Backyard bird tips

I continue to field questions about my bird portraits, so I thought I’d share more backyard bird photography tips. Keep in mind there are numerous ways to enjoy watching and glassing these wonders of creation, so explore and try various methods that may work for you. (be sure to check out my bird galleries on the menu above)

In no particular order:

1. Keep food out all year. We put out sunflower seeds, pre-made suet cakes, and homemade suet. If possible, place the food source near a place of safety for the birds. Be consistent in your feeding. Yes, the birds know I put out suet every morning and they are waiting. Give them time, but birds will get use to you being present. I can get within about 4 feet of a downy woodpecker before it will fly off. If using a pole feeder, hang a 4 inch by 2 foot metal flue pipe to the pole. Squirrels can’t grab and climb it.
2. Use the Merlin app on your smart phone to call in birds that you know are in your area. I just started doing this and it works on quite a few species – catbirds, cardinals, and gnatcatchers especially.
3. Plant native species that attract and supply food for birds in your area.
4. Use a blind or some sort of camo netting to conceal you and your camera. There are endless options. I’ve made many using camo cloth bought at WalMart for less than $15 (5’x12’ piece). E.g. I took a 36” tension rod and draped camo cloth over it and placed it across my garage backdoor. I cut a small hole in it to poke my lens through. Works great – especially in winter.
5. Equipment does matter, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. A DSLR with a moderate to long telephoto lens will do. I use a 150-600 Sigma contemporary lens from 15-30 feet and it works great. If you have a shorter lens, try setting up closer to your subject. The birds are now very familiar with my presence that I don’t need a blind/hide.
6. Use something to stabilize your camera set up. When at all possible I use a tripod with image stabilization on my lens. A bean bag on a support will do, also.
7. I use single spot focus and focus on the head/eye of the bird. It’s not always easy! I rarely shoot with ISO lower than 1250-1600. That seems to give me the best combination of shutter speed and aperture setting. I also shoot in aperture priority mode (f6.3-f8.0) Shutter speeds range between 1/100 in low light (I actually have a sharp image at 1/50) to 1/2000 in bright light – in which case I will lower my ISO to around 1000.
8. Set up your feeders and perches away from distracting backgrounds if possible. Or, set up something bland in color and shape behind them.
9. Learn about the birds you want to observe/photograph. Knowing how they behave can help you capture that magical moment.
10. Have fun and enjoy the experience – isn’t that the point! Whether you capture the next image for the cover of National Geographic or not, you will capture memories that can last a lifetime.