Little Bird . . .

[RJSorensen]

I am just so envious of all of you whom are able to take such nice photographs of the 'small' birds. So I took up the challenge and decided to try something 'new' in addition to my standard waterfowl, deer, elk, moose portfolio. So . . . BigMa/20D in hand, or rather in tow, I staked out a spot where I had noticed small birds 'flirting' around. This is the fruit of my mornings work . . . I won't tell you how many I shot and there was nothing in the frame . . . I can hear some of the laughter from out there now. Those whom can do this deserve a lot more credit than I was aware. Let me give that to you now . . .

Anyway I need tips on how to get them to 'light' and or perch with the 'other' side towards me. If you know what I am saying.

[IanBMW]

So sharp its unbelievable. Nice shot, altho too bad the bird is facing the other way. :P

[RockOne]

I won't tell you how many I shot and there was nothing in the frame . . . I can hear some of the laughter from out there now.

That sums up shooting small birds in one sentance. They NEVER sit still. :-) :-). You did a good job on this one - from the look of the tree he may have been frozen to the spot :-)

[Mills]

I like it. Won't let you forget it is winter.

[RJSorensen]

LOL, thank you guys . . . I guess I could do like everyone else around here and 'claim' that I wanted it posed this way for creative purposes . . . and thus title it "On My Way." & etc. et al.

But I won't. It was the best I could do for the morning. Zoomed out to 500mm and shaking like a leaf, not from the cold mind you (though it was) but from the excitement that I might get a shot that would let me in the 'small' bird' league with the big guys/gals.

I guess I could crop it tighter . . . but wanted to show the frost crystals and frozen berries and etc. Nonetheless it is nice to have a good sense of humor when looking for "Little Birds."

[IanD]

RJ,
I've been trying for years to get the little buggers to face thye "other" way. As a matter of fact, I've been trying to get just about all animals/birds to face the "other" way. When you discover the secret, please let me know:):):):)
Nice shot, BTW.

[IanD]

RJ,
I've been trying for years to get the little buggers to face the "other" way. As a matter of fact, I've been trying to get just about all animals/birds to face the "other" way. When you discover the secret, please let me know:):):):)
Nice shot, BTW.
*edit* Nuts, double post. mods, wanna nuke one of them for me? Thanks.

[Reigh Higgins]

Looks like a female American Goldfinch

[murwille]

RJ,

This little guy is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. The "crown" only consists of a couple of feathers that are usually buried under the other green feathers and is almost never seen outside of times it is displaying for a "sweetheart" in the spring. It does look somewhat like a goldfinch, but notice the white eye ring. It's smaller than a goldfinch and usually darts around high up in trees. When the leaves are on the the trees, these guys are almost impossible to observe. They seem to hide under the leaves almost all the time! You were lucky to capture a photo of one!

Mark Urwiller

[RJSorensen]

I was a little ashamed to 'not' know the type of bird I captured to compact flash card, (I used to say film!). But as noted I am new to the small bird world . . . I, lol, might have to get a birder book? Anyway my thanks to those whom so kindly let me get by with posting the 'backside' of my Ruby Crowned Kinglet/American Goldfinch and or whatever it is.

One might have as good of luck getting a shot by setting up a random timer sequence aimed toward a branch . . . And, lol, I don't know if I should tell this or not, BUT I tried to rotate the selected bird in Photoshop CS 180*, but it did not help . . .

[Solo175]

RJ,

If I were able to capture such a thing with that much clarity, I would be doing cartwheels. You should be very proud of yourself. If you did that before breakfast and believed you could do it, the other 5 things should be a piece of cake ;) .

By the time I have set up my camera in decent weather, the little birds have flocked off :lol: .

Happy Shooting

[sparker1]

I think it's a great shot, no matter how many misses there were. I prefer shooting rocks, mountains, lakes, etc, since they usually stay still for me. Birds are a challenge.

