Bushey Park, an old stomping ground for me growing up. It was the main place for me to go birding when I first started when I were 7-8 years old. I had my first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker there at Bushey, by the Diana fountain. Great to see you beard blending in with the foliage again Scott. You do go that extra mile when setting out these videos. I'm really enjoying them. You do a great job presenting and teaching.
😂 Yes, I keep my autumnal plumage all year round. Bushy Park and most of the other London parks are great places for birding - mainly because the birds are so habituated. If ever I'm down in London I try to set aside at least a few hours for birding there. Last time I was at Bushy Park I was leaning on a fence and had a kestrel land on it, no more than about 3 metres away from me. You just don't get those kind of encounters elsewhere unless you're heavily camouflaged. Glad you're enjoying the videos and thanks for watching.
All you say is true. For me, if I only bothered to photograph uncommon birds, I would hardly get my camera out! We can’t all zip around the world to photograph exotic species in remote locations or difficult terrain. And photographing common local birds everyday helps to develop one’s skill ready for more unusual opportunities to go somewhere, or capture an unusual or special behaviour of a local bird, as you said. In any case, many of my common species are exotic for many other people. Just one example; Cassowaries! 😊
A good point, well said. I'd never heard of a cassowary, but after googling them, they look amazing. You're very lucky if they're a common bird in your location. Thanks for watching.
One of the better tips I've already seen on TH-cam. A mistake I made myself. And indeed it is better to come home with something ordinary and get better at photography than to come back without decent pictures. Thank you for waking me up and not making this mistake again in the future.
For me Scott this was you best ever video and agree with all what you said. I always think that we should aways remind people about our common wildlife species because if we don't look after them than how can we look after our rarer species, this is when our photos can help. Loved those beautiful images !
Thought provoking as always. I totally agree with your approach here. Another angle is that for many a common species is synonymous with under appreciated and largely ignored with comments like oh it’s only a robin or goldfinch or whatever. So I feel that if I can get an attractive and arresting image of a common species that maybe draws attention to the wonderful feather detail or exhibits interesting behaviour then that’s a positive for me.
Scott, I have a natural-looking bird-feeding setup in my yard that allows me to capture some great photos. While I do enjoy the pictures I take, I must confess that the primary reason for the setup is to provide me with an opportunity to practice my photography skills. I believe that proactive preparation is key when it comes to capturing rare bird photo opportunities. I make sure that my camera is set up and that I am fully aware of my surroundings. This way, when the moment arises, I am able to take the shot with confidence and without relying on luck. Good video
Hi Ron. Both are great points. It's been a while since I've had a dedicated feeding station for photography. I might get one set up again. Thanks for watching.
Have to agree with you, Scott what is common to you might not be coming to someone else I live in North Norfolk and I must go for a walk every day and I might see at least 20 brown hairs and people come here on holiday and say I can’t I believe I see a brown hair. There are no rabbits where we live, but there are plenty of them in other places. Went to London a couple of weeks back and see my first ringneck parrot never had my camera with me but I will definitely be going back. I have never photographed one of these. They might be common in London, but there’s none of them in North Norfolk thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. Look forward to the next one. ❤
Hi Andy, yes, you're right. I hardly ever see brown hares where I am. I think they seem to prefer the flatter lands of Norfolk and Lincolnshire, south Yorkshire's pretty good too. Maybe it is something to do with the crops. Those parakeets seem to be around most of the major parks in London - we get the occasional sighting of them here in Nottinghamshire, but it always makes the local birder news when it happens as they're a bit of a rarity. Thanks for watching another video.
One key I have found for me is to be using my camera often so I am very familiar with it and can spend time thinking about the shot and not fiddling with the camera.
Great video with a lot of good points. One additional point, I was thinking about was getting new people into wildlife photography for recreational purposes. If the general attitude of the photography community is that only photos of rare species have any worth, new people won’t eve start as they don’t want to put in the effort to find and get to a rare species. I for example photograph mainly common birds and use photography as an additional motivation to leave the house. I would feel discouraged if many people said images like these are not worth it.
