"Birding" - how does one go about it

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briansy

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Hi guys, a real newbie post here but I went off looking for Hawfinches today in Surrey and didn't find any but my merlin app was showing a couple of dozen different species of birds all around me which gave me hope to go home with some nice captures. They were mostly tiny and bar the robins and tits, none which I could locate and photograph. To date I have been going to the RSPB sites and WWT sites - I guess you could say "low hanging fruit" - lots of bigger birds that are easy to photograph. Outside of these venues, I would love to have more success with the woodland birds and other "non-wetlandsy" type birds! On my phone today there were firecrests, siskins, treecreepers, nuthatches, chiffchaffs, wrens, field thrushes, goldcrests and linnets but I didn't feel like I had any chance of photographing any of them. Is it a case of rocking up with one of those camouflaged tent things and just letting them come to you for the day? Or at least waiting it out in one location? Or maybe just everyone finds it really hard to photograph them and you just need to get really lucky?

Chatting to people it seems that a lot of stuff is based on tips and local knowledge and what not. I've used bird guides which tells you recent sightings but I guess doesn't clarify under what conditions they were seen per se and how well situated that location is to see other species etc. Any steer on this would be greatly appreciated! It may be that there is a classic text covering this sort of stuff - anything tips on that front would be very much appreciated.
 
Species specific outings do mean relying on some local knowledge giving you the 'lowdown'.

As for opportunities to hone your skills from hide situations I can suggest two:-

Warnham Local Nature Reserve near Horsham

www.horsham.gov.uk

Visiting Warnham Local Nature Reserve

Opening times, admission prices and parking at Warnham Local Nature Reserve.
www.horsham.gov.uk www.horsham.gov.uk

And a private paid location
John Stanton's Millers Wood nr Handcross

Hide rental – John Stanton Photography

www.johnstantonphotography.co.uk www.johnstantonphotography.co.uk
 
Try one of these hides along with 2 or 3 feeders in the woodland of maybe a farm, asking farmers isn't that hard same as anything either a yes or a no if no move on to another, better in private woodland as quite and safe for the feeders once the feeders have been in place for maybe a week go set up your hide, remove all but one of the feeders, there are plenty of videos on you tube on how to set up. Think this is a better option rather than trying to chase birds especially in woodland.
Russ.

Green Finch 08 March 25.jpg
 
russellsnr said:
Try one of these hides along with 2 or 3 feeders in the woodland of maybe a farm, asking farmers isn't that hard same as anything either a yes or a no if no move on to another, better in private woodland as quite and safe for the feeders once the feeders have been in place for maybe a week go set up your hide, remove all but one of the feeders, there are plenty of videos on you tube on how to set up. Think this is a better option rather than trying to chase birds especially in woodland.
Russ.

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This makes a lot of sense, Russ, and confirms that chasing tiny birds is just pointless!
 
back garden to practice - camera on a tripod - practice camera set up, shutters speeds, ISO settings, /f values - set up bird feeders and keep an eye out and take shots before they approach feeders - you will find that many birds use the same route to the feeders, time after time, so you can focus on a specific point
 
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russellsnr said:
Try one of these hides along with 2 or 3 feeders in the woodland of maybe a farm, asking farmers isn't that hard same as anything either a yes or a no if no move on to another, better in private woodland as quite and safe for the feeders once the feeders have been in place for maybe a week go set up your hide, remove all but one of the feeders, there are plenty of videos on you tube on how to set up. Think this is a better option rather than trying to chase birds especially in woodland.
Russ.

View attachment 448693
Click to expand...
Do these pop-up hides really work? Can you get much closer to the small birds? That is - how much closer. In my back yard - they're always quite happy around 10' away, but as soon as I have the window even slightly open enough to photograph without glass in the way - they are off and don't come back! Is it similar with these. Or are they designed to be much further away that 10-12'?
 
Bodian said:
Do these pop-up hides really work? Can you get much closer to the small birds? That is - how much closer. In my back yard - they're always quite happy around 10' away, but as soon as I have the window even slightly open enough to photograph without glass in the way - they are off and don't come back! Is it similar with these. Or are they designed to be much further away that 10-12'?
Click to expand...
Do these pop-up hides really work? Well yes they do, I place a piece of scrim netting over the front (held on with cloths pegs). Another image from my hide.
Siskin 08 March 25.jpg
 
As the years and mobility issues have taken there toll ,I’m no longer into walking around all day getting the shots I used to , but you honestly don’t need a public hide or paid for one , find yourself a nice quite spot on a local road where you can park your car ,even better if there are stones or fallen trees nearby .put some seed down . Repeat for a few days till the birds get used to it and voila you have your own mobile hide .
 
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