A day not wasted

I'm in Pembrokeshire, and a strong warm wind from the south is blowing drizzle across the shore. It's been a depressing day, which began with the expected news that the boat which would take me from Martin's Haven to Skokholm Island will not go today -  it's too windy.  That means I've lost one of the 4 days I have booked to stay on this wild, bird-rich  island.

I have a choice. I can sit here at Martin's Haven in the campervan watching the drizzle or I can go somewhere else and watch the drizzle.  I go somewhere else: Milford Haven and wander round the docks. In the afternoon I walk down the track to Marloes Mere fully expecting to see the duck, the one duck which is always to be found at any nature reserve with water. There were more than one but too far away. The hide is empty but for me and so is the water in front of it until slowly, gracefully, a family of swans appears. Two of the cygnets pose for photographs so my day improves.  

I go back to the campsite and decide to walk round the headland - the last bit of mainland Pembrokeshire before Skomer Island and the Atlantic. The cliffs are high and there's a big grey seal looking like some dead thing floating in the water way below. I have my camera with the big lens with a rain cover, but the big grey seal just lies there and won't pose for photographs and the ubiquitous small brown birds remain just out of range in the mist.  

Then I catch a glimpse of a gannet out at sea. By the time I get to the headland it has gone, but that's OK.  Where there is one there may be another. If it's fishing it may come back. I  have already some pictures of gannets but not good ones and this graceful bird is still on my top ten wish list to photograph.

So I wait. I find a place where I can see a good arc of cliffs and I wait.

This is what wildlife photography is all about. You learn how to anticipate the behaviour of your target. Gannets patrol in wide circles - like this one: it's too far out but I centre it in the view finder and follow, keeping my thumb on the autofocus button. It moves away, but there is a second gannet so I focus on this one as it swings out in a wide arc and comes towards me. 

It's in focus and I'm shooting: click click click. It's still coming towards me and I keep shooting. My heartbeat is rising. It's STILL coming towards me and IT'S STILL IN FOCUS! click click click click. 

Bliss. I have the shot. Somewhere in amongst the 30 or so shots is the best shot yet of a gannet. I punch the air! What a great day.