Getting the bird on the right perch

[Bruce Miller]

I'm wondering if anyone can offer me some sugestions? I have gravitated to doing more setups for birds. I shoot a 40D and 100-400, so I need to get the birds in as close as possible. Also I have been attempting to get that nice background. Here is where the problem lies. I put out a perch and use audio to lure them in. However, they never seem to go to my perch. Choosing everywhere but my perch. I have setup now this year about 10-15 times. One bird for about 5 seconds landed on the perch. Is it the blind? I do believe they come in closer to the blind than without one. But is there a better placement of the blind than another? Is there a trick to where the perch is set, and where the speaker is?

Here is a basic look. I have been closing one more of the windows behind me, but it does get warm in that thing. I have also considered getting material to cover the big opening, but need some space to move the lens around.

Here is what it looks like:

[Randy Stout]

Bruce:

I am not an expert on this, but several things come to mind. I would use an open tray feeder beneath your perch to pull the birds into the area. This coupled with calls should help.

Chair blinds are a good idea, but depending on how tame your birds are, you may need more. Because of your lens, the chair has to be in close as you mentioned, so you need to do a better job on the camo. The chair on the right is about right, with the window closed as much as possible. I also wear dark clothing, black or dark green, to blend into the shadows inside the blind. If the birds are very wary, camo netting over the opening with just a hole for the lens would also help.

Having the back windows open lights up the interior too much, and makes you painfully visible to the bird.

If I can, I set my blind under a tree in the shade, or covered by some natural screening material.

Good luck

Randy

[Daniel Cadieux]

Hi Bruce,

There could be a number of factors for this, and the behaviour you describe is all too familiar. Not all birds, even from the same species, is responsive to audio. When an individual is cooperative, I find that it is attracted rather quickly to the source of the audio...therefore placing the speakers directly underneath your perch might work best. By directly underneath, I mean right under e.g. no more than a foot below. From the setup you show, even tied to the tripod might work (it is not clear from this image where your speakers are).

One thing you did well according to this image is getting the perch out into the clear, and not offering many perches to choose from. I would trim the lower branch as a bird may perch onto it and be obstructed by the very perch you wanted it to land on.

It also helps to know the behviour of the bird you are trying to photograph. For example, the White-throated Sparrow you left a comment on (thank you!) likes the ground alot and for that reason my perch was no more than 15 inches off the ground. Same for the Chipping Sparrow I posted last week. On the other hand, you will probably not get a warbler or vireo from so low to the ground.

As for the blinds, yes the birds come in more readily when one is concealed in one than without. I almost always open (at least partially)the side windows too...but never the back one as birds seem to detect my silhouette from the resulting backlighting.

P.S. Have you read my article in the Educational Resources forum, written specifically for using audio? If not, then here is the link to it...

http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=37765

[Ray Rozema]

Thanks to Randy and Daniel for the information

Ray Rozema:)

[Peter Hawrylyshyn]

Bruce -
I assume you've bought the excellent guide by Alan Murphy - if not, it is full of helpful suggestions.

I also agree with both Randy and Daniel.

I've found it is also very helpful to put out the feeders for several days before your planned photo session. It also helps to have your "complete" setup in place to allow the birds to get used to it. For the multi-flash setups in my backyard, i had them in place for at least a day before using them. The position and size of the feeder relative to the perch is also important (it should be too small for them to land on and below your perch).

But in the end, there are some species that just won't come in to feeders or sound recordings

[Ed Erkes]

I've had very mixed results using audio to attract birds. I have two good places to use it-- my own property of 25 acres and a private nature preserve where I do volunteer work. As a result of my own past failures and the lack of good detailed info in print, on CD or ebook, or on the web on how best to achieve good results with audio, I have started experimenting with different variables and recording effectiveness of each attempt in a log. I've used audio about 10 times this spring. To minimize the effect of photographer proximity, all attempts have been made with an 800 mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter. I've varied the placement of the speakers from attached just under perch, on the ground below perch, to about half the distance from perch to photographer, to at photographer's position. In all cases so far, the set-up has only been used in areas where a target bird has been heard singing. I start at very low volume (by low volume I mean that my audio lure is not as loud as the songs of actual birds singing in the area even though they are further away) and increase the volume if no response within 5 minutes. Once a bird has responded, I generally will vary the audio to see which works best (from low volume to higher volume, to even cutting volume off temporarily). So far I don't have enough cases to make any conclusions at all. I will say that it is important that there be no tall trees anywhere near as the birds will often stay high when taller perches are available. I have been able to attract the target bird in all cases (usually within 5-10 minutes) but I have yet to have a bird land on the placed perch. I generally play the tape for 20-30 minutes (after the bird arrives) at the longest. In most cases the bird has stayed in the area the entire time the audio was played. In one case the bird left after spending only about 5 minutes in the immediate area.
So I can't provide any useful tips so far. I do have some concerns though. It is easy to be tempted to persist in playing the tapes possibly too long in the desire to get the "ultimate" shot.