In and around Amsterdam we also have lots of these green ring-necked parakeets. I consider them to be a bit of a plague, to be honest, and they seem to be getting more common! I think they're rather invasive and suspect they are driving out other native species such as woodpeckers. About the title of your video - my first reaction was: "Of course there is! Otherwise how will you ever be good when you do see a rare bird? And you can get beautiful images of common species as much as of rare species!". Glad that we're on the same line on that, although I had not expected anything different after following your videos for a while now. 😁
Hi Tim. I'm glad we agree. There's a definite trend that people who live with these parakeets nearby seem to not like them and visitors love them. Of course, it's the fault of humans that they're there in the first place. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video Scott, not only is it a good idea to photograph something that is common nearby, but it is also a great way to get to know your camera and practice new skills.
Yes I would agree with everything mentioned here, I would add that if you are photographing common and therefor easier subjects then you have much more opportunity to control the background. As for capturing rare animals and birds, I am saddened at the lack of interest when posting these images. I think the BBC and his royal highness David Attenborough is somewhat to blame. People get used to seeing wonderful programs with wildlife and assume it's everywhere. When we of course know this is not the case. I have photographed Brown Beers and Otters here in the Balkan mountains, both of which are so rare it's taken me ten years. Thanks for posting a great video.
Hi Chris. I completely agree that many people assume that there's an abundance of all species everywhere. (Whether we we can entirely blame Attenborough for that, I'm not sure). An example - I recently had someone ask me to make a video on the black grouse. I said I had been trying for the last couple of years with the very small population we have left in England and that I may have to go to Scotland for a dedicated couple of weeks to get the photos I want. They were surprised that there weren't some near to me. There are now less than 5,000 in the UK with 90% of them in Scotland. The 500 or so birds in England are in the North Pennines and only one very small lek is easy to find there. If you're interested in brown bears though, and you have the time, you could head up into Romania. I drove the Transfagarasan as part of a road trip a few years ago. The bears have become quite habituated there due to the number of tourists and will come right up to the road to snatch food that people have left behind. I didn't have my camera gear on that trip, which was just for fun. But I'm sure that's not as rewarding as the photos you got. Thanks for watching.
Great video adding some common sense to photography most of my pics 8:01 are of common species local to my area and I practice a lot on them and it had helped when I’ve found something more uncommon thanks for the video a really good topic cheers John
As you say, a beautiful photograph of something ordinary is better (in most cases) than an ordinary photograph of something extraordinary. Here in Cape Town we get Common or European Starlings. Now of course in South Africa we have some utterly spectacular starlings (like the Violet Backed Starling for example). But this species is introduced and derided as 'invasive.' And I think that leads many to miss how lovely they can look when the light hits their irridescent feathers. Incidentally we also have Ring-Necked Parakeets in Johannesburg. I have a half baked theory that some birds that have had very extended association with cities and towns - such as many Indian birds have in the region's 6000 odd years of civilisation - have evolved ever so slightly to be able to more easily make their homes in cities.
Absolutely agree. I think many places around the world that have the European starling as an invasive species don't appreciate how beautiful they are. And the thing people should remember is that these introduced species didn't ask to be introduced. We - humans - did it. Thanks for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide exactly. They're just doing their best. Even when a species is an environmental problem, it's strange to be hostile to them as individuals.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide The problem is, the more of those starlings there are, the fewer natives there can be. Imagine the harm rabbits and foxes and cats and dogs are doing across Australia, and those sparrows and starlings in the Eastern States. I would prefer to have our parrots (even the very noisy cockatoos and corellas) and finches and robins and wrens and ralls and ducks and geese than yours.
Very Nice Topic! Love this video and your Channel! I am starting a TH-cam Channel soon too, and seen my self in this situation all the time! It is as you say: better a good photo of a common specie, than a bad photo of a rare.
Another great video Scott, thanks so much. Escaped the Artic outflow for a couple hours last week and spent the afternoon photographing Macaws, Parakeets and Parrots in the lush gardens at our local Conservatory. Challenging? maybe not, but relaxing and great practice.
I sit in my yard doing bird photography all the time. Sometimes I get migrants, but mostly I photograph common birds to my area. You always get them doing something new, or just interesting.
For me, when photographing common birds, I tend to focus on prettier backgrounds, behaviors that are interesting, and light that "makes the shot." By keeping that mindset, I stay interested, get practice and sometimes get something I haven't seen before. The bird may be common but the other factors can make the effort produce an extraordinary result. By waiting for behavioral shots, you also learn about the species, their mannerisms and so on so that you can predict the interesting behavior and be ready when it happens.
