Posted by Ryan Askren on February 19, 2010 at 3:52 PM
Hello all,
I have done a lot of bird photography but have mostly focused on water related birds. I live in Wisconsin and have quite a few warblers around in the spring and summer months. Just curious what kinds of methods and techniques folks use to get close to these little birds. Thank you.
Posted by TACHE@PA.NET on February 19, 2010 at 4:43 PM
Ryan, I think techniques will vary depending on your gear, to some extent.
That said, two ways to do this. One, find someplace where they cross a mess of water and hit the ground so tired and hungry that you can almost pet them.
The second way I haven't really figured out yet:t I tend to get there before dawn, wear camouflage, sit real still with the sun rising over a shoulder, and hope. One really good way to get the little treetop dudes is to try and find a steepish ridge--or a buddy's treestand--where you can actually look down or sideways into the treetops. You want to do this before you get too much leaf out.
I hope some of the smarter guys answer.
And good luck,
Posted by Linnet Long on February 20, 2010 at 2:12 AM
I had a ton of warblers in my yard this fall. There was an overabundance of gnats, and the Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers made many meals of them! ...as well as a Cedar Waxwing family and some Ruby-crowned Kinglets. In the spring it was Yellow and Wilson's Warblers. The warblers I had spent the majority of their time reaching up and over and under and around and down to and up over (!) the undersides of leaves in search of meals - usually fairly high in the chokecherry trees, although occasionally they would dart around at fence-level or even ground level.
I could use a faster, longer lens! Although I'm getting a little better at predicting the next move, I still have to spend a ton of time in reasonably good light following the creatures with my lens to get a few decent shots. I find it so fascinating to watch them.
Posted by Jim DeWitt on February 20, 2010 at 8:29 PM
As others have said, your best chances are during spring migration in a migrant trap, where they are too tired to be spooky, or in spring n territory when the boys are singing, usually in the open. Patience, patience and more patience. And a long lens.
Posted by Jeff Loomis on February 24, 2010 at 3:51 PM
Hi Ryan! Thanks for getting my juices flowing. Our first warblers will show up in early April - that's not too far away.
I have to agree with others on the wait & see technique. Experience will tell you where warblers are likely to be. Get there early, plan for the right lighting position and then settle in and wait. In my experience, moving around to catch up to birds that are feeding a ways away has a lower success rate.
Interestingly, my best warbler photo op came when I was fly fishing. I had been there an hour or so when a gorgeous Prothonotary Warbler started feeding across the stream from me. Amazingly, I was able to go back to the car and get the camera, slowly wade across the stream and get a number of eye-level shots from about 8 ft.
Discussion
4 repliesI have done a lot of bird photography but have mostly focused on water related birds. I live in Wisconsin and have quite a few warblers around in the spring and summer months. Just curious what kinds of methods and techniques folks use to get close to these little birds. Thank you.
That said, two ways to do this. One, find someplace where they cross a mess of water and hit the ground so tired and hungry that you can almost pet them.
The second way I haven't really figured out yet:t I tend to get there before dawn, wear camouflage, sit real still with the sun rising over a shoulder, and hope. One really good way to get the little treetop dudes is to try and find a steepish ridge--or a buddy's treestand--where you can actually look down or sideways into the treetops. You want to do this before you get too much leaf out.
I hope some of the smarter guys answer.
And good luck,
I could use a faster, longer lens! Although I'm getting a little better at predicting the next move, I still have to spend a ton of time in reasonably good light following the creatures with my lens to get a few decent shots. I find it so fascinating to watch them.
Here are a few fun shots - by and large not "stellar", to put it in Cindy's terms!
http://lphotodesigns.zenfolio.com/p875730734
I have to agree with others on the wait & see technique. Experience will tell you where warblers are likely to be. Get there early, plan for the right lighting position and then settle in and wait. In my experience, moving around to catch up to birds that are feeding a ways away has a lower success rate.
Interestingly, my best warbler photo op came when I was fly fishing. I had been there an hour or so when a gorgeous Prothonotary Warbler started feeding across the stream from me. Amazingly, I was able to go back to the car and get the camera, slowly wade across the stream and get a number of eye-level shots from about 8 ft.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29707528@N08/3722562366/