The Secret To Shooting Orioles

[canonloader]

Your probably not going to like it any more than I did, but the secret is to get up before daylight. :(

I got up at 5 something, looked out the window to see what was there and there he was, sitting on a stick. Luckily I had left the camera and tripod set up from the day before, so I eased into position and got several shots. He left, then came back for a few more. Tomorrow, I will be waiting for him.

Even he looks sleepy...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3810-061207.jpg

He wants some of that grape jelly...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3812-061207.jpg

Still trying to decide...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3814-061207.jpg

He wasn't too sure so flew to another stick...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3823-061207.jpg

He came back to eat some jelly, and I left him alone, then he was checking out other things on the ground...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3839-061207.jpg

Up in the cherry tree...
http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/gallery/album1/large/oriole-img_3853-061207.jpg

[Momtothefurmonsters]

Wow Mitch, great shots! I love the colors and composition. The shots were worth getting up early for!

[canonloader]

Thanks Mom. And I have many more since I posted these. Getting up early is a new thing for me, but I will be doing it more often. I have a Flash slideshow of some more Orioles if anyone wants to see them, here (http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/baltimore_orioles.html).

Another benefit to early rising is I just got a bunch of shots of a Cedar Waxwing, scouting out my Cherry tree.

[wlaramie]

Great series, Mitch, both here and on your site. I have yet to see an Oriole but I'm looking forward to my first time.

[Miniflash]

Mitch you must realy love birds to get up that early to catch the worm ..hehe ..good luck ..and great shots

[canonloader]

Thansk Bill and Deb. Bill, they sound similar to a Robin. You'll probably hear them before you see them.

Deb, don't tell anyone, but I got up early to pepper a squirrel with a BB gun, that has been messing with my feeders. Shhhhh.... :D

But, I do love the birdies. No explanation or apology, they have wormed their way into my soft old heart. ;)

[sugarzebra]

Great series Mitch and you are so fortunate to have the birds coming to you....your hard work is paying off, as is your dedication to get up early to get the shot.

[canonloader]

Thanks Scott. I have to agree, it's dedication to getting shots of this bird. I almost gave up, but it's just too much fun trying to figure out their habits and find a way to bring them in. In the couple hours since I shot these, he has been back 3 times and let me get some more shots. So maybe this broke the ice. He sees it doesn't hurt to get his picture taken. :)

[rrdjserv@earthlink.net]

Lovely shots! Beautiful color! --Rick

[canonloader]

Thanks Rick. Aside from Eagles, I think these Orioles are my most sought after birds to shoot. :)

[Momtothefurmonsters]

Great series on the slideshow, Mitch. My goal is to eventually, some day, be able to get these type of shots...I've still got A LOT to learn. 80) We used to see Cedar Waxwings in our yard all the time while I was growing up, but I haven't seen on in years. Can't wait to see yours!

[canonloader]

Cedar Waxwings, as far as I have seen, only eat berries. At least that's the only thing I have seen them interested in. The problem is, they fly in colonys and can strip a tree in an hour or two. So that means, strip the tree and fly on and it will be next year before they come back to that tree. I have some other trees scoped out in the neighborhood, but it's going to be pure luck to catch them in any given tree. :)

[Cooper911]

Excellent series here. Vibrant colours, sharp focus, varied compositions. I like them all. Tremendous work. Congratulations.

[Cooper911]

One question. Are you shooting through a closed window? If you are, my hat is off to you. Assuming RAW and PP? Please say yes.

[canonloader]

Thanks Cooper. And the answer is no. I don't shoot through any glass that isn't attached to my lens. :)

What I have here is my yard set up with feeders and just some old odd sticks I grabbed last time I was in the woods. I put them in the ground in very well thought out positions where I can sit in my window and shoot towards the sticks when there are birds on them. It's all planned out so the sun is at my back in the AM and left side during the middle of the day. In late PM, it's in my face, but we have a big hill to the West that blocks the sun after about 7PM in the evening.

