Do you dress up like a tree when you go out into the field?
Do you have a veritable outdoor studio set up to freeze those hummers in flight?
Have you rigged yourself an unusual blind, or do you crawl on your stomach across the sand in a special way to get those wading birds?
Please share! Not only because it would be great to see you in your tree suit, but it would be fun and helpful for the rest of us learn about different techniques.
I got a shot of an Indigo Bunting which I like and I'll post today in the Avian gallery. I used a technique called 'pishing' which I first read about in these forums.
I already had an ipod loaded with all the songs of North American birds, so I could learn to identify the birds I hear. I bought an inexpensive speaker, and when I play it in the field, certain species will respond -- some come closer and sing (but some actually fly away).
I put it down yesterday and inadvertantly left the indigo bunting playing while I went to put on a filter, and look who came in to investigate. (I can't be the only one with a shot like this?!)
Pishing is definitely helpful to someone like me with a pretty limited lens reach, and I personally think it's fine when used in moderation.
Gaurav there are a couple of companys putting out mp3 recordings of bird calls and Rebecka you should call all of them and iPod and market your photo to them...I see $$$$$$$$
To answer your question I just wear street clothes and move slow. It seems to work for me. I have used blinds and they are great also but I prefer to just spot and stalk.
Hi Rebecka: Great image, and I like your idea for a thread.
Most of my photography is in my back yard or other local areas. My usual technique is to set up the tripod facing a likely piece of territory and either stand or sit on a three legged stool that's handy to carry around. I have found that a little camo seems to help. Oddly, I get the most bang that way out of a digital pattern poncho I picked up. I rigged some velcro around where an arm would normally go and matched it to the mating fabric on my lens hood. The camera pokes out the hood of the poncho. This also helps disguise the lines of the tripod. Seems to make them a little less suspicious. However, the best tool just seems to be patience. I've found that about 20 minutes of sitting still seems to make most birds ignore me.
Cool photo Rebecka. I am actually working on a floating blind that I want to try out in a day or two, using Tim Fitzharris' idea. Using camo cloth and two hula hoops, I made a cylindrical blind that I'll harness to myself. Then, wearing chest waders, I can hopefully approach waterfowl relatively unnoticed. The nice thing is, the hula hoop on the bottom of the blind floats, so the blind adjusts to the depth of water I'm in. I've noticed that birds are far less wary of me in waders even if I'm not hidden, because so much of my body is underwater. The shot I recently posted of an Eared Grebe was taken that way. I just tried to stay behind cattails as much as possible.
Best tool I have ever had!
Try Bird Jam. It will put all the calls and pictures and text from the Stokes Field Guide to Birdsongs on your Ipod. It is excellent stuff!
Of course, there is no way to replace hours of investigating the habits and habitats of the critters. I suppose I spend about 10 hours studying the birds for every hour I use shooting. I am always noting nice open areas in the woods where birds can be lured into better light and lower trees and shrubs.
When I go out to shoot,I walk through the woods listening for different species or just start "trolling" calls until I get a reply. Then I set up my tripod and stool or ground cover and wait.
Once you locate the neighborhood of a particular species you can get them to come quite close with no need to hide from them.
I use camoflauge clothes quite a bit when I'm shooting. Almost everytime I go out I will wear a camo shirt or jacket. In fact some of the people who go on my tours or workshops think I don't change but in actuality I have several of these camo shirts. :) I don't usually wear the camo pants, gloves, hat with mesh netting and so forth unless I'm seriously going after a species which is shy (for example a kingfisher). I had Angie take a few shots of me in my camo garb. The brand that most of my camo clothing is Mossy Oak, if interested you could check out their website, http://www.mossyoak.com . I do find wearing the camo helps, I've had several birds practically land on me, thinking I was a tree.
I do pish and I see no problems at all with that, I believe pishing is mimicking an alarm call, the birds will come in and check out what's going on. I don't think it's usually a major disruption to them.