[Scottes]

Anyway I need tips on how to get them to 'light' and or perch with the 'other' side towards me. If you know what I am saying.

I kinda cheat:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39558

A bunch of us put together some wildlife tips. I'd say that you're used to most of them, and could probably add your own, but maybe something will spark you: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=42510


But mostly I just try to pick a spot where the sun is right and then just stand very still....

[TammieO]

Great post. I think all of us have more than a few pictures where the animal turned the other way or ran away. At least yours is well composed and in focus. Just tell everyone you took it so you could learn to identify birds from all angles.

[RJSorensen]

Thank you Tammie . . . Scottes, you had me out in the cold till my mustache turned white with frost, which, btw it seems to have stayed, when all this time you were using a Super Feeder System 9000 XKE? LOL! I guess I showed what I know . . . Well all-righty then, MINE was taken in the wilds. I showed the wife and I perhaps will try same. You learn more than photo tricks here . . . thanks again all.

[Scottes]

...when all this time you were using a Super Feeder System 9000 XKE? LOL!
ROFL!

I *do* have plenty in the wild, but I learned many tricks with SuperFeeder! An hour with SF9000 is worth 10 or 20 in the wild. You learn to watch for the light and background debris and - very most importantly - how the birds move and what they're going to do. You learn to be still, and to move the lens slowly. You'll learn little movements that mean they're going to fly, and other little mannerisms that mean they're going to stay.


BTW, here's my in-the-wild shot of a Ruby Crowned Kinglet, and my comments from the original post:

So I spent 14 minutes tracking this little bugger. I must have aimed 40 times, maybe more. This little thing bounced around like a ping pong ball in a bingo cage. Zip! Zap! Zipzip! Pow! BoingBoingBoingZipPow!

I took two pictures when it sat still for about 11 milliseconds. Here's one.

http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/justabird3147.jpg (http://www.itsanadventure.com/postimages/justabird3147.jpg)

This ain't an easy bird... :wink:

[mblanton]

RJ

Can you tell me more about the lens you were using? I might get one for my 10D.

Mike

[marie]

I love the white fluffy effects (pretend that's what you wanted ..as you say)http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif around the beautiful bird

makes it a very unusual shot .

really really nice

:cool:

lovely shot Scotte

[RJSorensen]

Mblanton . . . I am using a friends BigMa, it is a Sigma 50-500 it is a little on the slow side f/wise but seems to take good pictures if one can hold the heavy thing still AND there is enough light. If you search for BigMa or the noted lens, I think you will find a few reviews and or posts as did I. Our very own CDS left one out there in cyberspace that has me holding out for a Canon 100-400 with 1.4 extender when and if needed. If you check the main forum there are a couple of current threads regarding this lens choice as well. It is hard to decide I know that.

Marie, thank you for picking up on my artist use of what I have to cover for what I wanted . . . I think that I shall NOT spend the better part of a day stalking birds that are no bigger than a first bite. I need to 'stalk' manly birds, lol. At least until I get my own SF-9000 up and running. I should have known that I was being taken in . . . lol, live and learn, my mom always said, as I gave her plenty of excuses to quote me that one.

Scotter . . . until I get even and my own SF-9000 . . . lol, thanks for the tips and what the rest of said 'Little Bird' looked like . . . how fun. And thus you know how hard I worked, and you laughed all the more.

Thanks again my little birdizza friends.

[Scottes]

Scotter . . . until I get even and my own SF-9000 . . . lol, thanks for the tips and what the rest of said 'Little Bird' looked like . . . how fun. And thus you know how hard I worked, and you laughed all the more.

Yes, I laughed. I laughed like hell remembering what I went through to get that shot I posted! 14 minutes trying to follow and focus on that little guy! That bird was probably my most frustrating photography experience yet.

And when I got home I spent about a half hour flipping through Sibley's and I couldn't identify it!

