DIY Low level Telephoto "trolley"

[Feg]

Somebody asked to see the rig I use for my waterbird pics that are taken just above water level so here it is.
The plate is aluminium which is attached to the tripod mount with two 1/4 inch bolts.The axle is a threaded rod (threaded along its entire length).The wheels are hardware shop bought and of a decent width with rubber tyres.The axle is attached to the plate with U bolts and the wheels are fitted with nuts onto the threaded rod.I made this out of stuff in the shed and am very pleased with how it works.I support the camera with elbows on the ground and the wheels allow you to move it along while grovelling along the ground(a bit like a seal really).The wheels also let you pan from side to side to a degree but its best used with fairly stationary subjects(if you could call a bird that).I have also used a small tabletop Manfrotto tripod with ball head to support the camera to give added stability for long exposure stuff etc.It is a bit of a fiddle though but worth the effort.A word of caution!!!.You will get a sore neck and covered in duck poo but thats bird photography for you.Cheers and hope this gives someone some ideas.Geoff.