Practice and familiarity with your gear is what real helps you grow has a photographer ... ducks gulls and sparrows are great subjects ... give them you best shot 👍
They’re definitely not all over the country. You only have to look at the BTO data. There are huge patches of England where there has never been a sighting. Hardly any reported sightings in Scotland or Wales. None at all north of Edinburgh. It’s reckoned there are about 75,000 in the UK, but 55,000 are in London.
I mean England. They’ve been in Liverpool for 20 yrs. I’ve seen/heard them throughout England. You said you rarely see them beyond the south east, that’s not true. just making a factual point. Interesting video.
Hey Scott Just a thought, could you put the species name of the bird etc for the benefit of your subscribers from overseas please. I know you mention some by name but this is just a suggestion. Think about it. Thanks.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
Bushey Park, an old stomping ground for me growing up. It was the main place for me to go birding when I first started when I were 7-8 years old. I had my first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker there at Bushey, by the Diana fountain. Great to see you beard blending in with the foliage again Scott. You do go that extra mile when setting out these videos. I'm really enjoying them. You do a great job presenting and teaching.
😂 Yes, I keep my autumnal plumage all year round. Bushy Park and most of the other London parks are great places for birding - mainly because the birds are so habituated. If ever I'm down in London I try to set aside at least a few hours for birding there. Last time I was at Bushy Park I was leaning on a fence and had a kestrel land on it, no more than about 3 metres away from me. You just don't get those kind of encounters elsewhere unless you're heavily camouflaged. Glad you're enjoying the videos and thanks for watching.
All you say is true. For me, if I only bothered to photograph uncommon birds, I would hardly get my camera out! We can’t all zip around the world to photograph exotic species in remote locations or difficult terrain. And photographing common local birds everyday helps to develop one’s skill ready for more unusual opportunities to go somewhere, or capture an unusual or special behaviour of a local bird, as you said. In any case, many of my common species are exotic for many other people. Just one example; Cassowaries! 😊
A good point, well said. I'd never heard of a cassowary, but after googling them, they look amazing. You're very lucky if they're a common bird in your location. Thanks for watching.
In my mind it is worth to photograph all species. But it's nice to have pictures of rare birds. Wonderful video. Well done. Greets Stefan
I agree. Thanks for watching.
great video! thanks! it makes all sense!
Thanks for watching.
Great photos, information and instruction! Every time! :) I really enjoy your channel and look forward to each of your videos. Thank you!
Thank you for your nice comment and for watching.
The way I approach it is very similar, when I go out on a shoot. I'm just out to get the best photo I can regardless of what species it is.
Thanks for watching.
One of the better tips I've already seen on TH-cam. A mistake I made myself. And indeed it is better to come home with something ordinary and get better at photography than to come back without decent pictures. Thank you for waking me up and not making this mistake again in the future.
So true! Thanks for watching, Marc. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
For me Scott this was you best ever video and agree with all what you said. I always think that we should aways remind people about our common wildlife species because if we don't look after them than how can we look after our rarer species, this is when our photos can help. Loved those beautiful images !
You make an excellent point Raymond, I absolutely agree. Thanks for watching.
Thought provoking as always. I totally agree with your approach here. Another angle is that for many a common species is synonymous with under appreciated and largely ignored with comments like oh it’s only a robin or goldfinch or whatever. So I feel that if I can get an attractive and arresting image of a common species that maybe draws attention to the wonderful feather detail or exhibits interesting behaviour then that’s a positive for me.
Great point Alan - I completely agree. Thanks for watching.
Scott, I have a natural-looking bird-feeding setup in my yard that allows me to capture some great photos. While I do enjoy the pictures I take, I must confess that the primary reason for the setup is to provide me with an opportunity to practice my photography skills.
I believe that proactive preparation is key when it comes to capturing rare bird photo opportunities. I make sure that my camera is set up and that I am fully aware of my surroundings. This way, when the moment arises, I am able to take the shot with confidence and without relying on luck.
Good video
Hi Ron. Both are great points. It's been a while since I've had a dedicated feeding station for photography. I might get one set up again. Thanks for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide Ron has some videos too.