And if you think SuperFeeder is easy, think again. Well, sometimes it most certainly is easier, but try to get a nuthatch focused and still. Or try to get a BlueJay to stay still when you move the camera 1/4 inch. You'd think it would be easy, wouldn't you?

OK, OK, it is easier, but then you get tired of the easy stuff like the chickadees and then you spend 40 minutes waiting for a woodpecker to turn around...

It's never easy.....

[TammieO]

Rj and Scottes,
The couple of times I got to use the 100-400 on small birds, I seem to be at the 400mm end and wishing for a little more length. Do you find this also, or have I just not learned to creep up on them enough like it says to in the "tips" thread?
I'm only 5' tall and all wildlife runs from me. I'm developing a complex...

[RJSorensen]

LOL, Tammie . . . I can't speak for Scottes (whom seems to be and expert) but I find that even the lens I am using which goes out to 500mm is too short. With a 100-400 and hunting birds, I would add a 1.4 extender and focus by hand. At least that is what I think I will end up doing. The weight of the Sigma BigMa 50-500 is pretty hefty. It is all my wife can do to hand hold it. It needs a tripod for best results. CDS, is pretty good with this subject and has or had "all" of the lens in this range that I have been looking at and or thinking of, including the 75-300 DO Canon. My shot, even being just the 'back side' was more luck than skill I hope you know. I think the way to do it is as Scottes and others have worked up. I am very eager to try this method and see what I can get. I am so bad off for little birds that I will shoot anything . . . lol, for the time being.

So Tammie, don't get a complex, get a long lens and a bag of seed. Like the pros . . .

[TammieO]

Do you think we could get arrested if we put something in the bird seed to slow the birds down?

[Scottes]

If an expert is one who learns from his mistakes and others' mistakes, then maybe I'm an expert. But I don't think so yet. Art Morris still hasn't called me for advice. :-)

Rule #1 of Bird Photography: Your lens is not long enough.

I'm stuck for now with 400mm and it never seems to be long enough for me, especially because I love the frame-filling close-ups. So I did a lot of reading on hunting, tracking, and birding. I quickly realized many things that I was doing wrong and started working on doing things the way the experts said. They're right. So many of my tips are the things they taught me and that I've found work for me.

But a longer lens means more to lug around, too. The Sigma 50-500 is about the extreme for hand-holding I'd say, and it's a notch below the Canon 400mm L prime for AF speed, sharpness, and contrast. Not that the "Bigma" is a bad lens at all, but the Canon 400 is just a little bit better, and a lot lighter and smaller so it's easier to maneuver. So I do my best to move closer.


Tammie, if wildlife runs from you then try to stay still and let them come to you. Seed helps, but note that many places (like all National Wildlife Refuges I think) consider wildlife feeding to be illegal. Many places have no such rules. In my opinion this is not a bad thing to do since birds will never become dependent on the seed, and if you're using seed it healthy and nutritious. (People who feed bread to gulls & ducks drive me crazy! Try some corn!)

It can also be tough to get a shot without the obviously-planted food in the shot, so it takes some planning and preparation. If you just toss seed around it will probably end up in the picture and you'll be forced to clone it out. I would find a way to place a small pile of feed behind something so it's out of frame. Plan the location so there's limited landing spots nearby - the birds will usually feed by flying in, landing somewhere for an extremely short time and then they'll grab the food and fly off. If they have many options to land near the seed then you'll constantly be chasing them with the lens and you'll be lucky to get some good shots. So pick a location with only a few landing spots - a single choice is best if you can manage that.

One story I read from an expert... He took half an orange and stuck it on a long branch that had only one short branch that could be used as a landing station. He stuck the branch in the ground a short way from some bushes and he hid behind the bushes placing the sun behind him and off to the side. When a bird came to feed it had one choice for a landing spot, the bird was facing into the sun and the photographer got a nice 45-degree sidelighting on the bird. Since he pre-focused on that one landing branch he was very well prepared. 3 oranges and a couple hours later he had some very amazing pics.

