Tufted Titmouse

...And other yardbirds.

If nothing else, to show you that birds other than Bluebirds sometimes come in front of my camera.

Dave

This message was edited Jan 16, 2008 11:25 AM

Carolina Wren

Song Sparrow

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker, Male

White breasted Nuthatch

Northern Mockingbird

Ruby throat Hummingbird

Wow, awesome photos! I really like the one of the RBW taking a sip :-)

Gorgeous pics Dave!

I'll come back and comment more later because right now the sun is actually shining!!

That Downy shot is really impressive! I'll be back. :-)

Love the Hummingbird shot especially........all are nice shots.

Hi, Dave---Your photos are so nice --

Please tell us a little about your camera and how you capture images that are in the natural settings--

My birds fly away before I can snap the photos!

Hi Tabasco, and thank you for the kind words.

There's no other way to put it, my cameras are expensive, the same cameras used by many professionals shooting sports events. The lapse time from trigger squeeze and shutter action is very short, and the ISO can be adjusted quite high so that even in cloudy conditions I am usually able to boost the shutter speed and stop the action before the bird moves. Still, there are many occasions where they do move and I get a blur or worse, an empty perch. Those I delete and never tell you about. I often set a camera on a tripod and use a wireless remote control and shoot from a hidden location. This allows me to get the camera closer to the subject, if the subject happens to land where I think it will.

My other secret is meal worms. All of the birds pictured above, except for the hummer, come for meal worms. And there are others, including the chickadee and the phoebe and the yellow rumpted warbler and probably several others that I could add to the list. I buy mealies primarily for the bluebirds and I present them in a wire cage feeder that I keep on the railing of the deck. I do this because the mockingbirds and European starlings will eat them all if they could get to them. I have a lot of pictures of the red-bellied woodpecker extending his long tongue to spear the worms from outside the feeder. Anyway, the smaller birds can get into the cage as well, so instead of spending all my time policing the feeder, I buy more and try to feed them all. This too is expensive.

When they are nesting, the birds are continually at the feeder so I provide even more. After they fledge, the juveniles follow the adults to the feeder and as they become independent, they apparently remember the food source and come back from time to time to supplement their diet. They take turns in the feeder and many of my shots come while they are on a nearby perch, waiting their turn.

I hope this amswers your questions, If not ask again and I will elaborate further.

Dave

I love the Tufted Titmouse shot!!

I rarely ever see them in my yard though their in the area.

Dave, thank you.

I was hoping that you would say your photos were taken with a $100 Canon PowerShot or some such, but somehow I knew that wasn't the case! Interesting that you use a remote--I was googling for more info on how that might work for me since I am not inclined to sit out in the bird blind and wait for my shots but could set up such a thing for use at my kitchen window.

Your meal worm idea sounds promising. I am in the process of ordering some...I suppose the trick is to make the birds 'wait' in line for the mealworms in a pretty setting and get the pics then and there...

Last January we had a professional photographer taking pics in our yard for 'Bird & Bloom' magazine and also for calendars...he had quite an elaborate routine and he sat out in the icy January cold in a bird blind for hours and days trying to get shots of Pileateds in horizontal positions (for a calendar)...not an easy thing to do... he was pretty frustrated and tried all kinds of (contrived) settings to attract them (sidewise)...mostly the bluejays visited his arrangements though...and the pileateds went elsewhere... LOL

Oh, well, more practice is what I need and thanks for your tips. I will watch for more!

Very nice photos, Gary. And that's an understatement. Equipment makes a difference but so does the photographer. I see both.

What is your surrounding habitat ? I was just curious since Bluebirds generally prefer open field type habitat.

Funny you mentioned the mealies. I've regularly ordered them for my pet sugar gliders for years, but just recently got into birdfeeding since we moved to a new home. A week or so ago I divided my most recent 1000 worm order into two containers. . . one for the gliders and one for the birds!

When I put them out for the first time, I set them in the feeding tray/rim of my clear acrylic feeder. I had to leave shortly after putting them out and was surprised to see them all gone when I got back just a little while later. Come to find out, no the birds didn't eat them quite that fast (although they did get a fair number of them) but the mealies had crawled through the holes up into the hopper and were happily feasting on the birdseed in it! Who knew beetle larvae were that smart?!

linth--do you get bluebirds? I would love bluebirds to come to the feeders...

I read that they liked fields with woodland edges and golf course type environments. I didn't think we had them because it is too woody in our yard but our photographer (mentioned above) said he saw them (while waiting for the perfect pileated shot) and we should put out nest boxes and meal worms for them...I was surprised, especially since this was in icy cold January (2007)...I did note in our county Christmas Bird Count that blue birds were down this year to 88 from 146 for last year...quite a drop.

tabasco, I have never seen a Bluebird in my backyard (22 years). Any photos that I have taken have been in the habitat that you described. I do see them in that habitat but they seem to be fewer than last year.

Linth, let me answer your question and maybe Tabasco's too.

