Male Bearded Tit doing the splits

Bearded Reedling – How I got the photograph

I had always wanted to photograph the elusive Bearded Reedling, also known as the Bearded Tit. They are small, elusive birds that are not often seen in the UK.

In October, they start to show themselves a little more frequently and I decided it was time to tick them off my photography lifer list.

After some research, I discovered that RSPB Leighton Moss Nature Reserve was a great place to spot them. I was lucky enough to be only an hour away, so I decided to make a trip up there.

Arriving early in the morning, give me plenty of time to explore the reserve and to get my bearings. I had read that Bearded Reedlings like to hold grit in their bills to help break up and digest hard seeds, so I knew that I needed to find a feeding station that had a grit tray.

Bearded Tit on top of the reeds
Bearded Tit on top of the reeds

Setting up the shot

After a quick paced wander, I found a very convenient grit tray feeding station at the reserve, which was already surrounded by four photographers all set up in a line with their cameras and tripods. There wasn’t enough room to squeeze in without getting in the way and possibly ruffling some feathers.

I stood back and watched as they took their shots, mostly of the Bearded Reedlings on the grit tables. I wanted to see how the birds behaved before attempting to get my shot.

20 minutes had past and only two had appeared so the other photographers left. Waiting patiently I hoped for my chance. I knew that flocks of Bearded Reedlings may only come to the tray once or twice a day, so I needed to be ready.

I had observed previously that they like to perch on the reeds just behind the tables, so I pre-focused my lens on a spot that would look just right and stood there waiting.

After a while, around 15 Bearded Reedlings came in to gather grit. I was happier than a pig in mud!

And I was there alone to enjoy the show! It just goes to show that this hobby is all about time and patience.

Female Bearded Tit doing the splits
Female Bearded Tit doing the splits

Camera settings

The Bearded Reedlings are fast-moving birds and they didn’t hang around on the reeds long enough for me to be waving my camera around like a madman.

So, I set my camera to between 1/2500 and 1/3200 shutter speed so I could get a lot of fast sharp pictures.

AF (Autofocus) set to manual and pre-focused so the AF didn’t jump away from the subject.

The aperture set to f7.2 to f8 because there was enough light and I wanted a good depth of field to guarantee sharpness and detail.

ISO set to auto, and lens stabilisation was off with it being on a tripod because it counteracts against the tripod and causes soft images. (Make sure you try this the next time your doing tripod photography).

The subjects where quite far away so I was at 600mm focal length.

Equipment

I used a Nikon Z50 camera with a Sigma 150-600c lens, a chunky Manfrotto tripod I’ve had for years, and a gimbal head. I shot a few hundred images and waited patiently. Observing the bird’s behaviour definitely paid off.

I was able to capture the classic posed shot of a male Bearded Reedling doing the splits between reeds, the shot I had always wanted.

Post processing

After I got back from my trip, I went through my images and picked out the best ones to work on. Using Adobe Lightroom to adjust the exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows to bring out the details in the bird’s feathers and the reeds around it.

Then making some minor adjustments to the saturation and vibrance to enhance the colours and make the image pop a little more.

I then brought the image into Adobe Photoshop to do some additional editing. I sharpened the image slightly to bring out the details even more and exported out in to various sizes and formats.

Male Bearded Tit doing the splits on some reeds at RSPB Leighton Moss Autumn 2022
Male Bearded Tit doing the splits on some reeds at RSPB Leighton Moss Autumn 2022

Overall, I’m very pleased with the final result. I was able to capture a clear, sharp image of a male Bearded Reedling in its natural environment, doing its characteristic pose.

It was a challenging but rewarding experience to photograph these elusive birds, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves nature photography.

A little about Bearded Reedlings

Bearded Reedlings are fascinating birds. They are small, round, and plump with long tail feathers. The males are striking with their blue-grey heads, black moustache-like feathers, and rust-colored sides.

They’ve learnt to hold grit in their bills to help break up and digest hard seeds. Bearded Reedlings are usually found in reed beds, and they are well adapted to living in such an environment. They have a unique way of gripping onto reeds, using their tail feathers to balance.

Over to you

If you have had an experience with photographing the Bearded Reedling or any other bird, I would love to hear about it!

Feel free to share your own tips, tricks, and techniques in the comments section below. Photography is an art that constantly evolves, and we can all learn from each other’s experiences.

Let’s create a community of nature photographers and share our passion for capturing the beauty of the natural world.

Till next time,

Scott

scottpollard.uk


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