Wildlife Photography Fieldcraft

Chapter 1

BIRDS

A Grey Heron takes off

Garden birds

Some photographers can be rather scathing about capturing images of garden birds, but a high-quality shot of a garden bird is better than a poor-quality image of something rarer. So, although this section is aimed at the newer photographer, the more experienced photographer and naturalist may also benefit.

Initial research

Location

Any garden, whether urban or rural, can attract birds. Even a windowsill with some food on it will not go unnoticed.

Chiffchaff

Species

The variety of birds you might see in your garden depends on many factors:

Where you live: Data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden Bird Watch 2020/21 showed that, as well as the common garden birds, some Scottish gardens had Yellowhammer, Siskin and Hawfinch; those in Greater London saw Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Ring-necked Parakeet; whereas Welsh gardens had sightings of Goldcrest and Bullfinch. Here in Devon, coastal gardens in the south sometimes have Cirl Buntings, and snow on Dartmoor brings in flocks of Redwings.

Whether your garden is urban or rural: Rural gardens with woods, water and rough meadowland attract an enormous range of birds as a result of the variety of habitats available. Even urban gardens, however, with good wildlife planting, can attract a range of species.

The size of your garden: A bigger garden will attract many more birds, as long as the extra space is used to supply varied habitats. Two acres of mown grass will not attract very many species.

The plants growing in your garden: The correct type of plant will appeal to certain species of birds. For example: nettles are caterpillar food and many birds rely on caterpillars to feed their young; seed plants such as Teasel, Knapweed and Sunflower will attract the seed feeders; shrubs with berries will attract other birds; shrubs and hedges provide nest sites. The BTO and the RSPB have advice for making gardens bird-friendly.

If you have a pond: Ponds are attractive to birds as they need to bathe to keep their feathers in good condition, and also require a source of drinking water. Even a small pond in a shallow container will supply the necessary water for drinking and bathing.

If there are trees and shrubs in your garden: A wide range of trees is advised. Evergreens give cover and nesting sites, Rowan, Hawthorn and Cotoneaster provide berries, and Crab Apples are another source of food for birds. The best trees and shrubs are those which are native to the UK.

Whether you are near woodland, the coast or open fields: If woodland is near, your garden will attract birds such as Jay, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Long-tailed Tit. Rare species as well as common may be found in coastal areas, especially if on a migration route. Open fields with grazing animals will appeal to Barn Swallows and other flying insect catchers, but large monoculture fields will not attract many birds.

The type of feeder you have: Nut feeders, seed feeders and a table for ground-feeding birds will satisfy a greater range. There are several good companies supplying bird food (including the RSPB), and they give good advice as to which bird species prefers which food. Even with feeders, a small tree or shrub nearby is valuable for cover.

If you live in the centre of a town, you will probably be able to attract Sparrow, Starling, Robin, tits, finches and more. If you live in a rural area and have a large garden with a pond and trees, you will attract a much wider range of species.

I am fortunate in having a large garden in South Devon, surrounded by fields and woodland. It includes several ponds, areas dedicated to wildflowers, a variety of habitats and a small wood, which is a continuation of a much larger wood. I have seed and nut feeders in several locations plus a log feeder, groups of evergreen trees (for cover), plantings of Sunflower and Knapweed, clumps of nettles, a large number of hedges both evergreen and native, cherry plum trees and other native fruit trees.

The following birds have been present at some time in my garden: Dunnock, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Chiffchaff, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Wood Pigeon, Rook, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Robin, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Redwing, Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Bullfinch, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Blackcap, Barn Swallow, Wren, Spotted Flycatcher, Blackbird, Grey Heron, Mallard Duck, Pheasant, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Tawny Owl.

However, although rural areas generally have a greater variety of wildlife, suburban and urban areas can be host to numerous species too. When I lived in a large suburban town in Hertfordshire, my small garden even hosted the rare Snipe and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker on several occasions.

Basic facts

As you will be waiting for the birds to come to you, rather than looking for a particular species, the basic facts in this garden birds section tend to be more general than later portions of the book. Garden bird facts are based on answers to the following questions:

Which birds are seed eaters and which are ground feeders? A large range of bird species are attracted to feeders, so this is the obvious place to start. Seed feeders will attract mainly tits and finches, but I have some very athletic Robins that also use them. Nut feeders will attract the same birds, plus Nuthatch and woodpeckers, if you are lucky.

Wagtails, Dunnock, Blackbird and other larger or less acrobatic birds are generally ground feeders. I do not usually put out food for ground feeders, as those birds can pick up enough seed discarded by fussy/messy seed eaters. Other species, such as the Chiffchaff, do not use feeders at all in my experience, so a good range of garden trees, shrubs and plants is required to attract the widest range.

Which birds are native breeding species and which are migratory? The Fieldfare, Redwing, Waxwing, Chiffchaff, Barn Swallow, House Martin and Brambling are some of the migrant birds that visit gardens. Even some native breeding species have numbers swelled by migrants.

Chaffinch in the rain

What time of year is a migrant species likely to be seen? The Fieldfare, Redwing, Waxwing and Brambling arrive in autumn and leave in spring. The House Martin, Chiffchaff and Barn Swallow arrive in spring and leave in autumn.

