Magpies are hard to photograph! It’s as simple as that. Firstly they are very, very clever and hard to sneak upon. The combination of Black and Whit means that you have to be a bit more skilful with your photography than normal because the camera really struggles to cope with the intense white and the contrasting black, either colour is correspondingly over or under exposed.
I have been trying, on and off for a week or so to fool our local mob of Maggies who breeze around the suburb as though they are in command of everything around them. So, imagine my pleasure today when I fooled one at last. I have been baiting with small chicken pieces and today I sat just 4 feet from the baited log with a camo cover over me and then suddenly here he was, oblivious of my presence so near by. He quickly gobbled up the chicken and left the seen but not before I had grabbed a shot! I used my Pentax 200 lens with the very quiet motor so that I could focus without him noticing. I am sure he will be back! Check back later because I am going to improve on this photo with a bit of luck and a bit more patience.
it’s now later and yes he did come back but he fooled me this time by just fly in, grabbing a morsel and then leaving again without a pause. He did this until he had taken it all.