Baiting birds?

Heya,

I guess I should clarify, this is just a feeder in my field, I'm thinking of making a large feeder platform where I can hide and just take photos of whatever decides to come along and eat seeds and peanuts.

So I'm thinking of building a small platform to place bait in the form of seeds and what-not. I've thought about taking it to a bigger level though, not just for tweety birds, but for some buzzards or anything that tend to hang in this area too. I've thought about building a little raised platform out of wood, and place it in my 5 acre field in a way that gives me access from the East & West so best use natural light, and feed for general birds, but also feed for the buzzards (gruesome chore, but hey, what else do you do other than travel the highway and look for what they're eating).

Anyone ever done something like this and care to share their experience? This is strictly to observe and photograph.

I'm thinking of a 2x2 footprint on a post out of treated lumber. Then just decorate with some old cypress limbs and what not so it's not completely tacky looking.

Edit/Update: Nevermind about buzzards. Not going to lay out meat nor drag up road kill to feed them. Plus they're a raptor and protected I think. I'll just take opportunity when I see them cleaning up a local deer/hog on the side of the road I guess.

Very best,

Sounds interesting. If I had lots of acres with woods, I probably setup some blinds to capture wildlife.

I think its a great Idea maybe hollowed out deadwood fill it with seed, peanuts, and things maybe even rig you up a strobe or two.....

Yeah, with it being your land, you have tons of options at your disposal. I wish I had some land like that.

I have a very small area dedicated to photographing the backyard birds that visit. The one thing I've learned doing a set-up like this is keeping it simple. They aren't attracted to a platform, they're attracted to the food/water you put out for them so my feeding station is basic...either a stump that I place a mealwrom dish on or just a feeder with sticks placed near-by for the birds to land on before going to the bird feeder. The birds will get used to coming in to feed at the feeding station over time...they also like to have some sort of cover near-by like a tree or bush so they can hide in and scan the area before going out into the open...something else to consider when setting yours up.

As far as buzzards and such I often pick up road kill that doesn't make it across the street and place it towards the end of my property near a small patch of woods. I've seen too many idiots almost take out a vulture while they try to feed on the roadkill so to eliminate them possibly becoming road kill themselves I remove it from the road and put it in a safer place....the vultures will eventually find it. I don't do this often though because the last thing I want my yard to become is a communal roost for vultures...they are quite messy.

Much like Duane states above:
I would suggest not building a large platform, but rather place "natural looking" perches nearby. These would create a more photogenic scene than a clunky piece of wood.

You may not attract buzzards, but Cooper's Hawks, et al are attracted to feeders because they prey on song birds.

edit:
Yes I know this is my first post here, but I've been lurking for a while

Heya,

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have a young oak tree in a corner of my 5 acres. I was thinking of making a 2x2 platform simply so I would have something raised off the ground, to then put things on (mainly to help keep it off the ground, it's a hay field, so it will be overrun with 2 foot tall hay grass in the summer/fall. That also gives me a place to then place feeders, bowls, whatever, on it. I merely wanted to decorate it with wood a bit to look almost like outside furniture. The birds can perch in the oak tree that will be next to it. I have access from East & West sides for the light. If I use this place, the late day will be the most natural light since there is another oak tree line holding up the East side of my property. I may have to do flash from the East if I go that route (and probably will have to, they are more active in the morning than at sunset).

Just trying to find a way to have some birds to shoot here and there, when I'm not hiking, to keep practice and not having to drive off to find them. I live out in the sticks, so going anywhere is a chore. I like going to Cedar Key, local to me. But still, it's an hour affair to go anywhere basically, but I don't mind it, but it would be nice to have the ability to shoot some tweets on days when I can't leave.

Very best,

Feeding stations are a great idea so go for it. I personally don't have sufficient land, but I'm hoping to talk some farmers I know in to letting me borrow a corner somewhere for a feeding station and reflecting pool setup.

Heya,

Update. Weather was horrible for so long. Finally was nice and clear, so I cut up some treated lumber and got some sapporlings with good perch branches and made a feeder station. Used a baking tray and raised it with bolts with water drain holes drilled through (so I can remove it and clean when needed). It's placed under a big oak in my front yard, in the middle of 5 acres.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12181​053863/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12180​887725/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12180​827325/

You may want to consider leaving your blind out now that way they will know it from the start.

That should work fine, given time, you'll see a lot of birds there, any time there's free food, you'll eventually get birds, and possums, and raccoons, and birds that you don't want, but that's part of it. heh

One suggestion that may help you some, instead of screwing (or attaching) limbs to the wood, try using PVC pipe, that way you can have several different sizes of pipe that will accept different sizes of limbs, and all you do it slip it in. You may want to have a screw or something that will keep the limb from turning around if it's windy though, to keep its position.