Have to agree with you, Scott what is common to you might not be coming to someone else I live in North Norfolk and I must go for a walk every day and I might see at least 20 brown hairs and people come here on holiday and say I can’t I believe I see a brown hair. There are no rabbits where we live, but there are plenty of them in other places. Went to London a couple of weeks back and see my first ringneck parrot never had my camera with me but I will definitely be going back. I have never photographed one of these. They might be common in London, but there’s none of them in North Norfolk thanks very much for sharing your knowledge. Look forward to the next one. ❤
Hi Andy, yes, you're right. I hardly ever see brown hares where I am. I think they seem to prefer the flatter lands of Norfolk and Lincolnshire, south Yorkshire's pretty good too. Maybe it is something to do with the crops. Those parakeets seem to be around most of the major parks in London - we get the occasional sighting of them here in Nottinghamshire, but it always makes the local birder news when it happens as they're a bit of a rarity. Thanks for watching another video.
One key I have found for me is to be using my camera often so I am very familiar with it and can spend time thinking about the shot and not fiddling with the camera.
Hi Jay. Absolutely, this level of practice really helps to get to know your camera. Thanks for watching.
Great video with a lot of good points.
One additional point, I was thinking about was getting new people into wildlife photography for recreational purposes. If the general attitude of the photography community is that only photos of rare species have any worth, new people won’t eve start as they don’t want to put in the effort to find and get to a rare species.
I for example photograph mainly common birds and use photography as an additional motivation to leave the house. I would feel discouraged if many people said images like these are not worth it.
Good point Richard, I completely agree. Thanks for watching.
In and around Amsterdam we also have lots of these green ring-necked parakeets. I consider them to be a bit of a plague, to be honest, and they seem to be getting more common!
I think they're rather invasive and suspect they are driving out other native species such as woodpeckers.
About the title of your video - my first reaction was: "Of course there is! Otherwise how will you ever be good when you do see a rare bird? And you can get beautiful images of common species as much as of rare species!".
Glad that we're on the same line on that, although I had not expected anything different after following your videos for a while now. 😁
Hi Tim. I'm glad we agree. There's a definite trend that people who live with these parakeets nearby seem to not like them and visitors love them. Of course, it's the fault of humans that they're there in the first place. Thanks for watching.
Awesome video Scott, not only is it a good idea to photograph something that is common nearby, but it is also a great way to get to know your camera and practice new skills.
Hi Steve. Absolutely, this level of practice really helps to get to know your camera. Thanks for watching.
Yes I would agree with everything mentioned here, I would add that if you are photographing common and therefor easier subjects then you have much more opportunity to control the background. As for capturing rare animals and birds, I am saddened at the lack of interest when posting these images. I think the BBC and his royal highness David Attenborough is somewhat to blame. People get used to seeing wonderful programs with wildlife and assume it's everywhere. When we of course know this is not the case. I have photographed Brown Beers and Otters here in the Balkan mountains, both of which are so rare it's taken me ten years. Thanks for posting a great video.
Hi Chris. I completely agree that many people assume that there's an abundance of all species everywhere. (Whether we we can entirely blame Attenborough for that, I'm not sure). An example - I recently had someone ask me to make a video on the black grouse. I said I had been trying for the last couple of years with the very small population we have left in England and that I may have to go to Scotland for a dedicated couple of weeks to get the photos I want. They were surprised that there weren't some near to me. There are now less than 5,000 in the UK with 90% of them in Scotland. The 500 or so birds in England are in the North Pennines and only one very small lek is easy to find there. If you're interested in brown bears though, and you have the time, you could head up into Romania. I drove the Transfagarasan as part of a road trip a few years ago. The bears have become quite habituated there due to the number of tourists and will come right up to the road to snatch food that people have left behind. I didn't have my camera gear on that trip, which was just for fun. But I'm sure that's not as rewarding as the photos you got. Thanks for watching.
😄😄😄Thank you for your insightful sharing.
Thanks for watching.
Capturing an uncommon photo of a common subject is photography at its cleverest.
Spot on Mark. Thanks for watching.
Great video adding some common sense to photography most of my pics 8:01 are of common species local to my area and I practice a lot on them and it had helped when I’ve found something more uncommon thanks for the video a really good topic cheers John
Much appreciated John. Thanks for watching.
As you say, a beautiful photograph of something ordinary is better (in most cases) than an ordinary photograph of something extraordinary. Here in Cape Town we get Common or European Starlings. Now of course in South Africa we have some utterly spectacular starlings (like the Violet Backed Starling for example). But this species is introduced and derided as 'invasive.' And I think that leads many to miss how lovely they can look when the light hits their irridescent feathers.
