could just make out delicately coloured parrots in the roadside trees ahead of me...could it be? oh yes it was - oh my goodness, four Bourke's parrots!  I grabbed the camera, abandoned the vehicle, and crept closer to them, getting my "insurance shots" as I went. That is, I started shooting to get any photos at all, even distant ones, in case they flushed and I couldn't get any better shots. I counted four parrots in all, though I never got them all in the one shot. Here are some of my insurance shots, facing into the light. They flitted around in that tree a bit, then sure enough, they were off! I had anticipated this and dialled up the shutter speed in the hope of some flight shots - they're not great, but here are a few flight shots showing their delicate colours when they fly. My parrots crossed the road, and went to the trees on the other side (thankfully where there was better light). I knew there would be no other traffic to disturb us now - it was very isolated out there - so it was just me and them, and that this was probably my best chance of getting some decent shots. These birds are very elusive, so I knew this was something very special. The parrots separated into two pairs, one in the low trees ahead on my right, the other two feeding on the ground ahead on the left. I crept forward, playing statues as best I could so as not to disturb them. They seemed to believe I was just a tree that inched forward occasionally, and seemed none too worried. I waited, breathed, and waited some more. I had my larger (200-600) lens on and that meant a smaller aperture, and not much chance of getting a movie (I usually try for a short clip when I'm using the 100-400 lens, as I have a better chance of holding it still). Even so, I thought I might as well give it a go, so I tried, and I did get 17 seconds of footage but it's not much good, and I had real trouble spotting the birds in the grass. They bobbed around constantly, and eventually, one at a time, they came into the open just long enough for me to get some still shots. Standing there in the golden hour light, I really felt quietly ecstatic, and that I was in the presence of very beautiful and delicate creatures. It felt like a very privileged and almost spiritual experience - as the best bird photography moments can feel. AND THEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED... I'd been out all day, shooting away, and I'd leapt out of the car without looking at the camera too much. I glanced at the battery level - 7% remaining, oh no!!!!! Ah well, might as well just use that up as best I can. A few more shots... But wait, one of the parrots had flown up into the tree in front of me, at eye level, and she (I'm pretty sure it was a female) was sitting in the branch looking at me, slightly obscured by the twigs...arrrgh! 4% battery left. Then she flew even closer...  Now she was sitting in front of me, well aware of my presence and seemingly unperturbed. I would just use those last percentage points of power as best I could. Oh no, hang on....NO SPACE LEFT ON EITHER MEMORY CARD. I couldn't believe it! She was still sitting there, just communing with me.  I stood very still, looking down at my camera, dialling backwards and deleting one, two, three, six unneeded photos from yesterday, just making a little extra room. Ah, got a few more shots of her. Memory card full again...same procedure, free up a little space. Memory card full again...same procedure. I knew by now I only had a skerick of power left, so I took my last shots.  I would love to have stayed, but the light was fading and I had a long drive back - I stopped shooting and just stood with her, admiring her loveliness, and being grateful that I had had such a time with these beautiful creatures. How lucky I felt. I have rarely been in the presence of such beauty and gentility.
The three other parrots were still foraging...I quietly turned and walked back to the car, feeling exhilarated, and also wondering how I could have been so daft to not have changed batteries and checked the memory card an hour ago...it just happens I guess! It's all part of the fun of bird photography.
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