As the tips thread said, camoflauge is always a good thing. But the best camoflauge is being still. A ghillie suit won't do a thing if you're constantly twitching or moving around to get comfortable. Movement is the main thing that scares wildlife. I've had no problem having birds land within 10 feet if I stand still for 5 minutes, but even 10 feet is too far for a small bird, so I always hope for closer. I once had a staring match with a robin that landed 2 feet away at eye level - I just watched him, since moving the lens would have caused him to fly.

The most important tip I can give is: Location. Find out where the birds are and go there. Often. Learn the site - where the birds are, when they'll be around, where the sun will be, and the predominant wind direction. ID the birds - even crappy pictures pictures will help - and learn a bit about them.


But... I've never used food, nor camoflauge. I've been doing this for less than a year, and I was getting some very nice pics after a couple/few months of following the tips. I'm really no expert - I just learned from experts. But if a big, clumsy, city-dweller like me can do it, then I'm sure that ANYONE can do it.

[AFCop]

. . . Scottes, you had me out in the cold till my mustache turned white with frost, which, btw it seems to have stayed, when all this time you were using a Super Feeder System 9000 XKE?

I know this thread is a little old, but had to add my 2C. I think the key is the size of your subject,:wink: not just the use of the SFS 9000 XKE and a long lens.

Here is a shot with the 18-55mm (not heavy at all) using an older model GF-1000 to lure them in.:rolleyes:

It was funny watching this guy jump up and whack the feeder to knock more seed to the ground.

[RJSorensen]

LOL, hey you got to know the 'tricks of the trade' to get your shots. Nice looking turkey, did you have him in for dinner last Thanksgiving?

[TammieO]

AFCop,
That is a priceless attachement to this thread!

[Scottes]

ROFL! Nice work!

[AFCop]

AFCop,
That is a priceless attachement to this thread!

Thanks! Seemed fitting with all the feeder talk. Took this at my parents place in July 04. These guys are regular visitors to thier feeders. Mom's got a pair of Cardinals that visit daily as well, however they're extremly skiddish. Only shot I've gotten of them is a bright red blur just to the left of the feeder!:mad:

[DocFrankenstein]

What about blinking? I know turkey hunters have a problem with that.

If they blink, the turkey turns off.

Scottes - did u blink when staring at the robin?

[Richard51]

The other day I took 160 something shots of a pileated woodpecker. You know that great big one with the big "spike" on his head. He was tearing a stump all to pieces in my back yard and I ended up deleting ALL of the pics. Just couldn't get one with his head up that was a decent pic. Got plenty of "butt" shots, .......BORING!!!! Birds are just hard to photograph. But I keep trying!!
Nice shots.
Richard

[AdamG]

Great picture, RJS! I like your feeder system; I'm going to re-do mine when the weather permits and I might "borrow" your ideas. I have 5 feeders right now but I put them on a clothes line because I kept getting destructive bears when they were on a pole. The thing with the clothes line is that I cannot avoid the white line that they land on. I'm also thinking about creating a dummy of my likeness to put by the feeders to get the birds acustomed to "me" so I can get in a little closer. ;-)

[AdamG]

(ooops, I posted this on one of the other follow up threads...)
Great picture, RJS! I like your feeder system; I'm going to re-do mine when the weather permits and I might "borrow" your ideas. I have 5 feeders right now but I put them on a clothes line because I kept getting destructive bears when they were on a pole. The thing with the clothes line is that I cannot avoid the white line that they land on. I'm also thinking about creating a dummy of my likeness to put by the feeders to get the birds acustomed to "me" so I can get in a little closer.

[MarkoPolo]

This photo is the 100-400, plus the 1.4 TC, PLUS the Kenko C-AF 1-2X TC. It worked better than I had hoped. Needs to be pretty bright light, but I'm confident it gives me a long reach without reaching long in my wallet.:lol: