Post your Bird Portraits

My experience with the birds here is, that they keep searching for food themselves, they come for a snack in between, or when there is really hardly any food to find because of the drought, they come regularly. We did help survive that way three young magpies, now after the rain they don't come for food, instead we see them catching worms etc. So in return they help us to get rid of bugs.

Same thing everywhere I think.

Cormorant out at the park today..... I think he was lost.

Maureen Souza wrote in post #18277932
Cormorant out at the park today..... I think he was lost.

Hosted photo: posted by Maureen Souza in
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forum: Birds

That eye really pops out! Nice shot of it!

Pondrader wrote in post #18277871
Duane are you saying you believe animals that are baited loose their ability to hunt for them selves ?? And I believe you are experiencing something millions just can't rap their heads around. Man and beast can interact and both come away better for it. I do it all the time with many critter's. But I spend all my time between food sources and the subject I'm interested in shooting. But I'm not one who believes the baited animals can no longer fend for themselves.

No, that's not what I'm saying (after re-reading my initial post I guess you could think that by the way I worded it). I have issues with people who don't put in the time and effort for photographs and resort to baiting their subjects just to get the shot they're after or to satisfy clients who paid them for a "workshop" then pass them off as legit images. I have "baited" this hawk once with road kill that it was eyeing and instead of it potentially getting struck by a vehicle I moved the road kill into a field...it took her 2 hours to go down to the rabbit and feed.

But you have to question the photographer who charges $1500 to photograph Snowy Owls and brags about the fact they had 80 feedings over a 3-4 day period. Makes you think how much survival the owl is really experiencing having this done to it. That's an extreme example of what you thought I was thinking about baiting but it is done.

Duane N wrote in post #18278051
No, that's not what I'm saying (after re-reading my initial post I guess you could think that by the way I worded it). I have issues with people who don't put in the time and effort for photographs and resort to baiting their subjects just to get the shot they're after or to satisfy clients who paid them for a "workshop" then pass them off as legit images. I have "baited" this hawk once with road kill that it was eyeing and instead of it potentially getting struck by a vehicle I moved the road kill into a field...it took her 2 hours to go down to the rabbit and feed.

But you have to question the photographer who charges $1500 to photograph Snowy Owls and brags about the fact they had 80 feedings over a 3-4 day period. Makes you think how much survival the owl is really experiencing having this done to it. That's an extreme example of what you thought I was thinking about baiting but it is done.

I agree a 100% on the premise of those guy's using bait on those animal's but I got news for you, Moving that Rabit was in no way baiting, and helping out the wildlife here and there is not the same thing as the likes of what you talk about. I've centered out many a person throwing bait. Ive had this debate with myself many times before. I tend now to not shoot where there are numbers or people and sometimes I miss the opportunity at some great stuff, but thats I guess how I deal with the one's of which you speak of. On the other hand I do step in when their lives are at stake. I started a thread a couple years ago called ..I will never be a great wildlife photographer.. when I was trying to come to terms with the very thing you speak of.

Pondrader wrote in post #18278068
I agree a 100% on the premise of those guy's using bait on those animal's but I got news for you, Moving that Rabit was in no way baiting, and helping out the wildlife here and there is not the same thing as the likes of what you talk about. I've centered out many a person throwing bait. Ive had this debate with myself many times before. I tend now to not shoot where there are numbers or people and sometimes I miss the opportunity at some great stuff, but thats I guess how I deal with the one's of which you speak of. On the other hand I do step in when their lives are at stake. I started a thread a couple years ago called ..I will never be a great wildlife photographer.. when I was trying to come to terms with the very thing you speak of.

That was a very engaging thread, Jeff. I'm sort of surprised it came to an end.

Phoenixkh wrote in post #18278070
That was a very engaging thread, Jeff. I'm sort of surprised it came to an end.

Well its still there Kim, lol. I still feel the same today about the hole thing. But I still have the feeder for the birds in the front yard and I do help the few deer around my home every winter so in some eyes I am a baiter but I'm ok with that.

I have a bird feeder as well but I've never taken a photo of the ones who show up. I need to set up a blind or something. We have a screened in porch so they are used to us being in there but if I am outside, they freak out.

That and I really need to set up some cool dead branches etc. so they'll perch there. I just haven't gotten around to it. Part of the problem is I fell in love with the larger Florida birds: egrets, herons, pelicans, etc.

We do get two kinds of woodpeckers here along with the Norther Flicker which I guess is a woodpecker of sorts. I love watching them. Then the "regular" birds: cardinals, blue jays, blue birds, wrens, flinches, chickadees, etc.

There are two other points that we touched on, wildlife trusting an individual and wildlife after the bait has been thrown... Maybe we should dig out that old thread someday... it is Feb and were all a little bored. lol

Phoenixkh wrote in post #18278075
I have a bird feeder as well but I've never taken a photo of the ones who show up. I need to set up a blind or something. We have a screened in porch so they are used to us being in there but if I am outside, they freak out.

That and I really need to set up some cool dead branches etc. so they'll perch there. I just haven't gotten around to it. Part of the problem is I fell in love with the larger Florida birds: egrets, herons, pelicans, etc.

We do get two kinds of woodpeckers here along with the Norther Flicker which I guess is a woodpecker of sorts. I love watching them. Then the "regular" birds: cardinals, blue jays, blue birds, wrens, flinches, chickadees, etc.

The birds are a huge source of interest for me. Don't see me stopping the bird feeder any time soon. I do believe you have seen one or two of the crew around here.

I mean I have openly stated mine land on me so theres no turning back...

Pondrader wrote in post #18278078
The birds are a huge source of interest for me. Don't see me stopping the bird feeder any time soon. I do believe you have seen one or two of the crew around here.

I feed the songbirds, but draw the line at birds of prey. Feeding raptors can make them associate food with people, and cause issues like owls getting hit by cars while crossing roads coming in for an expected meal. I've seen videos of people baiting owls, and then taking the rodent away from the owl which really frosts me, and then you get the ones that tease them by using cat toy mice on fishing line all the while these birds are hunting to survive. I've always enjoyed watching wildlife and studied wildlife management in school. Photography is a useful way to document what I've seen/observed, but I wouldn't do some of the stuff I've seen people do in videos online.

Pondrader wrote in post #18278078
The birds are a huge source of interest for me. Don't see me stopping the bird feeder any time soon. I do believe you have seen one or two of the crew around here.

I mean I have openly stated mine land I me so theres no turning back...

Hosted photo: posted by Pondrader in
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forum: Birds

See, I need to set up some wood like you have around your feeders. Natural resting places that look good in photographs. Then get the birds used to me being outside. I talk to them and they are used to that now.

Beekeeper wrote in post #18278082
I feed the songbirds, but draw the line at birds of prey. Feeding raptors can make them associate food with people, and cause issues like owls getting hit by cars while crossing roads coming in for an expected meal. I've seen videos of people baiting owls, and then taking the rodent away from the owl which really frosts me, and then you get the ones that tease them by using cat toy mice on fishing line all the while these birds are hunting to survive. I've always enjoyed watching wildlife and studied wildlife management in school. Photography is a useful way to document what I've seen/observed, but I wouldn't do some of the stuff I've seen people do in videos online.

Jeff started this thread a while back. It was very interesting.

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1417967

I thought this Brown Pelican was going to land on the dock I was standing on as I watched it fly towards me through the viewfinder. They sure fill the frame quickly.