Using Audio for Photographing Birds: The Basics.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Ulli, thanks for the excellent post. Pretty much how I do it too, except I've never knowimgly had a problem with a suspicious newly set-up blind in the woods being a detriment or birds seeing me go in or out of my blind but I've heard this could be something to think about. I do try to stay put in it as long as I can though as I would agree that going in and out very often would be counter-productive.

For Henry's questions:

1. On days that I decide to do the blind thing, yes.

2. See Ulli's post. I'm very patient and I can last for hours in a blind. Needless to say the audio is off most of that time (just in case people wonder...)

3. I mostly sit on a tri-legged folding canvas stool. With my "Outhouse" blind I'm at the perfect height to see out the open window when sitting on that. For ground dwelling birds I may opt to lie down on the ground, lens pointing out beneath the bottom of the blind. Keep your shirt and pant openings tucked in to avoid accidents...nothing worse or more surprising than having a creepy crawler suddenly scurrying on your skin!!

4. Again, see Ulli's post. I'll often bring a small foldable table and small cooler to keep some snacks and drinks at close range - but this is easier to carry out in the field when I'm stationed close (walking distance) to the folks' cottge or not hiking far away from the car.

[Henry Domke]

I'm not having luck getting birds to perch where I want. They always seem to want to hang back in a thicket. That makes for messy backgrounds or for branches in front of the bird.

Suggestions?

Despite the messy background I was able to get this picture of a Prairie Warbler eating a bee yesterday:

[Arthur Morris]

Get a copy of Alan Murphy's Guide to Songbird Set-ups; he teaches you how to get the bird to land where you want it. He can get them to land on his business card...

[Henry Domke]

Get a copy of Alan Murphy's Guide to Songbird Set-ups; he teaches you how to get the bird to land where you want it. He can get them to land on his business card...

Artie,
I do have his book and it is great. However warblers don't seem to respond to the tricks that he uses for feeder birds. At least they have not for me yet.

[Arthur Morris]

Artie, I do have his book and it is great. However warblers don't seem to respond to the tricks that he uses for feeder birds. At least they have not for me yet.

Henry, what has worked for me (on the rare occasions that I have tried to tape warblers) is to set up the speaker below a very attractive perch with a relatively distant background and then play the tape for 30 seconds or so until the bird responds by coming towards the tape. Then I shut off the tape and wait. Using this technique I have gotten lucky on occasion.... Here is what I mean:

[Henry Domke]

Henry, what has worked for me is to set up the speaker below a very attractive perch with a relatively distant background and then play the tape for 30 seconds or so until the bird responds by coming towards the tape. Then I shut off the tape and wait.

That is close to what I am doing now but I don't stop the tape after 30-seconds. What is the advantage of stopping?

One problem I am having is that the birds don't want to go to perches that I select. They always want to hang back in a thicket. Suggestions?

[Daniel Cadieux]

How do you focus when shooting Warblers?
1. Do you let the camera pick the AF Sensor or do you do it? I manually select the central AF sensor. If I let the camera auto-select the AF point I find that it usually picks the wrong thing, such as a twig.

I pick it. Central Sensor for these fast moving subjects. If the warbler gives me time I will then recompose.

2. Do you use Servo vs One-Shot? I tend to use One-Shot since I can make sure where my selected focus point is.

Servo, but I use the back * button to focus so I just let go of the button to lock focus if needed (and to recompose)

3. Do you autofocus and than manually fine tune for the eye? I aim for the eye but warblers often move fast and I am lucky to get the bird in the frame and when I do I often end up focusing on the belly or wing.

Autofocus on the eye. Warblers don't give you time to manually fine-tune. If you stop down a bit, light permitting, (e.g. f/8) than you can aim at the neck/breast/shoulder and still get a sharp eye.

4. How often do you use Extension tubes when shooting warblers? I find that I don't use them that much because it seems that I always end up wanting to focus farther away at times and the extension tube won't let me.

Never (for warblers).

I'm using the Canon 600 f/4 with a 1.4 teleconverter with the 1D MkIV (which has a 1.3X crop factor)

Thanks!

Hope this helps...

[Daniel Cadieux]

That is close to what I am doing now but I don't stop the tape after 30-seconds. What is the advantage of stopping?

Stopping prevents putting the subject in distress. I personally go for a few minutes at a time, then stop. Try again 2-3 times and then quit on that particular subject if it doesn't respond.

One problem I am having is that the birds don't want to go to perches that I select. They always want to hang back in a thicket. Suggestions?

Try setting up further away from the thicket. If the bird is curious enough to come out and has only the one (or two) set-up perch(es) to land on that will put chances on your side.

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