Last month I spent a few hours with my photography class enjoying Wheatley Birds of Prey. It wasn’t somewhere I’d been before and as I love seeing these beautiful birds, I was really excited to be going along. Our tutor had arranged for us to have a couple of hours with the owner Clive and his trainee handler and we really were in for a treat.
The weather wasn’t going to play ball totally, I never realised that owls don’t like the rain any more than I do. Throw in the fact that my camera was still playing ‘will I, won’t I focus’ and there were a few interesting moments.
I was gutted not to be able to really capture the action shots when Clive and Harvey fly a couple of the birds, but my camera was having none of it at that point. Focusing on the eagle chicks in the dark barn was also a big challenge on the day but overall I’m so pleased with the shots I did capture. These are just a few of my favourites.
We got to meet some lovely birds whilst enjoying Wheatley Bids of Prey, including a rare Merlin, Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and the most beautiful Barn Owl.
They are all such beautiful birds and to get so close to them all was a real treat.
I’m so glad that I invested in my Sigma 70-300mm lens, it’s done me proud with these shots.
The following week our class were heading to Harcourt Arboretum but I couldn’t make that trip as my parents were arriving this day. It’s somewhere I visited before my son was born, but really should visit again.
Next stop Crocodiles of the World, which I last visited back in 2015 with my son. Photos of that trip to follow in the future.
