Back at the Slavonian Grebe lake

I went back to the Slavonian Grebe lake on Saturday with a single goal in mind. I wanted to test the Auto Focus issue that I felt I had with my new lens and the 1,4x teleconverter.

Frode Wendelbo had kindly lent me a Spyder LensCal and during my tests it told me that I had a huge front focus issue. That meant I calibrated the Auto Focus in the camera before I headed in the direction of the Slavonian Grebes. Göran Åstebro, a photo friend on Facebook, had kindly checked the lake the same morning and confirmed that the Grebe still was there, three adults and one juvenile.

The weather was really strange when I and Maria got there. It felt like the built up of a thunderstorm, but it never appeared to our surprise.

The hour was past midday and the sun was coming from the wrong direction. Still there were clouds in the sky making the harsh midday sun softer. This time I wanted to explore the possibilities at the northern end of the lake, especially when I saw the two Slavonian Grebe there.

The lake has two jetties, one in tip top condition and the other in need of repair. And, it was the one in need of repair that I and Maria headed to.

It seemed like a stroke of luck that we went there as the Slavonian Grebe pair put on a show just in front of the jetty. One of them had caught a crayfish and we got to watch how they split the crayfish in two parts and shared the spoils. It was fun to watch and you can see several photos in the gallery from the Slavonian Grebe dinner party.

Later on Göran also popped by and it was great to have a chat with him. He also brought his dog Malte, a lively and alert Basenji. The Basenji is probably one of the oldest dog breeds and originate from central Africa. This breed is nicknamed the “barkless dog” because it actually makes a yodel-like sound, called “barroo”, and doesn´t bark.

You might wonder how my tests went. Well I can tell you that I am now pleased with the setup as it produced many more keepers than before. The Auto Focus might not be 100% tuned, but it surely is more than workable now. Just check the gallery and you´ll understand my point.