Backyard bird watching and photography
We have lived in our home since 1973 so this will be our 40th year. I don’t remember exactly but it was within a few years I started feeding the birds. When we first moved in there were just empty fields behind us and we had a lot of turtle doves. One time I counted a hundred setting on the electrical lines.
I went through a lot of feeders and first just fed a song bird mix. I had black birds and starlings coming in and read that any mix containing corn would attract undesirable birds. It recommended just feeding black oil sunflower seeds. I started using it and just put out a one pound coffee can full every day and I get all kinds of birds. One day in just two hours I counted 13 different species.
One day a friend at work told about feeding hummingbirds so I started that. I have been feeding them for over 20 years and they are a wonder to watch. East of the Mississippi River only gets the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds during the summer. They migrate here from Central America flying across the Gulf of Mexico or coming up the coast of Texas.
I always liked photography so it wasn’t long till I started taking bird photos. The hummingbirds are the hardest bird to photograph for me. Their wings beat up to 55 times per second. Even with a good camera the wings will appear as a blur, the only time you get the wings stopped is when they are full back or forward at the time of photographing. To stop their wings you need an expensive strobe flash that synchronizes with the camera. The little guys only weigh from 2 to 6 g (0.071 to 0.21 oz.). They are the only bird that can fly backwards.
It is easy to get photos of the different birds at the feeder; but harder to get good photos of them in a more natural setting in a backyard. Hummers are the hardest to catch good photos of, for them I find even with my 300MM lens I have to be about 10 feet or closer and have good bright sun. Using my Olympus E620 I shoot in the sports mode, it gives me a small aperture opening and a fast speed. I can also shoot in burst mode taking about 3 frames per second.
My workshop gives me a good blind to shoot from the windows and I have one feeder for the hummers I hang in the window with a suction cup holder. Another window gives me some good shots in a Lilac bush. I usually set my camera on a tripod trained on the hummer feeder and have set 3 hours before for one shot. Getting older I don’t have the patience to set long anymore.
The best feeders I have found I get from The Humming Bird Store out of Texas. They are a small family owned business. Their feeders are easy to clean and last well. Steve is using one of my photos in the short slide show on his site. He lets all on his mailing list know when the hummers first arrive on the shores of Texas every spring.
Link to the Hummingbird Store
http://www.thehummingbirdstore.com/The best hummingbird photographer I know of is Russ Thompson from Louisville KY. On his site Enjoyable Hummingbirds he has great still shots and videos some show him feeding hummers by hand and from his hand. Be sure and visit his site.
Link to Russ’s site
http://rthompson8.homestead.com/hummers.htmlI also feed Niger thistle seed to my gold finches. They are the only bird that goes through a complete molt; bright yellow in the summer and olive in the winter. For a long time I used an upside down feeder, they are the only bird that can eat hanging upside down. Lately I am using a mesh sock feeder.
I like to take photos of butterflies too and have a butterfly bush to attract them. I get some nice Tiger and black swallowtails, monarchs and a few other species.
If any of you are backyard bird photographers too, please share your photos with us.
A few years back I joined a local Arts Center and tried my luck at selling some of my photos. I found that not everyone wants to buy bird and butterfly pictures to hang on the walls. I did sell my still life of old street bricks for $60.
The following photos are some of my favorite ones from over the years, birds, butterflies and a couple of still lives. The close up of the hummingbird with black background was a young juvenile that I think was just out of the nest. It sat on a feeder and looked as if it was resting and had its eyes closed at times.
I was able to shoot about 30 photos of it and got as close as 3 feet. I didn’t scare it off, it finally left on its own. It stayed around and was the last hummingbird I saw that fall.
My best of male Ruby Throated
Monarch
Juvenile resting
The same juvenile on a feeder
Tiger swallowtail with Orton effect applied
Before Orton effect applied
Monarch on Lilac
Monarch & Bee on Goldenrod
Old street brick, my patio
Old entrance
Male Mallard
Tiger swallowtail
Goldfinch on dried cone flower
Goldfinch 2
Goldfinch 3
Juvenile preening and ruffling his feathers
Female landing on feeder from The Hummingbird Store
Smokin Don
