Shots of feeder/perch arrangements?

[booju]

I would like to enlist the help of our forum members who shoot bird photography from home...

I was thinking it would make a fine sticky for us new guys who are just getting started! I think it would be a fascinating thread...

Please provide...

1) City, State, or Country

2) Photo(s) of your feeder(s), perch(s), bath(s), etc.. and any other props you use in RELATIONSHIP to your shooting area...including your tripod set-up with camera mounted if able to...

* I believe it is a chance to marvel at what some of our most gifted and talented bird photographers go through in order to capture the shots we have been enjoying for such a long time!

The IMPORTANCE here is in showing the relationship to the camera set-up to the shooting zone...

Living in a small modest home just outside of the city and with homes being so close in proximity as they are here in Hawaii I sometimes think that everybody who calls in their birds live on half-acre grandiose properties...

I only have a very small backyard and an unattractive wood fence so I guess I need to shoot and angle my shots toward the sky to get a nice background...I am more than willing to do that now that I decided to get set-up....

However I thought it would be really cool to have our members SHARE several photos of their set-ups and the MYSTERY of their location in sucessfully shooting our feathery friends in whom we are much fascinated with and spend lots of money and time and effort shooting!

May this be a pleasure for all of us to view as you welcome us to your home outside of your home!

Also, please share a few important tips in creating a set-up, i.e., why you chose this particular location in terms of lighting conditions, different types of food you present for particular species of birds, etc...

Anything you feel you can personally contribute to the success in shooting birds from home...This is a wonderful platform to share your experiences both good and unfavorable...Here is a thread to teach us what works for you and why it works!...Go for it!

Thanks to all for your participation and a chance to so PROUDLY show where it ALL happens....

Aloha!

Roland

[Duane N]

You made me go out and set up again as I was done shooting for the night and downloading the images.

Give me a little bit and I'll edit this post and include the info you're seeking. Great idea! I kinow we have alot of backyard photographers on here and it would be nice to see their set-up.

[booju]

Hehehehe....

I knew you would be a sport!...

Thanks Duane...I knew this would be a very fascinating thread for many of us here as its a chance for each of us to visit the arrangements that many photogs like yourself have masterfully crafted in engaging these wonderful birds!

Thanks buddy!

I can't wait to see this thread grow...I hope the MODS will sticky this one day!

As it sure will be interesting, educating, and inspiring...

Aloha!

Roland

[canonloader]

I saw this gas crunch coming a couple years ago, and with my income, I knew I would not be able to just mindlessly drive around all day and shoot birds. I figured why go to the birds when I live outside of town, surrounded by woods and creeks? Why not bring the birds to me? So I started planning how to do that. There isn't much out there to help you, cause we all live differently and have different abilities.

I live in a trailer park with a small yard. There are no loose dogs or mobs of little kids, but there are wild cats around. I didn't know what to expect when I started, but I knew that my room in the trailer had windows facing West, which worked out pretty good. I could shoot till 2 pm every day, then the sun was in my face. Those were what I had to work with.

I bought one hanging feeder and a Niger Seed tube feeder. I filled them up with Sunflower seeds and Niger seeds and put them up. Nothing. 3 weeks go by and not a single bird. I had hung the feeders under bushes, and didn't think, they can't be seen by any birds flying over. So right away, I put out a flat board on a little wire yard table and put some sunflower seeds and some peanuts on the board, out in the open. I come inside here and was working at my desk, and within ten minutes I had a titmouse and chickadees going for the seeds and peanuts. A few minutes later, a Downy Woodpecker came down, grabbed a seed and took it over the the telephone pole in the yard to open it.

Since then, I have shot 41 species of bird, and seen others, right in my yard. But I only count the ones I got pics of. During winter, I have fully 20 cardinals here, ten male and female pairs, every day, all day. They depend on my sunflower seeds to stay healthy. I also keep water out with a little 25 watt heater in it to keep it thawed. And I save my bacon and burger grease from cooking and put that out for the woodies, nuthatches and the occasional wren. Once you start feeding, especially in cold country, you have to keep feeding, cause the birds come to depend on the food. They have bigger broods in the spring and those birds learn to depend on you. So don't start unless you can keep it going.

I have cut a thin piece of plywood to fit in one of my windows. I raise the window and put this piece in and lower the window onto the top of it. The piece is as wide as the window and 18" tall. In it I cut a little door, 12" wide by 8" tall and use a duct tape hinge. I can close this in really bad weather, when I am not shooting through the hole. This allows me to sit inside in the worst weather and shoot the birds.

Here's a couple of shots of the yard awhile back.




Most telephoto lenses give excellent bokeh when shooting at f/5.6 or f/8. If the yard is only 30 feet wide, put the perching sticks or feeders about 15 feet out from where you shoot from and plan to have 15 feet beyond that of open space. When you set up like that, you focus on the bird, then the background blurs out to undistinguished blurry bokeh. So it doesn't matter what the background is, ugly wooden fence, ugly Coleman canoe, grass or the neighbors stucco wall. And if you crop the shot, the bokeh becomes even better. So don't worry about having a half acre yard.

