You might also try drilling several small holes partially into a fallen branch, filling the holes with peanut butter & hanging the branch in front of more acceptable background.
Various foods, as Christian pointed out will definitely help in getting a variety of birds. Kenneth Waller ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christian" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: Birding pictures in your back yard. > David J Brooks wrote: >> For those that do a lot of birds. > > you rang? :-) > >> >> I have a rather big yard, compared to modern subdivision lots, about a >> tad over a 1/4 acre. Lots of big maple trees along the fences. >> >> We have birds come to the feeders in front, but if i try and get them >> there, i have really bad backdrops, posts, door frames etc. > > shooting birds at home can be a challenge. Creating perches with better > backgrounds or creating a background might help. Maybe hang a greenish > painted muslin or something. It's gonna be out of focus anyway and I've > heard of people getting good results. > >> >> Would birds eventually notice if i move a few feeders to the back into >> the trees. I moved some the other day, but i don't see any activity. >> This would lead for what should be better shots, but maybe they are >> stuck in their ways. > > The term "bird-brained" wasn't invented by accident. give them time, > they'll find the feeders. Try moving them slowly, especially if there > are object between the current location and the desired location. > >> We have various coloured finches and had a Cardinal, but he's not been >> around for a while, and the Blue Jay is back. Lots of grey and >> black/red squirrels. > > what are you feeding them? My yard is tiny. I live in a small > townhouse and my fenced yard is only like 20 x20 ft. I have my feeders > set up on a double shepherd's crook hanger outside the back fence and > manage to cram in food and feeders for various types of birds. I have a > suet log for woodpeckers, one feeder for sunflowers (cardinals and other > big-beaked birds), peanuts for the jays and thistle seed in a mesh tube > feeder for the gold finches. And a suet cage for other insect eating > birds like catbirds and, unfortunately, starlings. > > so that I can get the most "natural" looking pictures, I've set up old > branches and twigs as perches near the feeders. The idea is that the > birds will land there first, then go eat, then maybe hop back to the > perch. I also have a birdbath because all that eating is gonna make you > thirsty! > > The view off my back deck has the feeders to the left, the bird bath on > the inside of the fence and the perches to the right of the feeders. > There is a grassy slope behind the perches which gives me a nice > background. I'm only 25 feet or so to the farthest perch. And the > birds don't seem to mind me standing out there in full view. > > The slingshot is at the ready by the back door for the frigging > squirrels. My accuracy has improved in a short period (damn squirrel > proof bird feeders don't work!). It's one shot, one "kill" these days > (no actual killing, just a good scare). > >> >> I sit out back a lot, and wait, but they seem to avoid me. Should i >> 'camo up or is just sitting still enough. > > You just need to habituate them to seeing you. You can always use a > blind (little tent-style blinds would work the best in a yard). >> >> BTW, this is how i get most of my bird shots. >> >> http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3755627 > > Nice! > > > > -- > > Christian > http://photography.skofteland.net -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