References: Rich Faler wrote a 50 page booklet "Calling Songbirds to the Camera" in 1990. It has some good info. Johnny Stewart wrote a 15 page booklet entitled "Calling Birds for Observation and Photography" that also has some useful information. Alan Murphy's CD on Songbird Set-Ups is an excellent resource on set-ups, but really doesn't discuss the use of audio lures. Matthew Studebaker wrote an Ohio Site Guide ebook that Art Morris advertises as "including an excellent secton on judiciously using tapes to attract songbirds". My copy had no such section, so don't buy it for that purpose. Joe McDonald has an excellent discussion on using audio to attract songbirds in several of his books. The best discussion was in his book, "The Wildlife Photographer's Field Manual".
Hope this helps some.

[Roy Priest]

Ed, I too have had mixed results with audio, I use my iphone or itouch with powered speakers. I have had good luck with my iphone using my car as a reflector on BWBB and Towhees. In my yard I have had Siskins actually land on my shoulders with me holding my iphone. Goldfinches, Housefinches and hummingbirds are seemingly not attracted. Haven't tried it on the less common stuff yet.

[Bruce Miller]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the post so far. I wrote a response last night, but my connection reset (at hotel) and I lost it. Reminder to self: compose in word and copy when done…
I appreciate all the responses. I’ve been using audio for quite some time. I started as a bird watcher, which has taught me all about the birds before becoming a photographer. I’ve been shooting pictures for about 5 years now. We only get about a month to do this each year. Last year I began to use a blind some to try and get closer to the birds. I do believe this has helped a lot. Then also last year tried to put out a perch to help control the background more. The problem has been that they never (ok honestly 3 out maybe 100 tries) land on the perch.

Last night I went out and had the same results. I tried varying the volume and moving it up higher on the tripod I’m using to hold the perch. Sometimes I just give up on setting out a perch, and try to find a suitable existing tree and set the blind over that. Funny thing is they rarely go to the exact spot I have in mind in that situation either.

I will be going out tonight again. I think I will try moving the perch out into the open 10 feet or so away from the next nearest perch. Maybe putting the blind in the brush or woods and the perch out in the open.

GB,
Bruce

[Daniel Cadieux]

One thing to keep in mind is that using audio does not guarantee success. The rate of success can be, and often is rather low, but when it works it does wonders! For example, I've tried this on dozens of Warbling Vireos (at different locations)...although they all reacted to the audio only one did cooperate and come down to my perch...but the result is my very best vireo images that I don't think I can easily improve on!:) If after a few minutes all the bird does is flitter form tree top to tree top IT WILL LIKELY NOT COOPERATE. Best to try another species or another location...or even another time (e.g. a week later).

[jeffdjohnston]

Maybe I'm overlooking the obvious. Have you tried a water drip or feeder near the perch you want them to use?

[Charlie VanTassel]

To me it looks like you are also too exposed. The birds can see movement with your setup. Usually I keep the blind zipped up as tightly as possible with only the camera lens and a small viewing hole open. The viewing hole has screen over it. Even then I notice that the birds are very wary of the blind when they do land. Any movement of the lens will cause them to flee, so keep your lens prefocused on the perch and move slowly when you must. I prefer not to use flash as I can then keep the opening much smaller, and flash will spook some birds. Build your setup so that you have good natural lighting. I also notice that there is a limit to how close you can be. Don't try to be too close. I think about 20 feet is as close as it gets. Two blinds together as you are showing may be too much. I'd think about splitting up.

