23 July 2021

Fabulous Friday at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

A morning of Small Birds and Flowers at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Bird Life Photography at Kirstenbosch

Swee Waxbill Bird in Bush Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Swee Waxbill Kirstenbosch Garden Cape Town

Friday Morning at Kirstenbosch: Small perched birds and a Garden full of Peace

I expected a lot from this morning. I did not get it in the form of many small birds, but a peaceful walkabout around Kirstenbosch on a fabulous Friday morning.

Again, after quite a few rainy days in Cape Town, I returned to Kirstenbosch with my Canon EOS 7D Mark II camera / EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens to fine-tune this new genre of small perched birds.
 
What I am learning is the shutter speed relationship between the small perched birds and when some of them take flight during one continuous burst. Working with a non-IS lens, I shoot with a shutter speed of 1/1250s at Kirstenbosch which is fast enough for this purpose, but not fast enough for their incredible fast in-flight action. For this I will have to increase the shutter speed to a minimum of 1/2500s - 1/3200s - and find a balance between perched and in-flight action.

My photo of the morning was the swee waxbill touching down close to me - so small and I'm happy to get this semi in-flight image at a shutter speed of 1/1250.

Kirstenbosch birds photographed during the morning:
  • Swee waxbill
  • Southern Double-Collared Sunbird
  • Swee waxbill
  • Upside down Sunbird portrait
  • Dusky flycatcher
  • Cape bulbul

Canon Camera / Lens: Birds and Flowers Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II
  • Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM Lens
  • Manual Mode: 400mm @ f/5.6 / Auto- ISO (Various) / 1/1000s - 1/1250s shutter speeds
  • No Lens IS / Handheld

Post-Processing: Adobe Lightroom 

Kirstenbosch birding photography training also offered as Photography Training Gift Vouchers

Perched Small Birds at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Southern Double-Collared Sunbird Singing Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Southern Double-Collared Sunbird Singing Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Swee Waxbill Bird Landing Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Swee Waxbill Landing Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Upside Down Sunbird Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Upside Down Sunbird Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Dusky Flycatcher Bird on Rock Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
African Dusky Flycatcher on Rock Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Perched Cape Bulbul Bird Kirstenbosch Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Perched Cape Bulbul Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Brave Boubou Shrike Kirstenbosch Cape Town Photographer Vernon Chalmers
Brave Boubou Shrike Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Plants / Flowers at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

King Protea Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town Photographer Vernon Chalmers
King Protea Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) Flower Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden © Vernon Chalmers Photography
Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) Flower Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Town

Bird / Flower Photography Training Kirstenbosch  More

Glorious Morning at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden View

Vernon Chalmers 'Kirstenbosch Bird Species Index' View

From Darkness into Light... Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Butterflies and Sunbird at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Images © Vernon Chalmers Photography Copyright Policy

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Map & Directions Kirstenbosch Google Map

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Website

Canon Photography Training Milnerton Woodbridge Island | Kirstenbosch Cape Town