A lucky shot in Slottskogen

Sometimes you’re more lucky than skilled when you take photos.

Today I needed to speak with my telephone supplier regarding the SIM card that didn´t fit inside the new home phone. This new phone is actually a mobile phone so I can bring it everywhere if I like too, not that I have a need for this but it is a nice feature I must say.

I took the bike to the store and they solved the problem in no time and that meant I would have time to go to Slottskogen and take some pictures. What I have in mind is to follow the Little Grebe and see how it copes in the public park. I understand that it is resident in Slottskogen during the summer but last year it was at a bigger pond. My hope is that it will produce some offspring’s that I can photo during the summer to see the growth of the small one. I suspect they will be harassed by the Gulls as they tend to pick on the smaller birds.

Slottskogen was bursting with teenagers on every green field that had some sunshine. This is usual business when the temperatures in the afternoon hit 20 degree. Many gather here just to have fun and do sports or just sit down relaxing chatting with one another but you will also find the party people here.

I did find signs of parties with empty beer cans and plastic bags thrown around. It is sad to see this but hopefully everything will be gone tomorrow when the cleaning crew has done their part. I feel that we are privileged to have so good green areas here in Gothenburg. They are sadly abused when people have picnicked and so on and just leave all their rubbish when they leave the area. They have no problem taking everything out but once things are empty they just leave it for someone else. Tragic behavior in my eyes.

Now back on track.

When I got there I couldn´t see anything of interest. I saw the Common Moorhen grooming inside a bush. Nothing more than the usual suspect in the way of Mallard Duck and Gulls. I walked slowly around the pond and stopped to see if I could get an angle on the Moorhen. Unfortunately there where many twigs in the way so I had to abandon that idea. Instead I placed myself 5 meters to the side with a clear view to see if the Moorhen would come out looking for something to eat.

I took some test shots to see what settings I would use.

I like the color and saturation in this picture and while I was fiddling with the settings both the Moorhen and Little Grebe made an appearance. The Little Grebe headed over to the other side of the pond but I had made up my mind to just sit tight. I took some pictures of the Moorhen before it went to the other side and now everything was quite again. After 10 minutes waiting I packed my camera bag and was almost leaving when I looked back.

Something small was coming over the pond at my direction. Could I be so lucky that this was the Grebe? I took out the camera in no time and realized that it was a Common Goldeneye. I rattled some shots away and started to look at them but could see anything out of the ordinary but when I came home I discovered this.

I had no thought of this bling when I took the picture so I´m just lucky. I tried to capture it when it passed from the shadows of the foliage into the sun rays and I must have hit a lucky shot. I think the effect is really nice and it looks almost like the Lens flare filter in Photoshop.

Can I ever produce this again? I don´t think so and therefore I have to treasure this photo and come to terms with the concept of being lucky.