Easy to Approach Birds

[Fabs Forns]

A point brought up by Jen in the Introductions thread and as per out Overlord's suggestions, let see how easy it is to approach some of the birds :)

Here's the first, don't know how looks less interested in the other...

[Axel Hildebrandt]

That is too funny. Definitely not a picture you could have taken in the Northeast. Cormorants are extremely skittish around here, I think some people shoot them because of their appetite.

[Jan Wegener]

omg, this is crazy !!!
The same with the ducks here...

Ducks like Pintails fly away in Europe when you get closer then 200m, even in a car !
Here they swim around your feet

[Pete Woods]

Birds in the UK love to play run and hide. No chance of getting a shot like that over here Fabs :)

But I am sure someone will prove me wrong ;)


probably my size 10's give me away :)

[Daniel Cadieux]

Here is the world's tamest wild Ruffed Grouse:D. A father and his two daughters were observing it when the grouse approached them...REALLY close. I asked the dad if I could take a few photos of his daughters interacting with it, and he was more than happy to say yes. I'm sure those girls will remember this for a long time :-) Here is one with the oldest of the two girls.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w98/dancad/tn_IMG_9627-01.jpg

[Jodee Novak]

Daniel,
That is one priceless photograph. I've never seen anything like that - the little girl looks like she's having a conversation with the bird. I hope you got the e-mail or snail mail addresses of the girls or their parents - they should definitely have these images! Magnificent capture!

[Alfred Forns]

I guess this one also can be called an easy to approach bird :eek: .... actually an easy to approach flock !!!!!!! :D:D Anhinga Trail is a great place for double crested cormorants you just might luck into getting close to one :cool:

Comments welcome and much appreciated

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Even though the kid in the yellow t-shirt looks at them, both sides seem slightly underwhelmed. :)

[Alfred Forns]

..... maybe this bird was thinking is easy to approach people :D :cool:

Comments welcome and much appreciated

[Alfred Forns]

Here we see Mike lucking out and being able to approach a Cormi at Anhinga Trail !!!!! This one know how to pose !!!!!

Comments welcome and much appreciated

[Arthur Grosset]

The Farne Islands off the coast of north-east England is a great place for sea birds many of whom are very confiding - much more so than in other sites I know.

This Arctic Tern was quite unphased by its perch (as was the perch.)

[Alfred Forns]

How cool I want to go there !!!!!:):):)

[Michael Pancier]

here you go Alfred ....

I used Lucis art to give it the surreal look ;-)

and I believe the man with the backwards cap is you Al ..

I think this is the same DCC as in your picture.

[Jan Wegener]

okay, we also have a few tame birds in Germany....but not many... ;)

Maybe he was attracted by the nice lady ;)
What do you think Szimi, did she like him or you better ? ;)

[Fabs Forns]

Wow, he looks so small!!!!! (the bird ;) )

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

okay, we also have a few tame birds in Germany....but not many... ;)

Maybe he was attracted by the nice lday ;) What do you think Szimi ? ;)

Man, the lady is the most beautiful woman on Earth :) She is my wife.:D;)
It was a great time together Jan. Hope we can repeat it this year.
Szimi

[Fabs Forns]

Here's Al at Crandon Gardens, trying to isolate a bird for an image!

[Jan Wegener]

lol....now I know why you also have those short lenses.... :)

With those lenses in Europe, you couldn't even see the bird in the viewfinder ! :)

[Blake Shadle]

You're welcome here in Florida, Jan! Just make sure you bring a 70-210mm lens :D

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Al looks like the honorary Ibis there. :)

[Maxis Gamez]

Awesome! Post!!

[Alfred Forns]

Never seen anyone so close to an OC !!!!! Big Wow !!!!!

.....Axel I'm part of the gang !!!!:cool:

[Alfred Forns]

Don't get the idea local birds are easy to approach :p Not at all They play hard to get and are actually difficult :D This cormi is not cooperating in the least bit The lady tried and tried but walked out empty The bird would have no part !!!! :cool::cool:

Comments welcome and much appreciated

[Jan Wegener]

same bird, same lady :)

Those are the only tame Oysters I know....normally they are not like this.

But the pictures on my website are showing really skittish Oysties ...where I waited months to get them ;) :D

I guess exactly these pictures are our little secrets....especially on rare species...huh ? :)

Those cormorants are amazing !

[Axel Hildebrandt]

same bird, same lady :)

Those are the only tame Oysters I know....normally they are not like this.

But the pictures on my website are showing really skittish Oysties ...where I waited months to get them ;) :D

I guess exactly these pictures are our little secrets....especially on rare species...huh ? :)

Those cormorants are amazing !

