In search of Kingfishers: testing out our Ghillie suit

Today I went back to the place in Jerez de la Frontera where I went looking for a good spot to test out our new Ghillie suit. I was there two weeks before. This time I decided to go a bit further along the river Guadalete. As I had quite a lot of gear with me, I drove as closely as possible to the spot I had seen on Google Earth which seemed to me an interesting location to photograph some Kingfishers. To get there, you have to drive over a track that is full of big stones. If my car could speak, it would surely express its disapproval of my idea. Despite the many things I have to carry, on a next visit it might indeed be better to walk instead of drive. After all, it's only a few hundred metres.

Female Kingfisher about 80 metres away

My main goal was to use the camouflage suit for the first time. I had hopes on photographing Kingfishers, but didn't really prepare very much for that. I now know where to install a perch over the water next time. I did see a pair, but they flew by very fast, as Kingfishers do, and perched at a too far distance to take decent shots.

White Wagtail on a rock with beautiful bokeh in the background

I had read reviews by Ghillie suit owners and knew about the advantages and disadvantages. I can now confirm that it does pick up a lot of twigs and leaves from the ground. It can also get quite hot inside it, so as soon as temperatures reach I'd say 25 degrees, it might start to get uncomfortable. Also remember to get into the suit before setting up all the other gear, as it is not very comfortable to walk around wearing it. My small foldable stool has a Velcro strip, which stuck to the suit immediately. I'll have to cover that part next time before I sit down.

Western Swamphen in flight

I was positively surprised by how unnoticed you become and blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings. If you manage to stay still for a while, I am convinced that birds are not aware of your presence. The Ghillie suit is also light and not too loose or too tight. A man who was letting out his horses walked by about 30 metres from where I was seated and never knew I was there. One of the horses stared at me for half a minute, convinced that a new bush had grown out of nowhere in a very short time.

Cattle Egret

As for the birds, after waiting patiently seated for more than two hours in the same spot, I was able to capture different species up close. A Marsh Harrier flew by quite low, a Cormorant landed on the water near to me and some Grey Herons also allowed to take good photos.

Marsh Harrier

It is remarkable to see that big and powerful raptors are sometimes chased by much smaller birds. This time a small group of Jackdaws try to scare this Marsh Harrier away.

Marsh Harrier being followed by a group of Jackdaws

One slight inconvenience of the suit is that it makes you less mobile. If you want to take photos in a different direction, you have to first move your tripod and seat. Doing so you give away your presence, at least temporarily. I was looking at my left when I saw a Cormorant with its landing gear out, bound to land on the water next to me. The camera struggled at focusing, but I managed to take sharp photos of the final stages of the landing. However, the movements I made were noticed by the bird and it immediately took off again.

Cormorant at touchdown

Other birds that came relatively close were Yellow and White Wagtail. I heard Cetti's Warbler barely 10 metres away from my seat, but didn't manage to catch even a glimpse of them.

White Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

I am looking forward to going out again with the Ghillie suit. I know what species of birds I will surely find in this place, but will need to do some research first to find a better place to photograph from.