[Arthur Morris]

Matthew Studebaker wrote an Ohio Site Guide ebook that Art Morris advertises as "including an excellent section on judiciously using tapes to attract songbirds". My copy had no such section, so don't buy it for that purpose.

Hi Ed, Both Matthew's original guide as well as the up-date guide include a rather informative section on audio on pages 4-5. I am curious as to why you would post the comment above when it is inaccurate. Please let me know.

[Kevin Hall]

Food could be seed, fruit, or insects. In the part of the country where Bruce lives (as did I) my experience has been that setting up a feeder with seed doesn't compete as well with wild, live insects when in season. If you do, it is not a practice that will get results unless the location always has food - you aren't going to walk out into the woods, pop up the setup, put the food out and have customers in a day unless you have been stocking the location. Same goes more or less for fruit and mealworms. Food IS a better lure in winter though.

Water IS the magnate of the West. But here in these parts and anywhere else where water is abundant, it loses it's luster. If it's the middle of a hot, dry August or during a drought, water will get results. If it's winter, unfrozen water (when everything natural is ice) will shine like a beacon. Likewise, if the water is always there (a water garden pond in the back yard) you will see more birds than setting a drip up for the day.

Each lure has it's place and season. Right now, in my experience, playback is as viable if not slightly better than food and water. Getting the bird on the right stick is the hard part.

If your blind is set up properly you can be as close to your perch as the minimum focus distance of your lens allows. You may not like the depth of field at only 5 feet away but it surely can be done. I've actually had several occasions where birds entered the blind. More on this in a future post on modifying your Doghouse blind.

[Ed Erkes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Erkes
Matthew Studebaker wrote an Ohio Site Guide ebook that Art Morris advertises as "including an excellent section on judiciously using tapes to attract songbirds". My copy had no such section, so don't buy it for that purpose.

Hi Ed, Both Matthew's original guide as well as the up-date guide include a rather informative section on audio on pages 4-5. I am curious as to why you would post the comment above when it is inaccurate. Please let me know.


Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Art, In his CD ebook, Matthew Studebaker devotes essentially two short paragraphs on the technique of using bird recordings, plus an additional two on the controversy over ethics of using audio to attract birds for photography.
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Below is an accurate restatement of his method . I don’t believe I’ve left out any important details at all.

Drive through an area during early morning hours during breeding season. Listen for bird songs. When you hear a desired species, park and approach area playing song on Ipod. Don’t play the recording more than several times to avoid undue disturbance. You can influence where the bird lands by placement of speakers; for example, in the middle of a desired shrub. Some birds and some species respond better than others.

I would not by any means call this an “excellent” description of using audio to attract songbirds. It is actually not much of a description at all, especially considering the quality of images that Matthew posts and the annual workshops that he leads to capture songbirds using recordings. Matthew does not address whether he uses blinds or camouflage. Does he ever use his car as a blind? He posts many images with singing birds on set-up perches, yet he doesn’t discuss the use of set-up perches here at all, where he gets them, or how he keeps them fresh. Possibly most important of all, how and where does he position the perch in relation to surroundings to best attract a bird to it?. What is the source recordings that he uses, volume played? What kind of speakers does he use? Does he edit out the alarm calls that are contained in many audio recordings?
To be fair to Matthew, he wrote a “site” guide, not necessarily a detailed description of his methods. However, the advertising for the product was definitely misleading, which I’ll quote again “there are lots of technique tips including an excellent section on judiciously using tapes to attract songbirds. Matthew is a set-up master and the Site Guide includes a how-to section with photographic examples and tips for getting the birds to perch on the set up!” I’m sorry, but this is a gross misrepresentation of the content of the CD.

[Jim Neiger]

Here are a few things to try.

1. If you notice a pattern recarding where they perch in terms of distance from the audio, then setup the desired perch at that distance from the speaker.
2. Limit the number of perches available near the speaker to increase the odds that they will use your perch.
3. Limit the locations on the perch where the bird can perch comfortably. This will cause them to land in the comfortable spot you want them on. For example use a stick with lots of clutter offering no place to perch and then remove the clutter from the spoit where you want them. This forces the birds to land in the desired spot.

I hope this helps.

P.S. I have a chair blind and it works great when used properly.