On the other hand I have some reservations personally about using IPODs to call in birds. In the past I did this a fair amount but have mostly quit doing it as I find the birds often become very agitated and seem upset. However, I don't want to be a hypocrite as I occasionally use them now on workshops or tours. The birding guides in Ecuador that we work with usually have one that they use at times. But I think its important that they be used judiciously as you are often disrupting breeding birds by using them. If the bird flies back and forth trying to locate the other bird or is flitting it's wings its safe to say its disturbed at that point and the ipod should be turned off. The call shouldn't be used more than a few times after a bird has come in. (I realize yours was an accident here Rebecka and its a cute photo). Also, its important not to go back to the same area repeatedly, especially in the breeding season, and tape the same bird. By doing this, you are distracting it from the very important job of rearing it's young. I realize that many bird photographers do use tapes to get photos but I think it should be done so responsibly. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now
Point well taken, Nate. While I have made efforts to respect the natural activities of my subjects, I will certainly use this device with even more restraint.
Using bird calls with moderation seems fine, and I think I'll give it a try myself. I have real concerns with baiting, which I think can make birds more vulnerable to predators. I normally just look for good habitat, sit out of sight, and wait. As a member of the Air Force I have a closet full of great camouflaged clothes, which I use occasionally - particularly the rain gear.
I'd recommend being judicious in the use of "pishing" when out with birds. For a long time this method was looked down upon because of the haphazard way it was being used by birders to draw animals in.
You are communicating with the birds and in most cases we have only a very general idea of what we are saying with these calls (alarm, aerial predator, terrestrial predator, food location, breeding, etc). It is easy to draw birds, especially smaller birds, away from important activities to deal with a perceived threat. Done enough times this can increase species stress, decrease breeding success, lead to depressed feeding responses and sometimes nest abandonment.
I’m not saying don’t ‘pish’ at all, just be careful especially around breeding and nesting times and probably again during times of low resources (read winter).
Posted by Dennis Plank on July 8, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Hey Nate-you missed the camo camera strap in that outfit!
Raymond -- please post a photo of your hula-hoop blind! Now that's invention!
Nate -- I love the photos of you in your gear!! Mossy Oak is definitely your color. Now it's on my wish list!
Re: the Indigo Bunting - I pished him using a technique that I find works: play the song once, and hit pause. Wait for reply, repeat if necessary. I had him around for about 10 minutes, then left the scene (the start of a hiking trail) so he could go back to doing whatever he was doing before I got there. I took the 3-hour hike, and returned, and pished him again for a few minutes before leaving. I don't pish birds for very long - I doubt they would stay interested for an extended period anyway, and I am first and foremost a bird lover (and rehabber) before novice photographer.
Thanks Rebecka, just to clarify we are calling pishing 2 different things. I consider pishing to be making a noise yourself, "pish" "pish" "pish", I think the idea here is that it mimicks an alarm call of a bird, the bird comes in to investigate. Like anything I guess it can be overdone but the birds don't usually seem stressed - more curious when I've used pishing and they don't to tend hang around too long. They will come in check out what is making the noise and generally leave. Using bird recordings and tapes I call well - using bird recordings and tapes.
Dennis - I was thinking the same thing when I looked at the photos!
I didn't want to post a partially finished blind, but I'll show you what I got. As you can see, my camo isn't really a wetland pattern, actually it's a cornfield pattern, but I think it should work. I have not yet cut a lens opening into the side. As I said before, I'll be harnessed to the top hoop, so the bottom one will stay at water level.
First, playing a tape of a bird call is definitely not pishing by any definition I've ever heard. Birders use the term to refer to making the sound "psh psh psh" repeatedly in imitation of an inquisitive chickadee or titmouse. Try blowing out gently through closed lips. Chickadees use this sound to keep tract of other birds in a feeding flock, and a related louder sound to attract other birds when they discover an owl or snake or other perceived threat.
Second, many birders (including me) frown on the practice of playing bird calls to attract birds. It is very easy to overuse this, can cause stress to a bird (which responds because it interprets the taped call as another bird invading its territory), and can interfere with nesting chores and the feeding of young in the nest. I do not play tapes of birds to attract them, but I do pish to get the attention of foraging birds.
Using tape playback is against the law in many places (like the federal lands around Portal, AZ), especially here in AZ where it is considered harassment of some endangered or limited distribution species. And where it is not against the law property owners like the Nature Conservancy prohibit it on their property.