Pick up some nice perching sticks when your out in the woods. Get new ones often. The birds love new toys, just like kids. A new set of sticks is a special event for them and they will spend an hour just playing around with them. Move them around a little bit, move the feeders, change things for them, they will pay you back with great shots. Push the sticks right into the ground, near the feeders, about a foot or two away, so the feeder is out of the shot. Virtually all birds will land on them first, then hop over to the feeder. Shoot them when they are on the stick. Dress them up too. If you have moss around, put some on the sticks, maybe use pine limbs with needles. Last winter, I put an old X-mass tree in the snow and they loved it. Use your imagination, it's fun.

[booju]

Hey Mitch...

This is AWESOME....

This is EXACTLY the type of info and details that I was looking for...And yes, a picture is worth a thousand words and your diagrams in red is totally incredible! It gives us the layout pure and sweet!

I have to run out for an hour and when I get back I can't wait to read it over again and check for other postings!

Thank you for your support in sharing all of this for ALL of us members here!

This is SUPER Mitch!

[Duane N]

I live on close to 3/4 of an acre in Chesapeake, Virginia and my neighbors property is "L" shaped and is behind mine. He has left it undeveloped so it's basically about 1/2 acre of woods where most of my backyard birds stay.

I have put out the rest of my feeders....two with black oil sunflour seeds (they have a screen around it and keeps the Squirrels at bay), one regular one with black oil sunflour seeds, one tube feeder with Niger seed and of course a Hummingbird feeder up till the first freeze.

I started out photographing birds with a 70-200mm f/4L lens and quickly realized I needed to bring them to me. I read one of Mitchs' replies on here and this is where the idea started about building a 'bird garden'. I started it this spring and will continue to add to it as the years pass. I plan on adding a water feature as the funds allow.

I sit in a chair on my deck about 15' from the pole that holds the feeders. The Hummingbird feeder is off to the right in this pic. I place sticks around the feeder because as Mitch says...the birds tend to land on the stick prior to going to the feeder...good photo opportunities.






One from my view as I'm taking photo's.




I chose to build the garden here because it gives me the best afternoon light. The only problem I have is my other neighbors white house...I didn't think of it as I chose the location. I'm hoping the hedges I planted will fill in in a few years.

During the winter I place sticks/limbs/logs in an area for the ground feeders to root around in....they feel more comfortable having something above them for safety from predators. Of course I spread out mixed seed for them to feed on.

That's pretty much it.

[canonloader]

Yes, not all birds like feeders. In fact, most birds will use anything else first. I have an old work bench in the yard now and just put seeds on top of it. Virtually all the birds prefer it to the feeders. and the cardinals would really rather be on the ground, scratching around in the leaves for their seeds.

[booju]

Thanks Duane!

This is a very beautiful BIRD GARDEN and a tranquil oasis of peace...

I can actually picture you sitting in your chair and handling your camera on that ball-head tripod set-up you got and capturing those shots we've come accustomed to admire here!

Thanks for sharing all the tips too and sharing your experiences here with us!

It looks like I could sit in that environment for hours on end waiting to capture the SHOT(s)...

With a set-up like yours and Mitch's it makes perfect sense to call them in while establishing a solid PLATFORM to capture these stunning images that the both of you consistently share with us all!

This really helps a lot!

Thank you!

Roland

[sf1]

Great thread. Thanks for letting all in on your secrets Canonloader and Duane. Love the look down the barrel.

[booju]

Anyone else that would care to share

We would love to see how you engage your birds to capture those stunning images!

Thanks again to Mitch and Duane for seeing this thread off to a great start....This is just all so fascinating!

[booju]

[Hikin Mike]

Since I'm 'handicapped', I need something close by so I can sit either in the house or on the steps. Beyond the fence is an open orchard. Here's my 'blind' when I was not able to walk. I used my walker and our cover for the grill. It worked!







An action shot:


Now I can walk a bit better so here's a recent shot showing my uncomfortable chair, tripod, 300mm/1.4, hummingbird feeder, regular feeder/stump, old tripod for a perch and reflector.


An action shot:

[Anke]

What a great idea for a thread. Great examples too! Now I just need a garden

[canonloader]

I don't think you even need a garden or yard. People in apartments with balconies could have feeding stations up. It would literally take no more than a flower box type thing, or just some type of perching area for them. Once they know there is food available, they will come to get it.

[Anke]

Originally Posted by canonloader

I don't think you even need a garden or yard. People in apartments with balconies could have feeding stations up. It would literally take no more than a flower box type thing, or just some type of perching area for them. Once they know there is food available, they will come to get it.

I tried that once, but shooting through glass was just awful and having the windows open meant they never came close. Nice to get out and walk to the park though