And yes, I only shoot in RAW now, and do all the light, exposure and color correction in Adobe Camera RAW, then save out the full frame jpg's. I then open the jpg's I want to show and do the croppage, shadows and highlights and sharpening in CS2. In CS2, I use Adobe Bridge to batch rename and preview any shots that are not keepers and delete them right off. :)

[Sharpy]

Another excellent series Mitch, I could do with some of those sticks over here - they sure do work well!
Regards Alan.

[canonloader]

Thanks Alan. They sure do work and the birds seem to love them. This Oriole is the high point of my summer so far, well, maybe he's equal to the Cedar Waxwing I shot just after he left, but I am stoked right now from getting so many good images of this bird out in the open. I just put up a whole bunch of new ones on my site. 60 Oriole images up there now in a Flash slideshow if you want to look. :)

http://www.freeassociationblog.com/Slideshows/orioles/baltimore_orioles.html

[pttenn]

Beautiful shots!
Karen

[canonloader]

Thanks Karen. I don't know what to do now. I guess wait for the Waxwings to come back, but after that, what else is there for yard birds? :)

I have a plan for this stuffed mouse, a ball of string and bald eagles, but I don't know if it's going to work. :mrgreen:

[PacAce]

Nice oriole picture. :)

So, that's the secret, huh? I'm a late waker and I've always wondered why I had never seen orioles in my back yard. Did you need to use a flash for your pictures or did you have enough light?

[Adi7r]

Wow, great series Mitch. Lovely colourful looking bird.

[canonloader]

Thanks Leo and Adi. I probably should have used flash, as the sun wasn't up over the hills yet, but since this was the first day I saw him close, it's probably better that I didn't. Don't want to scare him away. He seems much more relaxed now, and came back a number of times and has for sure found the grape jelly. Morning may just be his time. It sure isn't mine, but I will be up early again tomorrow to see if he comes back and brings his Waxwing buddy.

So, no flash, and I had enough light at slow shutter speeds, which is a very misunderstood technique and always underused. In fact, I have made a study of using slow shutter speeds in the recent past and now have hundreds of keepers I never would have even tried to take before. Birds only look like they are in constant motion, but they aren't at all. When they are not moving, they are perfectly still and thats when to pop off the shot. ;)

[hTr]

Those may be worth getting up for Mitch, Beautiful series

[canonloader]

Gary, the truth is, I got some better ones just after posting these. Ooops.... they are in my flash site. :)

[clivingston]

Very nice work Mitch !!!!

[downywp]

Very nice, clearly well worth getting up early to shoot this beautiful guy(and I do mean with a camera;)) I also think early morning light is the best for colours, the only thing better is to pray for high clouds.:)

[canonloader]

Thanks Chris and Downy. As nice as these are, I just now got the female in evening light. This has been a very good day for my yard birds. :)

[rw2]

He must have stayed for awhile. I noticed that you exposure time varied from 1/60 to 1/640. At 5 in the morning I would expect the 1/60 but not the 1/640. I also like being out early mainly for the water fowl, best time of the day. Great shots!

[canonloader]

Thanks RW. He came back and the sun was just coming over the roof, hitting where he was.

[joayne]

Hey Mitch, Fab series.. Last time I was up at 5am, I was going to bed..:o

Actually last time I was up at 5am I was on my way to take some shots of a guy who is turning all of his property back to natural flora and the fauna has also returned. He takes the trimmings from his trees and *jumbles* the cuttings (branches and sticks) around his feeders. That way when the kestrals, hawks and owls show up the song birds have shelter. It work well for them and it worked well for me as I got some shots of an Oriole and a couple of very colorful birds I can't name!

Thanks for getting up! :rolleyes:

[kenyc]

Great shots Mitch!

and nice setup btw, I have to go out in the wild to find orioles or goldfinches or most anything. :)

KAC

[canonloader]

Thanks Joayne. I will be up early tomorrow too. ;)

[Loonwatcher]

Mitch, I'm up at 5:30 every morning.. but until I have coffee I couldn't tell you if my camera was on or off.. good luck tomorrow. I'll look for your results.

Naomi

[canonloader]

Naomi, give me a half hour and come back and check out the female I just shot tonight. They are even better shots. ;)

[joayne]

Mitch, you are such a tease :rolleyes:

[canonloader]

I know. I am stoked. I have never had such a good day shooting birds. And in my own yard. :)