This is amazing. Around here you can't get close to them.

[Michael Lyncheski]

I guess this means that that short lenses go into the backpack for the upcoming Everglades workshop. :) Good to know.

[Fabs Forns]

Pelicans in Florida are very skittish....

[Robert Hardy]

quite stunned by how close some of you get, it just doen not happen in the UK love that Pelican shot its amazing, as is the oyster fed by hand.
Rob.

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Rob, I wish I would have some more possibility in the UK to photograph birds. I loved to be there no matter if the birds are tame or skittish :) We have several tools to make a difference :D
Szimi

[IvoZafirov]

I always envied a bit you guys from the states:) Same counts for the photographers in Uk and Western Europe. You have very tame wild birds and animals. Here in Bulgaria and all over Southeastern Europe the birds are realy wild and it is realy hard to get close. With my friends we use many different tricks just to get close enough before the bird flies off and often it does not work :( It is almost impossible to get close to geese and duck without a hide. Many other birds are the same. Especially raptors. They are at the extreme end. So, wildlife photography here can be very tiring but getting a dicent shot is extremely rewarding. I think that one of the excitements of the wildlife photography in Bulgaria is that the birds are realy wild and hard to approach.

[Harold Davis]

here's another from anhinga trail today. gotta love that place:D. this guy tried for twenty minutes to get this fish down before dropping it in the water when he took off flying:cool:

[Brandon Holden]

Pine Grosbeaks! I had never seen this species before this year, but BOY are they tame!!!!

Photographed with my 100mm 2.8 macro lens - full frame! (I just wanted to see if I could do it, even tho the light isn't really that good)

http://www.peregrineprints.com/zzPIGR11.jpg

[Michael Wolf]

Yes, the birds in South Florida are easily approached !
Here a two from Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, FL.

Michael Wolf
http://www.floridanaturephotography.net/

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

I always envied a bit you guys from the states:) Same counts for the photographers in Uk and Western Europe. You have very tame wild birds and animals. Here in Bulgaria and all over Southeastern Europe the birds are realy wild and it is realy hard to get close. With my friends we use many different tricks just to get close enough before the bird flies off and often it does not work :( It is almost impossible to get close to geese and duck without a hide. Many other birds are the same. Especially raptors. They are at the extreme end. So, wildlife photography here can be very tiring but getting a dicent shot is extremely rewarding. I think that one of the excitements of the wildlife photography in Bulgaria is that the birds are realy wild and hard to approach.

Don't worry Ivo, the situation is quite the same in Central Europe but luckily we all have some decent shot on birds.
Just use the hide and get buddies closer :)
Szimi

[Maxis Gamez]

This is an awesome thread

[Juan Aragonés]

Oh my god:eek:. I always suspected that cormorants and herons were easier to photograph in Florida compared to my country (Spain) but I couldn´t realize how tame are those birds. Oh well, the birds are really easy to approach at Anhinga Trail and seems that is easy to get a headshot but to get a clean BG is a different story.
How do you manage to avoid crowds of OOF people in your BGs? Cloning? :D
Does anybody think about posting a new thread entitled "How difficult to approach is that bird?" or “How far away from your camera is that bird”? if so, just let me know because I can post a bunch of great examples :;)

Seriously. I realize why so many photographers in Florida prefer the Nikon 200-400 instead of a fixed focal length. When I used to photograph with my 80-400 I rarely went under 350mm, in fact I always needed/wanted to have more focal length and, today, I rarely miss the zoom ability of my old 80-400.
<O:p</O:p

BTW, this is a really cool and interesting thread. God point!!!

<O:p</O:p
Juan

[Del Cockroft]

Excellent thread. A real eye opener on just how friendly some birds can be.

[Fabs Forns]

Tigertail Beach, Marco Island, two summers ago:

[Gyorgy Szimuly]

Does anybody think about posting a new thread entitled "How difficult to approach is that bird?" or “How far away from your camera is that bird”? if so, just let me know because I can post a bunch of great examples :;)


:D:D:D
Sure we can talk a lot about it. In Europe all the birds are soooo skittish :( No idea why :D
Juan, we maybe should pick up our ticket and land in Florida to have a nice weekend with the Folks there. What a happening it would be :) :D

Szimi

[Ian McHenry]

Here in New Zealand I reckon that one of the best places to get up close & personal with birds is at ferry terminals.
This Little Shag allowed me to creep up to around 9 feet away.
Ian Mc

[Fabs Forns]

Unfortunately, some people abuse the privilege of having easy to approach birds.
This tourist lifted the branch adjacent to the nest so her husband could take a picture of it, while the birds were on it :eek:

Of course, when they walked next to us, I told her, as politely as possible, that what she did was wrong, in case she didn't know ;)

[Jan Wegener]

another tame American buddy :)

[Maxis Gamez]

.....Amazing!!