These restrictions have been implemented after a number of notorious incidents where birders eager to see a difficult species have driven the birds off the territory by over play of taped calls.
As far as how I get my bird shots, I basically just walk around places where I expect to find birds and take photos of the birds I encounter. I do not make set ups in my back yard, even though my wife feeds the birds there regularly. On occasion I will photograph some of these birds, but not at any set up since there are none. Nor do I wear camo. And I don't have the patience to sit around in a blind. At the Water Ranch, mostly I just walk around but I will also just sit around at the edge of a shallow pond completely in view and after a very short time the birds will accept my presence and feed very close.
Another technique I use for getting close is to photograph from inside my car along a low use dirt road. I support my camera and lens with a monopod wedged between the driver's seat and door, with a small Bogen flip head that allows motion in only one plane so I can tilt the lens up and down.
For my backyard shots, I just hide behind one of my horses or hang abound about 20 minutes. The birds are used to the horses, but take a little time to warm up to me.
Thanks, Rebecka. Will try to post when I get it out there.
Posted by Peter Conway on July 18, 2009 at 11:19 PM
I spend hours and hours in a blind. This is my favorite one as its big enough to have a chair inside. I sit in it and smoke a cigar which is all good, except my wife thinks the clothes get a bit smokey.
I move it around the farm to various locations that are likely to have activity.
Hey Dennis, like your setup. I too use the Kwik Camo and a handy stool for the long waits. Might as well be comfortable eh?
Initially I didn't like the Kwik Camo fabric draping over my head (it's a hair thing) but I found with a flash mounted on camera (and Kwik Camo draped over flash) there is just enough wiggle room above.
PS. I have a variety of blinds but Kwik Camo is what I use.
Discussion
23 repliesDo you have a veritable outdoor studio set up to freeze those hummers in flight?
Have you rigged yourself an unusual blind, or do you crawl on your stomach across the sand in a special way to get those wading birds?
Please share! Not only because it would be great to see you in your tree suit, but it would be fun and helpful for the rest of us learn about different techniques.
I got a shot of an Indigo Bunting which I like and I'll post today in the Avian gallery. I used a technique called 'pishing' which I first read about in these forums.
I already had an ipod loaded with all the songs of North American birds, so I could learn to identify the birds I hear. I bought an inexpensive speaker, and when I play it in the field, certain species will respond -- some come closer and sing (but some actually fly away).
I put it down yesterday and inadvertantly left the indigo bunting playing while I went to put on a filter, and look who came in to investigate. (I can't be the only one with a shot like this?!)
Pishing is definitely helpful to someone like me with a pretty limited lens reach, and I personally think it's fine when used in moderation.
Your comments and techniques??
is there a iPhone/iPod App with bird sounds. Can you recommend a place from where I can download the bird sounds ?
There is an awesome iphone app for birds by Nat Geo!! In fact, I'm thinking of getting the phone just for the app: http://www.handheldbirds.com/
I received my "BirdPod" (really that's what they call it) as a birthday present. Believe you can get them at www.birdjam.com .
Reb.
To answer your question I just wear street clothes and move slow. It seems to work for me. I have used blinds and they are great also but I prefer to just spot and stalk.
Most of my photography is in my back yard or other local areas. My usual technique is to set up the tripod facing a likely piece of territory and either stand or sit on a three legged stool that's handy to carry around. I have found that a little camo seems to help. Oddly, I get the most bang that way out of a digital pattern poncho I picked up. I rigged some velcro around where an arm would normally go and matched it to the mating fabric on my lens hood. The camera pokes out the hood of the poncho. This also helps disguise the lines of the tripod. Seems to make them a little less suspicious. However, the best tool just seems to be patience. I've found that about 20 minutes of sitting still seems to make most birds ignore me.
Try Bird Jam. It will put all the calls and pictures and text from the Stokes Field Guide to Birdsongs on your Ipod. It is excellent stuff!
Of course, there is no way to replace hours of investigating the habits and habitats of the critters. I suppose I spend about 10 hours studying the birds for every hour I use shooting. I am always noting nice open areas in the woods where birds can be lured into better light and lower trees and shrubs.
