On a recent trip to my local nature reserve I came across 2 or 3 Goldcrests flitting and feeding between 3 pine trees. I see these birds regularly as they are a common species in the UK however photographing them requires a lot of patience because they rarely stay still for more than a second or two at most.
These tiny birds are commonly found in and around pine trees or forests because their finely pointed beaks are uniquely designed to pick out insects from among pine needles. This image was the result of patiently observing this behaviour in order to predict it’s pattern of movement.
I was able to prefocus on the area that I expected the Goldcrest to reach on its ascent up the tree. I picked this spot with consideration for the desired backlight and pine needle bokeh background!
Location: Bristol
Exposure: 1/800 @ f/5.6
ISO: 6400
Mode: Manual, Auto ISO
Focal Length: 700mm
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4 II + 1.4x III
Camera: Canon 1DX Mark III
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