[Fabs Forns]

Fort Desoto birds:

[Harold Davis]

another florida bird from the anhinga trail. awesome thread!! lets keep it going:)

[Harry Behret]

Its always easy to get close to birds at the Viera Wetlands

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/263073342_4wY2e-L.jpg

[Dave Phillips]

all amazing, we just do not get close to wild birds here in NW La. Not even any refuges/reserves
with avian inhabitants that are anywhere near tolerant of humans.

a treat to see these images

[Fabs Forns]

Artie and Julio taking advantage of the easy to approach at Little Estero Lagoon, yesterday.

[Milan V]

From your pictures I ascertain that I live on the wrong part of the world:(
No way, to come so close to any bird here in my region, except to Passer domesticus in some open restorant.

Best!

[Scott Elowitz]

http://www.scottelowitzphotography.com/biopic.jpg (http://scottelowitzphotography.com/bio.jpg)

Fun thread. taken by my wife of me @ Amherst Island, Ontario Canada.

[Jane Ward]

Wow, it is just not like that here in central Illinois (Chicago is different) where they hunt waterfowl. I know a few places where I can get some decent photos, but not like the ones in this thread!

[Fabs Forns]

Alfred roughing it at Fort Desoto :)

[Alfred Forns]

...... actually I was taking a nap and didn't want anybody to know it :D:D:cool:

[Blake Shadle]

...... actually I was taking a nap and didn't want anybody to know it :D:D:cool:

HAHAHA! I love the nap technique! I never would have known! :D

[Lana Hays]

Al
Now I know why I'm having sleep problems.....I'm not trying to sleep on the beach surrounded with all the birds.

[Paul Pagano]

Man....I wish the Cormorants were that approachable up here! I'd love a good close head shot in full frame! Awesome shots! Usually the GBH's and Egrets are obligatory up here...and the Pelicans too if the fisherman are in!

[Jim Poor]

I started to comment on this in another thread, but deleted much of what I wrote to move here so as not to derail the original topic over there.

One issue not really talked about much is that with habituated birds, you also have the problem of exposure to the hazards of being around us humans. On my trip to FL I encountered birds that were injured or tangled up in something man-made almost every day.

When you spend hours photographing birds close up, you start to notice how many of them have fish hooks stuck in their necks or fishing line tangled up somewhere on their bodies. That, or you find birds standing on tires that have washed ashore or seals & sea lions sleeping in shopping carts.

On one hand, I really enjoyed close access to a lot of species, but on the other hand, it might just be better for them to keep their distance.

[Andrew George]

You American fellows should come over to The Netherlands and try to appraoch some waterfowl :)

[Fabs Forns]

El Maestro Morris working on a very elusive and skittish young Green Heron.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

El Maestro Morris working on a very elusive and skittish young Green Heron.

Very cool, puts some perspective to Artie's post. Did you pet the little heron? :)

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Fabs! I love it. I did a bit of Curves and Levels work on it. I would love to have the full sized TIFF next time that we meet.

Please do not credit this to telephoto compression. At times, with 37 mm of extension on the 70-200 I was within 18 inches of the bird. Moving slowly of course, but very close.

[Dominic Cantin]

Hi all :)

It's my first message here but not my last ;)

Here's 2 images showing how the snowy owls can be cooperative sometimes :cool:

http://www.pbase.com/dominiccantin/image/75238029.jpg

It's me at ~15' :eek::D and here's the kind of shot you can have from 15' with a 400mm and no crop ;)

http://www.pbase.com/dominiccantin/image/74812726

and to finish , a friend in action

http://www.pbase.com/dominiccantin/image/74428911

for more snowy owl , visit my gallery here http://www.pbase.com/dominiccantin/harfang

See you in the Avian , Wild and Free Birds forum !

Dom :)

[Fabs Forns]

Very cool, Dom, lucky you!!!
Please PM Alfred Forns so he can get your last name added to your user name. Thanks!

ps: Can't wait to see more Snowies :)

[Harry Behret]

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/223450608_JY85J-L.jpg
It's pretty easy to approach birds in in Hawaii

[Thonnaksar NOP]

In this case, my 200-400 VR is useless !!!

[Robert Amoruso]

Lots of interesting images in this thread. I have had the Florida Scrub Jays on my head but no pics of it.

[Alfred Forns]

From Green Cay the elusive Limpkin preening by the rail !!! Doesn't seem to mind the foot traffic much !!!! :cool:

Comments welcome and much appreciated

[Fabs Forns]

Don Alfredo in La Jolla, California.