Backyards can be great places to enjoy some bird photography and the necessary things aren’t all that difficult to arrange.
I recently moved and thought why not create a simple place for some close-to-home photography. Here’s my game plan to make it happen.
I put up a bird feeder. The options here are numerous. My choice was a pole with 4 arms. This way I can put different attractants on each arm. My choices consisted of a black-sunflower feeder, a “bug-cake,” a suet block, and an Oriole feeder. And, remember one the things attracted will be squirrels so you’ll need to have some shields in place to keep them at bay. I added a birdbath and now the bird cafe is complete!
Birds often like to land on a nearby limb to survey the scene before they come to the feeders. To meet this need I used a small broken limb from a nearby tree. I attached this to an old lightstand I had on hand. You may have a nearby tree or bush which will do the same thing.
Now it’s get the camera ready and use anything convenient for some “cover” to break up your presence. I used a covered patio with some furniture on it so I can sit among the things and not be so obvious.
The goal here, besides pictures, is to optimize the two keys to bird photography, i.e., you never have too much glass and you’re never too close. I’d add that to enjoy bird photography you have to be part of the silence. Hopefully you can use your longest telephoto lens and begin to capture some bird pictures. It’s a great way to enjoy some close-to-home photography!
I’ll include some links for some items which might assist your own ideas of how to construct your backyard bird set up. Enjoy!
Heavy Duty 80″ 4 Arm Bird Feeder Pole Set w/ Twist in Ground Socket