One more, try to make the branches look more 'natural', instead of cutting them up, try not to cut them so they look like 'man' was there, you can break them off to make it look more natural, that's what I do. Usually, I find a limb that only needs the leaves stripped, that way I don't have any tell-tale signs of 'me'. heheh

O.K., my last one...
I have a man-made water feature in my backyard, I actually have 3, but my main one I use for shooting birds is right outside my kitchen window. I can shoot through my window and get pretty good shots that otherwise I wouldn't get. To be honest, I don't have the room you do, I live in the suburbs, and I only wish I have 5 acres like you, I'd go crazy, heheh (I only have 60 feet by 60 feet to play with, and most of that is large trees)
2 years ago my wife and I went to Lowes, (any home store similar will do though probably) and bought some pond liner, we used that to make a smallish water feature for the birds, and also for us. We planted all kinds of natural things around it, and we love it, but the birds love it even more!
We have Oklahoma moss rock around it, some small boulders, and have a small fountain in it to let the birds know it's 'safe' water. (You can bury the extension cord under the ground to hide that) It was a week-end DIY thing, and it was fun too. Using this, you are able to not only enjoy the thing yourself, but you can get a LOT of very good shots of them (all kinds of birds) bathing, drinking, and generally just congregating around that area. My feeder is about 4 feet away and I have a lot of cover also so they can hide if a predator comes. Oh yeah, I also have some smallish logs that I saved after cutting down some limbs, I use them as something for the birds to land on to make the shots look their best.

You can really go as far as you need to, all depending on how much you want to do, but any water definitely helps bring in the birds, I sometimes have them lined up to take bath, Winter or Summer.

Hopefully this helps some, I know you'll have some shots soon.

Randy

recrisp wrote in post #16643663

You can really go as far as you need to, all depending on how much you want to do, but any water definitely helps bring in the birds, I sometimes have them lined up to take bath, Winter or Summer.
Hopefully this helps some, I know you'll have some shots soon.
Randy

All great ideas Randy. The only thing stopping me from a pond and waterfall is that I'd also attract everything else, like raccoons, that I don't want around.

Ian,

I'm with you on that, although I have had raccoons in my backyard and (*my larger) pond, I don't want them back, they are too dangerous, plus, they are into everything, as I'm sure you know.
Plus, you have it ALL up there anyway, I always love seeing what you're going to show next, out of all of the people on the forum, I envy your place more than anybody.

Randy

Heya,

Thanks for the suggestions, all of which will slowly work in over time. I love the idea of a PVC holder to just change out the limbs as needed/wanted. I like that. I used screws so that I can back out and use other stuff later. I like the idea of a mobile setup.

I'm going to avoid the water feature, at least at ground level, for now. I may do a bird water dish that is raised. I live in areas with tons of wild life and they will take up shop at a water hole, and I don't need the raccoons destroying everything (which they do).

I'll eventually get some flowers and all planted around and more things made. This is just the first push into making a bird/bug sanctuary.

I'll set up the blind later, I have to get it first. Figured I'd start feeding for a while before bothering them. Then if I see they are really showing up often and regular, I'll introduce a blind. Let that sit a while. Then see about taking some photos. I have to work it slow since I work and have a new baby and all that.

Very best,

MalVeauX wrote in post #16642392
Heya,

Update. Weather was horrible for so long. Finally was nice and clear, so I cut up some treated lumber and got some sapporlings with good perch branches and made a feeder station. Used a baking tray and raised it with bolts with water drain holes drilled through (so I can remove it and clean when needed). It's placed under a big oak in my front yard, in the middle of 5 acres.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12181​053863/
DPP_0619 by Mwise1023, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12180​887725/
DPP_0623 by Mwise1023, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/mwise1023/12180​827325/
DPP_0622 by Mwise1023, on Flickr

The feed is laid out.

Hopefully over the next few days, the birds and other critters will start knowing it's there and visit often. Once I see it being frequented often, I'll setup a blind. I'll let them establish that it's a safe hole before I start getting close with a camera.

The goal is to photograph tweets as they perch on the little limbs above the tray.

Very best,

Sorry buddy but this is not a good design. As many of you will find out. Feeders attracts squirrels. And they will consume bird food like there is no tomorrow. Got to get these things way up on metal poles. Needs to be pretty high and even then its no guarantee. Some of the really brave ones will figure out a way.