The Tawny Frogmouth is probably more often heard than seen. It is more active at night and when roosting by day it is extremely hard to see as it blends in so well with the background.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It sits stiff and upright, its head upturned and its eyes narrow to slits. It manages to keep the intruder under close scrutiny while making itself looking like a broken branch.
My first real experience with this bird was when a friend phoned to tell me they had a Tawny with chicks nesting close to the house.
I called around and found the nest was not only close to the house, but just below the level of the eaves – ideal for photographing at night from the roof.
Next day I arrived 30 minutes before the light faded, (fortunately the roof had a low pitch which made it easy to access). Ladder set, I approached from the rear of the house and was able to set a tripod in a nice position without disturbing the birds. The chicks appeared to be well advanced and this made me think the adults would start to feed them as soon as the light went.
The flash duration would have to be assessed once the light was gone, so I decided to pre-focus on the nest area and set the duration on flash to short duration. This would allow me to freeze any action of the parents as they came in with food. Once the light went I had to balance the apertures and flash to get correct exposure. I also used a red light to illuminate the area, to let me see the birds approaching.
All set, I sat back and waited. I was right: soon after the light was gone the parents left the nest and returned within minutes with food. From that point it was easy to photograph them using a wireless trigger system.
It was noticeable that after about an hour the parents eased off the feeding, job done. For me, job done too, it was time to carefully get off the roof.
Readers will find one image with the paper and a further photo online.
Tawny Frogmouths fly silently and slowly, flapping their broad wings which look very pale when seen at night in car headlights. They will often fly down on prey on the illuminated area such as roads or back of houses where lights have been left on.
Tawny Frogmouths are often seen in built up areas and are interesting birds to photograph.
RELATED CONTENT