What type of habitat is a particular bird likely to need for nesting? This is very varied and depends on the species. To give some examples: the Chiffchaff nests low down in bramble clumps, Barn Swallows nest in barns, Blackbirds nest in shrubs. The BTO and RSPB have more detailed information on this. Providing suitable nest sites is important in attracting photographic subjects.

The ever-curious Robin

Which birds use nest boxes? Regular nest box users are Robin, Pied Flycatcher, Tawny Owl, tits and others. The BTO has details of which species use nest boxes, and the type of box they prefer.

What type of natural food attracts which birds? Thrushes like snails, so damp corners are needed. Blackbirds like berries and Redwings like fruit trees, whereas Bullfinches are attracted to fruit blossom, especially the cherry plum. Study the information given by the RSPB and BTO to ascertain what kind of natural food will attract the garden bird you would like to photograph.

Does my chosen species have any special habits? This information can be obtained by research, but observation is also important. For example, Barn Swallows like to swoop down and drink on the wing, so a pond with a long, narrow section of clear water will attract them. They also like to sit on the roofs of glasshouses, as the heat from the glasshouse attracts flies and also warms the birds on a cool morning.

The Chiffchaff may not use a feeder, but it does use ponds. It often hovers above the water surface first, giving interesting photographic opportunities. Look out for them on hot summer days.

This is the sort of knowledge that you can build up over time, and initially it is easier to concentrate on trying to produce conditions to attract the birds you are most interested in. If you are particularly interested in photographing a certain species that you know can be found in your locality, try to include items in your garden that will attract that species. For example, I was aware that Goldfinches were seed eaters and were fond of Teasel seed, thistle seed and the seed of Knapweed, so I sowed Teasels and Knapweed and left small clumps of large thistles unweeded. Each autumn I now regularly see flocks of Goldfinches feeding, particularly on the Knapweed seed.

In the garden

Perches

For the best, most natural images, set up an attractive perch close to a feeder, or place a feeder near a tree. Try to catch the birds as they approach the feeder for shots in flight. A lichen-covered branch makes an attractive perch and can be tied to a post near a feeder. If you have several feeders, you will attract more birds, and if you remove all but one when taking photographs, the birds will often alight on the perch to wait their turn. Alternatively, perches with blossom can be very successful, or a garden fence can be used instead. If you have Barn Swallows near you, you may see the young birds sitting on a fence, waiting for the parents to feed them.

Behaviour

Many people are unaware of the fact that parent birds continue to feed their young for some time after they have left the nest. Be especially vigilant in April and May and you are likely to see parent birds showing their young around the good feeding places, taking them to the feeders and, in other cases, bringing them food. There is a definite pecking order among birds – for example, a Great Tit will often intimidate a Blue Tit at the feeder to chase it off, a Nuthatch will drive off a Great Tit, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker will scare off everything smaller. Such behaviour can give rise to photographs with that little bit extra.

Hides

Some form of hide will greatly increase the number of birds you will see. It is surprising just how many different species are around but only seen when you sit quietly for some time. A hide near a pond will be more successful than a hide in the middle of the grass, as even nervous birds will come at some time or other for water, especially if it is hot. Chapter 5 has detail on hides.

Tripods

For small birds, a 500 mm lens is often required, but with a good hide, you may be able to get close enough to use shorter focal-length lenses. I would always advise the use of a tripod, as you may have to sit (or stand) for some time, and this method avoids sudden movements as you swing the camera up to your eye.

Background

One advantage of ‘home grown’ birds is that you have much greater control over the background to your photographs. When positioning a feeder and hide, try to ensure that the background is a good colour and is pleasantly out of focus. The easiest way to do this is to focus on the perch or feeder and take a picture without the birds being present. That way you can change your position until a soft-focus background of an even colour is obtained. Backgrounds of blurred blossom can look very attractive, provided that the colours do not clash with the plumage of the bird itself.

Angle of light

The angle of light also has a bearing on the quality of the image, so you have to consider the time of day you are most likely to take photographs, and where the sun will be at that point. Generally speaking, early morning is best as the birds are hungrier, and the light softer, but midday in summer will attract more birds to a pond. Experiment with taking photographs at different times of day throughout the year to get the best combination of sun position and height in the sky. This will help you decide where to put your feeders and hides.

Birds of rivers, lakes and wetlands

There is a wide variety of bird life in river, lake and wetland habitats, each having its own group of species, from the small to the large.

Initial research

This and the following sections on birds are more specific than the previous ‘garden birds’ section, as it is assumed you will go looking for particular birds in their preferred habitats.

Great Crested Grebe courtship dance on a Devon lake

Habitat

A large number of bird species can be found in rivers, lakes and wetlands. Rivers are home to Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Kingfisher, as well as a host of smaller birds; lakes bring in a variety of ducks and geese, plus Grebes, Coots and Swans; wetlands can attract birds such as Redshank, Curlew and Little Egret. It is easier at this stage to select only two or three birds to research, in order to prevent information overload.

Many rivers and lakes have useful paths nearby, although these often attract dog walkers. I love dogs, but they are a menace to photographers, as they are very curious and always want to investigate what you are doing, resulting in them frightening off any birds. In dog walker areas, you have to arrive on the scene very early to avoid this