Feathers were flying...

Took it easy today, with a wander bus ride down to the duck pond to try out my new 'Duck and Swan Food' I got yesterday at Dobbies.

'They'll go mad for it and I'll be able to get lots of close ups!' I thought. But they didn't even look at it. Three ducks were sleeping on the grass when I arrived and I sat on the low railing and chucked out a bit of the special Duck Food. They ignored it. I threw some on the pond. Everyone ignored it. I felt like eating it myself.

The swan family were away in the middle of the pond. I walked round. There was a older man (ie my age) with a very long lens ('Not long enough', he said) and a dinky little three legged stool which folded up and could be carried on a shoulder strap. That's just what I need!! Ikea, apparently. He had been sitting there for ages, but the swans had remained steadfastly remote.

'No worries! I have my special Swan Food, I'll lure them nearer!' I told him. Did they come in to the side? Well, eventually, but the adults didn't eat a thing. The jackdaws and ducks and seagulls did, but not the feeding frenzy I had envisioned.

Eventually the man gave up and went home. Of course, then all the action started. Two greylag geese flew round overhead, honking their arrival. They landed at the far end of the pond. Immediately Mr Swan got his knickers feathers in a twist and flapped and splashed and slapped the water and half flew all the way down to them. The tricky greylags ran on to the land. Mr Swan came back, bristling.

A few minutes later, those cheeky greylags had the temerity to plop into the pond! Mr Swan was off again! This time he came on land to chase them. I went down and got a few shots of him doing his 'Wha daur meddle wi' me' act. He suddenly gave up chasing one greylag and turned on the other and they came rumbling towards me again, but this time I was on the path and the railing was between us, so I stood my ground.

Wow! They charged past me in flurry of feathers and hissing and honking - and that was just me! Needless to say, I didn't get a decent action shot...

I'm trying to get used to using the EVF (Electronic View Finder), which is small and not particularly marvellous, but the camera is more stable when held like that. And it feels more natural. I'm still impressed by the macro and long lens ability - just a few handling issues I need to get quicker at.

F'rinstance - press 'Display' once, the LCD comes on. Press again, the histogram is shown, press again, the EVF is activated and the LCD screen is blank. Press again and the histogram is shown in the EVF. So if you're changing from one view to the other, sometimes there are quite a lot of pressings of the 'Disp' button to get there.

Some cameras have an automatic EVF when your eye is put to it. Which is one criticism I have read about this camera and thought they were being a bit picky, but I'm beginning to agree.

But who can complain about being able to take a macro of an iris by the side of the pond and a shot of the cygnets in the middle of the pond using the same lens? Not me.