How should I prepare for bird photography?

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This Christmas holiday I want to do some bird photography in my garden and neighbourhood. I will be using a 18-450mm lens. (bridge camera equivalent)

What should I do to attract birds to my garden?

I don't want to get a "proper" feeder, I could getbags of bird food that you can hang up on trees. And I could put nuts and other stuff on the ground to get some shots of the birds on the ground.

Should I put all my "bait" in one area or spread it out a bit?
What would you suggest putting on the ground to attract them?
 
As an expert in taking not very good bird photos, I suppose the first thing we would need to know is what camera and lenses you have and that you have a tripod :D
 
There's a couple of threads on feeding birds around including this from the very helpful Yardbent
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=370571

I'm not sure that putting food on the ground is the best idea, as it leaves birds open to attack and they make less attractive photos. Try to get them on a natural looking perch, with a 'nice' background and in a position where the light is not directly behind the bird.

I'm sure someone else will give more advice, I know nothing about that camera, although it apparently equivelent to a 600mm+
 
PhotoshopEditer said:
This Christmas holiday I want to do some bird photography in my garden and neighbourhood. I will be using a 18-450mm lens. (bridge camera equivalent)
What should I do to attract birds to my garden?

I don't want to get a "proper" feeder, I could getbags of bird food that you can hang up on trees. And I could put nuts and other stuff on the ground to get some shots of the birds on the ground.

Should I put all my "bait" in one area or spread it out a bit?
What would you suggest putting on the ground to attract them?
Click to expand...

Hi - I do some bird photography when I get the chance and use my Sigma 150-500mm, not sure the lens you have will be up to any great distance shots

- so the trick in my opinion would be a bird feeder some 15 -20 feet from a window, you can hide behind or shoot through the curtains and so long as you keep fairly still you should get some half decent shots as hungry birds will flock to a decent table

Most pet food outlets sell winter bird food by the pound, so go get some :LOL:

good luck

Les (y)
 
If you don't want a feeder then get a dead branch and drill a few holes in it and wedge peanuts into the holes. You can do the same with sunflower hearts but drill bigger holes, melt some suet and mix in some sunflower hearts, as it starts to set push the mixture into the holes. Don't use lard as it will melt in the sun and is very sticky. If you arrange the branch carefully it will look natural and you won't see the food.

Sunflower hearts are not cheap but often a lot of cheap seed mixes are rejected by the birds.

Although the bags of food to hang up are convenient there is a risk of birds getting tangled in mesh bag.

You can buy packets of ground mix for birds but peanuts are fine on the ground as are sunflower hearts. I'd crush the peanuts a bit - larger birds like jays and magpies can cope with them whole - but it makes it easier for the smaller birds. Try to place the ground food away from any cover to give a bit of protection from cats. BTW foxes also like peanuts.

If you are OK with live food then get some live meal worms. There is the problem of finding a steep sided container that they cannot crawl out of which could look unnatural, but a lot of birds will do almost anything to get mealworms.

Feeding in a number of different places will attract more birds, but you can bet on the birds going to the feeder that you are not looking at.


Dave
 
Research your subject matter, buy a good fieldguide, spend time learning their habits and comfort zones, observation will pay dividends.
 
PhotoshopEditer said:
This Christmas holiday I want to do some bird photography in my garden and neighbourhood. I will be using a 18-450mm lens. (bridge camera equivalent)

What should I do to attract birds to my garden?

I don't want to get a "proper" feeder, I could getbags of bird food that you can hang up on trees. And I could put nuts and other stuff on the ground to get some shots of the birds on the ground.

Should I put all my "bait" in one area or spread it out a bit?
What would you suggest putting on the ground to attract them?
Click to expand...

Build a small pond, use logs put the camera on a good mount, radio controlled, sit back and enjoy, I use the large sacks of peanuts and general feed, £19 and £10 respectively.

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Use a hide it helps.

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I'd agree with the above but I'd add on one thing - try to avoid over-feeding unless you fancy your garden becoming a sparrowhawk-feeding station.
 
One of the first things you should prepare yourself for are whole days of dissapointment when you see no birds or get zero photos you are happy with :LOL:

Getting a normal feeder but then putting up natural looking branches near to the feeder is a good idea. The birds will queue up on the branches once a lot start coming and you get your photos there, not on the actual feeder.


PhotoshopEditer said:
This Christmas holiday I want to do some bird photography in my garden and neighbourhood. I will be using a 18-450mm lens. (bridge camera equivalent)

What should I do to attract birds to my garden?

I don't want to get a "proper" feeder, I could getbags of bird food that you can hang up on trees. And I could put nuts and other stuff on the ground to get some shots of the birds on the ground.

Should I put all my "bait" in one area or spread it out a bit?
What would you suggest putting on the ground to attract them?
Click to expand...
 
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