“All good things come to those who wait.”
If there was but a single proverb describing wildlife photography, then this might well be the one.
After my initial attempt in late December, I had been out in late February at another location not far from the initial one. I had heard that the Eurasian Black Grouse can be easily observed there in large numbers. Sounds too good to be true? Well, spoiler alert – it was. I did not spot a single one of these elusive birds that day…
Finally, I headed out and up again early this morning for another session of patiently waiting for several hours in the snow atop the mountain. Excited about what would await me, I set up “camp” (i.e. a small camping chair, several layers of warm clothes, and, last but not least, my camera & lenses). Would today be the day that I’d finally catch a glimpse of these iconic birds?
There’s something enchanting about being in nature and simply doing nothing. Once you settle down, you begin to notice all the subtle details around you – the crisp scent of winter air, the soft rustling of a gentle breeze as it moves through the tree needles, or the distant calls of birds you don’t usually perceive. It may sound a bit esoteric, but in those moments, you truly feel connected with nature.
Fortunately, time flies by when being outdoors. After about an hour waiting in the cold and staring at the hillside in front of me, I finally spotted my very first Eurasian Black Grouse ever! Unfortunately, it was about 150m away from where I was sitting, so I could only capture some “environmental shots,” even with my 200-600mm lens. But hey, I had finally seen and photographed one of these majestic animals!
Having had my first encounter with these birds, I immediately realized that spotting them is incredibly difficult due to various reasons:
- Habitat: They inhabit areas with dense vegetation and usually keep low to the ground.
- Slow moving: They are moving very carefully, making “spotting by movement” nearly impossible.
- Quiet: Compared to other birds, they seem to rarely ever give off any sounds.
Luckily for me though, there was still some snow cover between the bushes which made spotting the mostly black males a bit easier.
I kept observing and photographing the bird as it slowly and very carefully sneaked around the bushes, nibbling on the still bare vegetation every now and then. After a few minutes, it disappeared into bushes again.
“Where there is one, there must be others, too,” I thought! So, I stayed where I was and kept observing my surroundings. Knowing what to look for makes things a whole lot easier. I soon spotted another male peeking out from the shrubbery!
I felt like a happy kid that moment! Although this guy was also too far away for any “decent” shot with much detail on the feathers etc., the positioning of it in front of the snowy hillside together with tracks his species in the snow made for a great photo! See for yourself!
After such great sightings my expectations were skyrocketing! I was still hoping for “that one shot” to bring home. Unfortunately though, I shouldn’t get it. The closest photo I got to what I had and still have in mind was probably another male crossing a wider patch of snow. If only I could have gotten closer!
The white snow against the black feathers with blue highlights make for an interesting composition.
Soon will be mating season for these birds, meaning the males will fight over the females in so called leks. Surely this will be amazing to witness and I will be there trying to capture it with my camera.
So stay tuned for updates on my Eurasian Black Grouse hunt and more, hopefully better photos 😉
Amazing success, Felix!
That’s how it is—it will take some time, but you will get closer and closer.
Like always, don’t give up; stay persistent and keep trying.
I’m jealous now! 🙂