This Week I had a 'Cracking' Time...Literally!!
(This week I had a 'Cracking' Time...Literally!! was originally posted on 6th November 2011)
Well here we are again another weekend has gone by but what a great time I've had birding recently with so many new spots and lots of pictures for me.....It's almost like I've turned the corner and the 'Clumsy higgy' thing has disappeared! Could that really be the case or was this weekends trip sent to bring me back down to earth with a 'Crash'?...
Another busy week at work had left me really looking forward to my 'rare' day out on Saturday, My wife had arranged to take our daughter out to meet some friends at a local 'family farm'. It was arranged as a 'girls' day out with only Mums and daughters invited....RESULT!!!!!
As you can imagine Friday's work day had been taken up with day dreams of the recent sightings and of course my perfect photographs of Marsh Harriers, Merlin and Short Eared Owls at my local coastal marsh land.....All of these beautiful birds are rare migrants here but with my current run of luck there was nothing going to stop me!.....was there?....
Saturday finally arrived and unfortunately my truck was at the 'menders' so I piled my gear into the back of the 'Toyota Yaris' loan car....It was a bit snug but hey that wasn't going to dampen my spirits, especially when the day was going to be so perfect...
After negotiating the bumpy country lanes in my new 'mini' truck I eventually arrived and just about managed to get a parking space on the grass verge, perfect!!
The sun was now peaking through the overcast skies and the southerly wind was making for a pleasant day., perfect!!
Wellies and camo on and off I trotted tripod over my shoulder and spare lenses and accessories in my pockets, I was prepared for every eventuality as usual. I negotiated the muddy track and even managed the gate and stile without so much as a slip or fall, my luck really is changing! knowing I've got time to enjoy a good few hours here I take a leisurely stroll along the track and up to the sea wall, Goldfinches are busy stripping the hawthorn bushes of berries and a thrush is in the thicket creating a right old racket about the new human evader on his patch, to be fair it was me so he had every right to be nervous and warn all his mates!
Round the corner sun on my back and then.......
Ah first obstacle......
.....Two Bulls!!....Not so perfect....
Ummm.....right what's the plan move fast or use my unique skill of stealth....RUN!!!!.....
First obstacle overcome and I'm now up on the sea wall and still chilled out...although that might be a chill due to the 'sweat on' that I got getting past my two new best mates! Time to get my breath back I think so I settle down onto a rock to recover and see what's abo........ut!!!......I can't believe it, surely I can't be that lucky?...can I???...
YAHOOOOO.......A snow bunting practically sat on my boot!....my luck really has changed....so camera on tripod carefully slip off the rocks and snap snap....
Now to say I'm happy is an understatement but I'm in dilema......."do I quit whilst I'm ahead!!?".......
Nah onwards and upwards I'm on a roll nothing can go wrong can it?...
No....A little Egret right in the firing line, so in an instant response I'm down on one knee camera up to eye and snap, snap, snap....(I'm sure it must be like watching poetry in motion?...."Oh ah AR ooww my knees, my back"....maybe not then!)....
But worth the pain as I've been after a decent picture of one f these beauties for ages!!...
This really is a good day! In fact a good spell for me....."ummm, maybe I should do the lottery tonight???"
Movement down to my right.....Oystercatchers.....Wow these boys can motor so like a coiled spring I'm on them camera panning right to left snap snap snap..... A bit far away but a nice enough little picture considering that I've now got whiplash from panning the camera so fast to keep up with them! LOL...
This is a pleasant day but still no birds of prey, but I suppose you can't have everything can you.....
"INCOMING!!"....Lapwings right overhead....snap snap....
I love Lapwings and they are really difficult to get close to so a couple of 'flying away' shots is about the best I can manage, but with my luck at the moment....
Right lets get along the sea wall a bit further and see if I can get sight of those Marsh Harriers......
AHH...OHH..."PUDDLE"....Slippery...oh no left legs gone....big puddle.....expensive camera....."oh no I'm falling"......half somersault......
"THEW Lucky devil!" just managed to save myself and my camera gear from a very expensive and painful accident.....my luck really is changing!! (I definitely will do the lottery tonight!)
However all the commotion of my 'Olympic winning' acrobatics has sent everything high into the sky but my current 'recovery' position gives me a distant shot at this chap.....even if a big crop will be required...snap snap....
Right time is getting on so I think I'd better quit whilst my luck is still with me.....maybe just a few more minutes with that Snow Bunting......
Bye bye Snowy (named it already...my new best mate!)....maybe just one more quick 'end of the day' snap in true Higgy fashion....
So here it is the end of a lucky day????
Right back to that lovely limousine that the garage has leant me.....
....Past the farmers 'bully' boys....no dramas.."that's lucky!"....
Along the muddy track...cars in sight just one stile to negotiate...."what a great day...my luck really has changed".....Right tripod up on shoulder....
CRAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!.......CRRAAAAAACCCKKKK!!!!!................................OH **!!!???**!!...!!**??!!!*......"MY CAMERA...
......AAARGGGHHH!!!....
You guessed it.....my NIkon D90 + 300mmf4 lens has unclipped from the tripod and fallen from my shoulder on the stile onto the ground and the lens has seperated from the body taking the mounting bracket with it!!!...."OUCH....VERY EXPENSIVE!!! BOO HOO!!"
I knew that Higgy's luck couldn't last for ever.....
And to really top off this disaster.........I’m now off to work for a NIGHT SHIFT!!!!!!
The original post complete with comments can be viewed here:-
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/f/13609/t/58505.aspx
So there you have it, the full story of how my lovely expensive camera and even more expensive lens got broken!...and the damage? ummm, A lot and very expensive I think!!..,
The moral of the story has to be....'don't carry your tripod around with camera still attached as it will end in tears & cost you rather a lot of money!!!'
As you can see a day out with Higgy really is quite different to the norm....if out and about in North Somerset and you see a fully grown man stuck half way up a tree, it's probably a safe bet that it's Higgy so stear clear and duck!!!
Cheers
Higgy
