Unveiling the World of Birds with a Mighty Lens

As my passion for bird watching deepens, so does the reach of my lens. In June 2020, my Sony Alpha 6300 received its first upgrade, transforming its focal length from 16-50mm to a more versatile 55-210mm. The impact was immediate. No longer did I inadvertently startle birds by approaching too closely; now, I could capture stunning avian portraits from a respectable distance. Satisfied as I was, a tinge of envy lingered whenever I saw fellow photographers armed with substantial lenses capturing birds from even greater distances.

Yellow Crowned Night Heron (first photo using Sony 4.5 - 6.3/55 - 210)

A recent birthday gift from Lily marked a significant leap in my photographic journey—a Tamron 150-500mm F/5-6.7 lens. Eager to put it to the test, we headed to Singapore Quarry, a haven for stork-billed kingfishers and grey-headed fish eagles.

Tamron 150-500 mm f/5 - 6.7

The fish eagle's nest is near the top of the center left tree

Arriving on a rainy Sunday morning, we sought refuge alongside other photographers beneath a shelter near the quarry's viewing platform. As the rain subsided, stork-billed kingfishers emerged, prompting a flurry of activity among the lens-wielding enthusiasts.

Switching from my smaller lens to the Tamron behemoth mounted on my Sony camera and tripod required a bit of trial and error. Eventually, with the tripod positioned just right, I honed in on the trees across the pond and discovered not one but two stork-billed kingfishers standing in close proximity—initially a delightful case of 'double vision.'

As the kingfishers attempted their fishing prowess, I, unfortunately, missed the chance to capture their dynamic dives and blurry flights across the quarry. Nevertheless, I bore witness to the mesmerizing spectacle. On one exciting moment I saw a kingfisher snagging a sizable fish, returning to the tree, and engaging in a delightful dance before swallowing its catch—an event immortalized through my lens.

The kingfisher had a big fish in its beak

Soon, a majestic presence graced the scene—the grey-headed fish eagle. Though I missed a few flight shots due to my wandering gaze, I managed to capture its descent to the water, a swift return to its perch, and the ensuing moments.

Deciding to linger for ten more minutes bore unexpected fruit. Setting the camera to continuous shooting and handheld, I watched in awe as the eagle executed a rapid sequence—swooping, landing on the water, ascending, and returning to its perch.

This exhilarating series of events unfolded in a blink, and thanks to the handheld approach, I successfully documented the fleeting moments, bringing a perfect conclusion to the inaugural test of my formidable lens.

Notes 

1. The tripod should placed in such a way that only a single leg is facing the photographer.

2. When handheld the camera with big lens, set vibration control, and auto focus on. 

3. To zoom in on a bird, using the smallest focal length first, place the bird in the center of the view. In this way, the subject will remain in the view during zoom-in.

4. Checking on the photos when we got home, we were amazed at the sharpness and resolution of most photos taken using the big lens - the double kingfishers, the fish in a kingfisher's beak, the curved beak of the fish eagle. Also from the continuously shot photos, it was apparent that the eagle did not catch a fish - there was nothing on its talons after it emerged from water.

5. The lens is heavy, 1.4kg. The zoom is high. It will take me more time to practice before really master its usage.