Comments on: Photographing Birds at Home

By: Long Hoberg

Long Hoberg — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:49:58 +0000

Wild bird food preferences vary with bird species. While birds like pigeons and doves will readily eat any bird food given to them, more specialist feeders like Robins prefer small grubs such as mealworms. You can buy bird food from various outlets that have large stocks of bird food available in various weights depending on your requirement. Guides to feeding garden birds can be researched online or from various gardening bird books that give details about wild bird feeding habits. The autumn season can attract a large number of wild birds to your garden with the right food including siskins, goldfinches, great tits, blue tits, wrens, woodpeckers and many more. Each one of them has a different feeding habit and accordingly people can make use of different bird feeders and feeding locations within their garden to encourage them. ”

By: Sang Valtierra

Sang Valtierra — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:05:11 +0000

With the onset of autumn wild birds will have started migrating from one place to the other. And in many cases feeding these birds becomes a treat to the eye. But in order to attract a variety of birds it is essential to have the right kind of wild bird food. Along with this you also need to gather knowledge about different varieties of bird feeders, nest boxes and bird baths that attract birds…

By: Sammie Rubendall

Sammie Rubendall — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:59:44 +0000

Feeding the birds is a past time for some people. While you take a stroll with the kids or alone at the park, you may find it interesting to feed the birds. For some people feeding birds is a passion. Bird watchers are not only best at recognizing and naming birds, but also at the knowledge of bird food. Peanuts are most commonly used as bird food as it comes handy in the home kitchens.`

By: Renate Hernandez

Renate Hernandez — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:29:52 +0000

Wow I love those shots. I right away clicked on the link and bought the hunters blind :-) now after payment I shall have that Bokeh. I did a lot of Flower shots and now hopefully catching all the Birds roaming about in the Garden :-) Thank you! Renate.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:33:57 +0000

In reply to Richard U.. Richard, thanks for the advice!

By: Richard U.

Richard U. — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:52:05 +0000

Using an f/2.8 lens will eliminate the need for running images thru additional software to achieve bokeh. I do all I can to not have to spend more time in front of my computer because starring at my computer for extended periods, hurts my eyes. I have been using tents for years, and my specialty is hummingbirds. The distance that I shoot my images really depends on which lens I am using. When I am shooting with my 70-200mm IS II, I am usually less than 4 ft. away, and the hummingbirds react to the sound of my camera, but there is a bit of a trick to getting them used to the sound of my camera because my 5d mark II is quite noisy. I can tell by the images you’ve posted, that you are using an f/4.5 lens, which you will never achieve bokeh with. The new IS II lenses from Canon are AWESOME. Try using one of these new lenses and manually set your ISO at f/5.6, and I guaranty that you will not only achieve beautiful bokeh, but you will also achieve beautiful professional results, and everyone will want to own your images.

By: Marc

Marc — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:17:25 +0000

for bird variety, put out a variety of seeds. Cardinals eat corn. Sunflower seed will bring other birds, hulled sunflower in hung feeders and spread on the ground will attract different species.

The bird in your top photo with the bar over the eye is a Carolina Wren (one of the loudest tiny birds in existence). 4th picture down (green feeder tray) shows two female European House Finches (imported to the US as pets)… the males are dull this time of year, close to a brilliant red in the summer. Below that is an immature (1st year) female Cardinal. All cardinals, including males, “fade” in the winter in order to stay better hidden from predators. You can tell this is immature because [a] the crest is flattened rather than standing up and [b] the beak is more brightly colored in adults.

To learn more about bringing nature to your yard, investigate National Wildlife Federation’s Gardening For Wildlife program.

If you’re in the Midwest or East Coast, there are specific material for bringing birds & butterflies at Backyard Habitat. See videos taken in a 50′ x 100′ urban yard.
—————————————————-
Note to Jeff – if this is too much information, feel free to edit… or perhaps start a “guest post…” I am a “Certified Habitat Ambassador Host/Trainer” for the Backyard Habitat program, and was national NWF Volunteer Of The Year in 2007. Bringing nature to the yard is, well, what I love to do! Photo ops without having to go anywhere…

If you deem this not a match for the blog thread, I certainly understand. Just figured I’d share

I LOVE using Snap Art 3 to turn nature (and other) photos into art works. Email me if you want a few examples.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:36:20 +0000

In reply to Marc. Beautiful! Thanks for all the advice. I'll work on all of it.

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:27:44 +0000

In reply to Marc. there's actually a small patch of red under the tail... hence the name.

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:26:23 +0000

In reply to Jeff. Red bellied woodpecker.

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:23:42 +0000

as to the “log” with holes drilled – peanut butter will bring in woodpeckers. Use a baffle above it to keep squirrels away (a milk jug cut to hang near the top of the suspension works well).

Another thing that will bring birds out is water. In winter, a heated bath will have a waiting line. In summer, try for something natural colored. Different heights work well – some birds like water on the ground, some like it raised. This baby cardinal (note the grey feathers on the body… haven’t all turned red yet) was bathing in the yard last year.

Best of all – seek out the native plants birds like (goldfinches love purple coneflowers, black eyed susans). Same goes for butterflies, later in the summer – put the plants in they will lay eggs on, “voila, instant beauty.”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:59:40 +0000

In reply to Tomas Fjetland. Excellent advice! My drill is charging now...

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:59:14 +0000

In reply to Kai. Thanks for the advice. I like the idea of a branch between the platforms for the birds to stand on without a feeder in the shot.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:58:13 +0000

In reply to Dave. Both of those are excellent ideas. I've been looking at the Wingscapes Audobon 2.0. I'll probably get one, but for now I'm enjoying the time outdoors and watching the birds for a good shot.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:55:52 +0000

In reply to BIlly. Cute! Do you know what kind of bird that is? I love the brilliant red head.

By: BIlly

BIlly — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 15:09:32 +0000

Back Yard action

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 04:23:11 +0000

Rather than sit in a blind, here are two options:

1. A wildlife/game camera that you set-up near the feedtray. Amazon has a bunch, including an 8mp Bushnell.

2. Use Magic Lantern in a Canon camera. Here is a link: http://wiki.magiclantern.fm/userguide#remote-triggers

Note: I’m not associated with either

By: Kai

Kai — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 15:12:01 +0000

Platform feeders trimmed with branches and twigs work well, plenty of perching spots … also a branch or two connecting the platforms. I like a 300 zoom to blur the background.

By: Tomas Fjetland

Tomas Fjetland — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:48:31 +0000

Nice approach. To get a more natural setting I recommend using trunks or thick branches from local trees, preferably ones that have already been on the ground for some time and look natural horizontally. Then drill or carve a rather large hole, like 3-5cm in diameter and 2-3 cm deep if possible, to one side of the curving of the log you want to face up. Then make sure the hole is on the opposite side of the top curve of the log from where you’re sitting and fill it with seeds or similar feed. This way the seeds aren’t visible to the camera, the trunk/log looks natural and there’s no sign of manmade intervention.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:42:10 +0000

In reply to bee. Excellent idea! I'll try it.

By: haeruddin faizal

haeruddin faizal — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:36:42 +0000

wow ! awesome

By: bee

bee — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:33:47 +0000

That tent is a nice idea! Another option if you have trees close to your windows is to have one way film installed on the glass.