New to birding, I'm hooked, I bought a feeder, requesting advice!

Ok, I have to admit, I'm officially hooked! After my many encounters with the local Brown Pelicans and Anhingas down by the dock, I've been very excited to see what other feathered friends I can photograph.

My 40D+70-200/4 combo doesn't quite get me close enough to any of the smaller birds around my yard or in the local parks/reservations, and I am not ready to invest in the 400/5.6 yet (but it's next on the list), so I went out and stuck one of those squirrel-be-gone feeders with black sunflower seeds in the yard and I am very excited to see what type of activity I get.

I've got many options to for shooting angles and think the feeder is in a really good place. But I feel like I have to be sitting pretty close for the feeder to fill the frame at 200mm, so I was thinking of getting one of those cheap bird blinds so I can fill the frame with the birds...

Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks in advance!

A couple of the guys have a thread about blinds they've set up on their decks, if you search around the forums a bit. Other options are to put some, more realistic/natural perches near the feeder and then set up on those so that when you catch the birds queuing up or running off to eat in peace, they look less "backyard".

You could also just get your rig set up ahead of time with a wireless remote and then leave the camera near the feeder, framing the area you want to capture and triggering it remotely when your subjects arrive.

Agree with the above advice.

I spend a lot of time in my backyard and the birds are kind of used to me being out there. As long as I don't make any sudden movements (I use a tripod 100% of the time in the backyard) they kind of ignore me. I haven't tried to fill the frame using a 200mm lens (I probably could though if I pushed things) but I think once they get used to you you will be surprised at how many birds will tolerate you sitting near them.

I think some sort of portable blind would be the perfect set-up for getting close to them. They might scare from the sound of the shutter closing but they'll get used to it eventually.

Good luck.

Duane touches on something else, there, too. Just spend time out with the birds; if you have a feeder that you keep stocked regularly, you will begin to attract repeat customers. If you spend enough time with them, they'll become accustomed to your presence and movements (if you keep them slow enough). At that point, you can probably start to get around a bit and frame stuff up.

But, that's the "long game", if you will

Yeah, the birds do get used to you, well some species do. There are always going to be some types of birds that are naturally nervous and spook easily. Most of my regular species are used to me and the camera, so I can be out in the open just a few feet from the feeders and they won't be put off. In fact, they know it is me that puts out the food so as soon as I show my face, some of the birds come to me to be fed, a few will even take food from my hand. It can be really quiet out there by mid morning when the food is running low, but as soon as I go out to top the feeders up, the birds start arriving in large numbers as they know the treats are going out.

I second the suggestion for adding a few twigs and branches around the place, where you typical shooting position will find a good background. My woodpeckers are really skittish and won't tolerate me outside when they are feeding, but an old dead branch just outside my living room window has got me some great 'pecker portraits (shot through the window) that look totally natural.

I'm still very much in the learning process of taking great full frame photos of birds myself but can pass on some things that help me get very close to birds in Northern Mo. As stated before, some birds will allow your close proximity more readily than others and the more they become accustomed to you the easier it should become.
Some things to try until you buy a longer lens, keep all movement very slow, wear dark or drab colors, try to break up your outline, if you have a large tree try sitting with your back against it facing the birds. For me a blind is very helpful for the most wary birds, for economy and to see if you want to continue, try using an appliance box obtained free from a local appliance store. You can cut shooting holes anywhere you like, modify it in any way, throw it away and start over at anytime. The box blind will soon let you know if you might want to purchase a camo pop up blind in the future.The blinds are also helpful for me to shield from the cold winds we have in winter here, in your case the hot Florida sunshine.
Most of my birds, especially those low in pecking order will fly in, grab a sunflower seed and go to a close perch to open it, so a couple of perches 10 feet or so from the feeder may be where you get the best shots anyway and can give a more realistic shot that the pros on here are always getting.
My most difficult small bird has been the Tufted Titmouse, they never sit still and do not stay at a feeder, they grab a seed and go to a nearby perch to be alone.
At my place some birds come in early and late in the day but seldom while there is real good light, others may show at anytime and all day long,so one has to stay as prepared to shoot as you can be.
WARNING! When I bought my DSLR, it was for documenting places I travel and family photos, wasn't overly concerned about great quality. Saw the pics on here in the Wildlife and Bird section, was so impressed when viewing them and learned a great deal from helpful people that I started "practicing" on my birds. Soon found myself buying the 150-500, a monopod, tripod and I have a very long ongoing wish list, all of which seems to be very expensive. Hope you enjoy shooting birds as much as I have and please share your experience.
BTW, for me the black sunflower seed is the best all around seed I've used so you should be well on your way to having several dependents showing up in your yard soon.

Heya,

I'm in the same boat. Limited by my 70-200mm.

I'm building a big flat feeder in my yard. I have 5 acres. I have an oak out front that will act as a roost/perch with the feeder near it, with open field to the east/west so I can use the light throughout the day to nab photos of birds without flash (but will also try flash too); mainly for focus purposes. You have to really be close to do anything with 200mm. I find when I'm in Cedar Key, I can walk up on most of the Gulls & Pelicans. They really just are used to people near our docks and you can get within 10 feet of them no problem. But those photos are not that great, since they're on the dock and usually other people there. They're mostly there trying to steal bait or get fresh catches.

My next move other than a feeder/bait station is to get a Kenko PRO 300 teleconverter. I'm going to start with a doubler, the 2.0x. It retains autofocus even on the F4L lens. I can't afford the 400mm F5.6L myself yet, and I consider the upcoming 600mm from Tamron, but with a newbord I can't justify dropping a bunch of money on a single big lens right now. I can however slip a teleconverter through the cracks. Maybe something to consider if you're also very much bound to the lenses you have. Set up a feeder in good light, and maybe look into the 1.4 and 2.0 teleconverters by Kenko PRO 300 series. They allow autofucos still, are good Hoya glass, and very affordable.

Very best,

First question. What is your backyard like (trees etc.)? Do you have a deck, screened porched? With only 200mm it will be a little bit tougher because you will need to be a bit closer, but doable.

Here's one option. Find you an old tree limb (root etc. -something kind of thick for drilling holes) and drill some holes in them and place some seeds in it (facing away) and also stuff it with peanut butter that way you'd get some woodpeckers, nuthatches, wrens to visit. If your feeder has many entry points, you need to cover some, so they come to the side where you can get the photo. Definitely place some natural perches around, but don't give them too many places to perch that way while one bird is waiting it's turn, the others will perch and wait their turn and there's your shot, plus you'd be all over the place trying to capture an image. The birds are so used to my backyard that they bring the young'ns to feed and I often get great shots of the little ones, too. Then they become regulars. I like to work in the backyard when I can't get out to the woods.

Oh man, there are many tips and tricks for some backyard bird photography.

I have more suggestions once I know how your back yard is setup.

Good tips and setup here


Al

This shot I got using my shed as a hide: