This morning when I opened the blinds, Arnold was flitting around the fountain so I grabbed the camera and went outside to sit by the fountain and wait. He disappeared immediately but I could hear him and after about five minutes he reappeared, flitting through the photineas and preening while sitting on one of the bare twigs. Then, Mrs. Arnold (shall I call her Maria? oh no, that’s over) appeared and let Arnold have a piece of her mind. Then she flew down to the fountain and carefully assessed the dangers of entering the water, just as if I weren’t there. She finally approached the bubble and I managed to get her in focus on one of the three shots I took. (Note to self: next time try using manual focus to avoid AF focusing on something else). I also remembered to turn on the flash, with the flash compensation set to -3 so I could actually get an exposure in the low light. This isn’t perfect, but I’m pretty happy with it. I love the droplet of water on her beak and her little feet sticking out.
Spectacular! Wow wow wow! Love it! Wonderful job- and yes, persistence pays!