what am I doing wrong???

For the past few weeks now I haven't been able to get a good picture of a bird! Everyone of them turn around and all's I keep getting is their backside...? Why? What am I doing that is causing them to do this? Do you think I am too close to them?

I think your lucky to get a photo, I can go days without seeing one, try a diff. angle they may come in from a certain direction. Just a suggestion.

You might want to get wasp guards for your feeder. Looks like you have more than hummers visiting your feeder.
I received some good advice on the Hummingbird Adventure Thread. You might want to go through and read some of the other hummingbird threads on this forum too. You may find the answer there.
I don't think you are too close, sometimes they allow you to approach within feet, and sometimes they fly inches from your face. Very nice photo of a hummer, by the way. Sometimes I'm happy to get just a blur of color! : )
Keep on trying, sometimes they get put out of joint especially if things in their environment change. Like house painters or construction work. Some are just plain shy too and will go to extraordinary lengths to avoid being photographed.
Best of luck!
Walk In Beauty!
SingingWolf

ok.. i can get wasp guards. I really haven't seen any wasp, it's the ants that we've noticed, but don't know how to keep them out? Anyways, thanks for the advice. I hope I can get more than just the back sides of birds pretty soon. It's been like that with all of my bird pictures here lately, not just with the hummingbirds. He was just an example? Here's another good example, this would have been a great picture if this indigo bunting would have been facing me. Do the birds think that if they're back is turned that they are hiding?

If I can't get a bird looking at me I'll make a little noise...just suck in a bit of air between my teeth...sometimes they fly away but mostly they'll look my way quick first.

24 please send photo. What is a soffit?
I've been using old bird cage holders to hold my feeders, I have found that they have been attacked by ants a few times but I poured Mint flavored mouthwash around the base of the feeder stand, and the ants go away and don't come back. Others have had limited success with this method.
I don't think that they are deliberately shunning you, it's just they don't consider you to be a threat. They are aware of you though.
I don't know that they do. When they get really scared they tuck their heads under their wings or attack. Some are just searching for predators. Try moving to different areas, and sitting quietly with a book and a cuppa. See if that helps.
Don't give up. It takes a lot of patience.
WIB!
SW

Most of the time shy birds who are aware of your presence will feed at the back of a feeder to hide from you. Easily solved on a HB feeder by placing a piece of tape over the back feeding station.

ok... i can do that. I usually do take my time to get good pictures. Like the indigo bunting, I literally followed him around for the course 8 hours. I sat down in some plants that were around me and waited, stood kinda under some tree branches and even out in the open near shallow water to try and get some good shots. 99% of them were of their backside though. I tried throwing out some white millet seeds, but crazily enough they didn't eat it... the cardinals did! I will definietly take your advice though! Thank you so much for all the great feed back, it really helps out a lot! Thanks again.

hey redd, I never thought about that! Very clever indeed. Thanks for that advice also! That's pretty smart little trick there redd!

threegardners I use noise also to attract the attention of the bird's in the form of trying to mimick them with whistle's, it doesn't always work, but I do have some success with it as they get curious, which sometimes is enough to get a shot or 2.

SW, a soffit is the bottom side of the overhang on your house and usually has plywood covering the rafters. That's the best way I can describe it? I'll take a pic of the ant cup tomorrow and post it. I just got home tonight and it's too dark...........

An ant cup. It hangs between the point of attachment and the feeder. They work great for me......

Top view of the ant cup. Apparently ants can't swim?

oh I see! How very smart. A must have! Thank you so so so very much for the picture and advice, very good advice at that! We will appreciate it... us who don't know LOL

Ummm, where can I purchase an ant cup?

I got mine at Wild Birds Unlimited if you have one out there? I think I paid 4.99 for it, but so far it's been money well spent! :) I would think any birding store should have them?

I recently ordered a couple of ant guards and a new feeder from the store at WhatBird.
http://www.whatbird.com/

A lot of the feeders purchased at the box stores etc don't have good designs and that creates wasp problems. I think it's always better to purchase from a source that knows birds.

Huh! I don't believe that I have ever seen a bird store around here. Do you think that maybe a plant or flower shop/nursery would have such items? Guess I need to look in yellow pages and see if there's a store near us, and if not I guess I could order off line. Thanks so very much for your help! I just know this will keep our hummingbirds happier and coming back to our feeders comfortably.

Teresa, my ant moat is just like 24gf5's but it's black and I think I bought it at Wal-mart. It is well worth the money. I have also had some success with smearing petroleum jelly on whatever the feeder is hanging on. Apparently the ants cant' get through the stuff.
You also might want to try one of those feeder hangers with the suction cup that you can attach to your kitchen window, or whichever window you like, I've gotten some great close-up shots this way. I'll post a pic of the feeder. Not sure you can see the suction cup though

I have seen the window feeders. That would be the greatest thing to have them feed that close... without hiding:) Well thank you all very much for all the help. Greatly appreciated from me and SW.

It's not your fault Teresa, the birds are just camera shy

I had wasp guards on, and my feeders had no customers. I took them off, figured I could always put them back if needed once the hummers were in the habit of visiting. So far - hummers at the feeders but not seeing the yellow jackets yet. :-)

I have a lot of birdie butt shots, too.

I think the hummingbirds have different personalities because the female ruby throat doesn't seem to be so shy, but the male will land in a tree before he comes to the feeder and scope the place out. And the black chinned, if you even blink, they take off. Kinda funny actually. I pretty much know with which hummer I can get the closest too and which ones I have to hide from. I just wish that they were more curious and not so scared. No hummers today that I have seen so far, I think it's too hot!!!!! In Joshua Texas, here, it's 106 degrees right now! ITS HOTTTT!

lol. birdy butts. Watch out for those robin tails!!!

Just moved into a new place; the hummingbirds are few; planting their fav's to try & entice them back; makes me so angry that they cut down a grove of trees that was their nesting place just across the road; in Oregon, they also cut down a monarch butterfly resting place years back; it was in a nearby town of Phoenix, & there would be literally thousands & thousands of them on this huge old tree; so sad that more is not done to protect our wildlife.

Welcome to the forum Scarlett!!

Yes it is sad!

I put a bird feeder on the portch and filled it with sunflower seed. So far no visiters. Is it posible that it is to close to the house?

If you fill it, they will come... especially if you're seeing birds in the yard. You might try scattering a few seeds near the edge of the porch. If there's a big overhang, they might be reluctant to come under it... ?

It took our birds a while to work up their nerve to come to the new window feeder this spring, especially with Eliot-kitty sitting right on the window sill watching... but now I'm refilling it regularly!

well I put them close so My cats could watch them. My neighbor has a outdoor cat who brings us presants. Maby I will hang them out back in a higher place and on a pole that the cat cant climbe.

I wouldn't put it close only because it might draw rodents near the house.

they dont bother me, the spiders do tho

I have found that if you put out water: ie, bird bath, (you can make them very inexpensively with pots; just get a larger one & put a "bowl" type on top; put rocks in "bottom" pot so won't get knocked over easy; birds will come for water & stay for the food;
I usually get a "songbird mix" which contains all kinds of seeds for various birds, not just the "sunflower" seeds, which only certain birds like; I also get a "thistle seed sock" for finches; it takes a little for them to find it; once found, they are always coming back!
I put some up in trees, etc, but also have outside windows, which is where I have the computer monitor by so I can enjoy them; also have the hummer feeders by windows so I can enjoy seeing them as well!

Wow! That's a really good idea. I love to hear how people can make things out of what they already have, and make it work. Very smart Scarlett!! Thanks for sharing! :)