When I go out to shoot,I walk through the woods listening for different species or just start "trolling" calls until I get a reply. Then I set up my tripod and stool or ground cover and wait.
Once you locate the neighborhood of a particular species you can get them to come quite close with no need to hide from them.
I do pish and I see no problems at all with that, I believe pishing is mimicking an alarm call, the birds will come in and check out what's going on. I don't think it's usually a major disruption to them.
On the other hand I have some reservations personally about using IPODs to call in birds. In the past I did this a fair amount but have mostly quit doing it as I find the birds often become very agitated and seem upset. However, I don't want to be a hypocrite as I occasionally use them now on workshops or tours. The birding guides in Ecuador that we work with usually have one that they use at times. But I think its important that they be used judiciously as you are often disrupting breeding birds by using them. If the bird flies back and forth trying to locate the other bird or is flitting it's wings its safe to say its disturbed at that point and the ipod should be turned off. The call shouldn't be used more than a few times after a bird has come in. (I realize yours was an accident here Rebecka and its a cute photo). Also, its important not to go back to the same area repeatedly, especially in the breeding season, and tape the same bird. By doing this, you are distracting it from the very important job of rearing it's young. I realize that many bird photographers do use tapes to get photos but I think it should be done so responsibly. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now
Neat topic Rebecka, thanks for posting it.
You are communicating with the birds and in most cases we have only a very general idea of what we are saying with these calls (alarm, aerial predator, terrestrial predator, food location, breeding, etc). It is easy to draw birds, especially smaller birds, away from important activities to deal with a perceived threat. Done enough times this can increase species stress, decrease breeding success, lead to depressed feeding responses and sometimes nest abandonment.
I’m not saying don’t ‘pish’ at all, just be careful especially around breeding and nesting times and probably again during times of low resources (read winter).
Nate -- I love the photos of you in your gear!! Mossy Oak is definitely your color.
Re: the Indigo Bunting - I pished him using a technique that I find works: play the song once, and hit pause. Wait for reply, repeat if necessary. I had him around for about 10 minutes, then left the scene (the start of a hiking trail) so he could go back to doing whatever he was doing before I got there. I took the 3-hour hike, and returned, and pished him again for a few minutes before leaving. I don't pish birds for very long - I doubt they would stay interested for an extended period anyway, and I am first and foremost a bird lover (and rehabber) before novice photographer.
Dennis - I was thinking the same thing when I looked at the photos!
Raymond
Second, many birders (including me) frown on the practice of playing bird calls to attract birds. It is very easy to overuse this, can cause stress to a bird (which responds because it interprets the taped call as another bird invading its territory), and can interfere with nesting chores and the feeding of young in the nest. I do not play tapes of birds to attract them, but I do pish to get the attention of foraging birds.
Using tape playback is against the law in many places (like the federal lands around Portal, AZ), especially here in AZ where it is considered harassment of some endangered or limited distribution species. And where it is not against the law property owners like the Nature Conservancy prohibit it on their property.
These restrictions have been implemented after a number of notorious incidents where birders eager to see a difficult species have driven the birds off the territory by over play of taped calls.
As far as how I get my bird shots, I basically just walk around places where I expect to find birds and take photos of the birds I encounter. I do not make set ups in my back yard, even though my wife feeds the birds there regularly. On occasion I will photograph some of these birds, but not at any set up since there are none. Nor do I wear camo. And I don't have the patience to sit around in a blind. At the Water Ranch, mostly I just walk around but I will also just sit around at the edge of a shallow pond completely in view and after a very short time the birds will accept my presence and feed very close.
Another technique I use for getting close is to photograph from inside my car along a low use dirt road. I support my camera and lens with a monopod wedged between the driver's seat and door, with a small Bogen flip head that allows motion in only one plane so I can tilt the lens up and down.
Lucy
I love -- love -- your blind! Will you update us when you try it out and post a shot?
Rebecka
I move it around the farm to various locations that are likely to have activity.
Initially I didn't like the Kwik Camo fabric draping over my head (it's a hair thing) but I found with a flash mounted on camera (and Kwik Camo draped over flash) there is just enough wiggle room above.
PS. I have a variety of blinds but Kwik Camo is what I use.