Incidentally we also have Ring-Necked Parakeets in Johannesburg. I have a half baked theory that some birds that have had very extended association with cities and towns - such as many Indian birds have in the region's 6000 odd years of civilisation - have evolved ever so slightly to be able to more easily make their homes in cities.
Absolutely agree. I think many places around the world that have the European starling as an invasive species don't appreciate how beautiful they are. And the thing people should remember is that these introduced species didn't ask to be introduced. We - humans - did it. Thanks for watching.
@@WalksOnTheWildSide exactly. They're just doing their best. Even when a species is an environmental problem, it's strange to be hostile to them as individuals.
The Australian Ibis took five minutes to earn the sobriquet "bin chicken."
@@WalksOnTheWildSide The problem is, the more of those starlings there are, the fewer natives there can be. Imagine the harm rabbits and foxes and cats and dogs are doing across Australia, and those sparrows and starlings in the Eastern States. I would prefer to have our parrots (even the very noisy cockatoos and corellas) and finches and robins and wrens and ralls and ducks and geese than yours.
Beautiful work Scott, and as always, beautifully narrated. Looking forward to the next one.
I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.
some common birds may become quite rare in the future so it is worth photographing them for practice and maybe to look back at in the future
Great point. There are plenty of birds that I used to see regularly as a young man, but they're not as common any more. Thanks for watching.
Very Nice Topic! Love this video and your Channel! I am starting a TH-cam Channel soon too, and seen my self in this situation all the time! It is as you say: better a good photo of a common specie, than a bad photo of a rare.
Hi Henrique. Thank you very much. Let me know once you've started your channel and I'll check it out.
Another great video Scott, thanks so much. Escaped the Artic outflow for a couple hours last week and spent the afternoon photographing Macaws, Parakeets and Parrots in the lush gardens at our local Conservatory. Challenging? maybe not, but relaxing and great practice.
Hi. That sounds like a lovely way to spend an afternoon. Hope you got some great shots. Thanks for watching.
I sit in my yard doing bird photography all the time. Sometimes I get migrants, but mostly I photograph common birds to my area. You always get them doing something new, or just interesting.
Hi Andrew, I absolutely agree. Thanks for watching.
For me, when photographing common birds, I tend to focus on prettier backgrounds, behaviors that are interesting, and light that "makes the shot." By keeping that mindset, I stay interested, get practice and sometimes get something I haven't seen before. The bird may be common but the other factors can make the effort produce an extraordinary result. By waiting for behavioral shots, you also learn about the species, their mannerisms and so on so that you can predict the interesting behavior and be ready when it happens.
Great point Philip. Thanks for watching.
Simply best 👌
Thanks for watching.
Practice and familiarity with your gear is what real helps you grow has a photographer ... ducks gulls and sparrows are great subjects ... give them you best shot 👍
I agree. Thanks for watching.
Ring necked Parakeets are all over the country. There’s thousands of them in Liverpool. In all the parks and elsewhere.
They’re definitely not all over the country. You only have to look at the BTO data. There are huge patches of England where there has never been a sighting. Hardly any reported sightings in Scotland or Wales. None at all north of Edinburgh. It’s reckoned there are about 75,000 in the UK, but 55,000 are in London.
I mean England. They’ve been in Liverpool for 20 yrs. I’ve seen/heard them throughout England.
You said you rarely see them beyond the south east, that’s not true.
just making a factual point.
Interesting video.
Hey Scott
Just a thought, could you put the species name of the bird etc for the benefit of your subscribers from overseas please. I know you mention some by name but this is just a suggestion. Think about it. Thanks.
Hi Euge. Definitely. I used to do it, but if it's helpful I will start doing this again. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching.
it’s common for locals, but maybe rare for international viewers.
Hi Nim. Absolutely - a great reason to photograph common species. Thanks for watching.
I am thinking, what I am doing wrong, because I have olny bad photos of common species :)
I'm sure you're just being modest Lukáš. Thanks for watching.
The title of this video 😭😭😭😭 maybe that's people don't click my photos
Your common birds would be unknown throughout most of the rest of the world. Go and shoot a few, and make videos about them, telling us their stories.
@@oneeyedphotographer hahahah i meant like i am the common species and people don't click my photos 😭