We live in a development. The developer took away most of the trees. The lots are less than half an acre but there are numerous cul-de-sacs and our lot is situated so that there is quite a bit of open space. We have about 500 feet of open space before you reach a tree line. Also, there is a common area of about half an acre immediately behind our lot and there are tall trees there that provide cover for the birds.

We moved here in the laate summer of 2004 and I immediately put up a seed feeder, mostly because we had one from the previous house. The usual birds showed up and I was surprised to see a couple of bluebirds among them. They weren't eating the seeds but they were sorta hanging around. We went to our local Wild Bird Center store to ask advice. They sold us a NABS approved birdhouse and some mealworms. I put the house up and immediately (I mean, within an hour!) the bluebirds found it, claimed it and defended it against any others who might also be interested. They kept this up through the fall and all winter and nested in it in the spring and have since. My one regret is that I only have room for one birdhouse. The bluebirds are very territorial and if you have two males within 300 feet, you will have a war.

I placed the mealworms in a bowl close to the birdhouse and gradually moved it closer to our deck where I keep it now. They come right up to the deck for the worms and even sit outside the window and look in if I am slow to put the worms out. They are out there right now, as a matter of fact.

I have also seen, and photographed other pairs of bluebirds that nest in abandonded woodpecker holes in the trees in the common area behind our lot.

The other thing that is important is water. I have a nice old sundial on a petistal that holds water. It is located near their birdhouse and I keep it filled for them. They prefer it to the big birdbath because the water in the sundial is only an inch to two inches deep when it is full. They consider the sundial theirs too, and defend it as they do the birdhouse. This arrangement has provided me many photo ops and a lot of interesting pictures of bird behavior.

Dave

This message was edited Jan 17, 2008 9:54 AM

I just love that pic, too cute!

Yes, the way you captured all the water droplets in the air is great!

Looks like your bluebirds have a ball! Very cute photo!

OK Dave, you gave me a good plan and re-invigorated my quest for bluebird nesting along our lot line. Thanks so much.

I saw some blue bird houses at the 'feed 'n seed' for not many $$ and will pick up a couple. I understand they should be mounted on steel fence post poles, correct? And will look for a shallow bird bath like your sun dial -- the two I have do not seem to be popular with any of the birds...too deep maybe.

Just went out for a bird hike today in the woods -- didn't see much but ran into the naturalist and she told us where the owls were nesting. Also said we might want to get a 'squirrel box' and the screech owls would nest in it. But I don't want to encourage more squirrels, do I?!!

Any more hints or tips on photos and blue birds would be much appreciated! Thanks. t.

Are you going to put baffles on the bird house poles tab?

Their easy to make.

Oh, should I? Hadn't thought of baffles, but probably a good idea...?

'Easy to make' is a relative term. In our house uttering those words is grounds for divorce!

I would rather buy a few than risk disruption of the household... My sweet DH is patient with my messes but can be pushed over the edge with any new undertakings, and if he made them he might injure himself. Woodworking is definitely not his 'thing'!

About the baffles---I read on the Cornell site to try 'Slinkies' attached to pole feeders. Hadn't heard of that before but sounds like they might work (for a while, at least.)

Yes I've seen that before.

My DH is not great w/ tools etc. either but he was able to put together this suggestion from sialis.
http://sialis.org/baffle.htm

We put together the metal one.

Gee, haven't been on the ''Sialis'' site for a year or two and they have added a lot of detailed information...good idea about the baffle. Sounds like you 'have' to have one, doesn't it?

Of course, the slinkies wouldn't keep out the snakes which sound like a real problem...

Yes,Snakes,Racoons and squirrels.

My baffle is simply a 4 inch PVC pipe with a cap glued to one end and a hole drilled in the cap. You attach a hose clamp to the pipe the bird house is to be mounted on, then slide the baffle down over the mounting pipe till it hits the clamp, then mount your bird house.

Also, move it further from the fence than I have shown here. At least beyond the jumping range of 'coons or cats. Actually, mine is further from the fence than it appears in this picture. I shot this from a considerable distance.

Lots of good ideas on this thread---Thanks!

I agree. Here's another from back in the summer.

Dave

This message was edited Jan 17, 2008 6:22 PM

This message was edited Jan 17, 2008 7:23 PM

Dave~
Yes definitely the meal worms! I would love a pic of the cage feeder you serve them from. I need a reserved meal worm station for my tiny birds that only eat the live mealies. Mockers will eat roasted, and they'll be fine with them.
Do you happen to have a photo of it handy?

debnes

Deb

I actually have two wire cage feeders, both sold by Blueburd Nut Cafe. I am posting a picture of the original, which is smaller than the deluxe version that came out a year or so ago. When things get fast and furious in the spring, I use them both. Both will keep out a mocker, but I have a red-belled WP that can extend his tongue and reach the bowl in the small one. I don't mind; he's one of my favorites and if it weren't for the starlings, I'd leave the worms out in an open dish for him. I'll look for a pic of the deluxe later.

Dave

OK here's a partial view of the deluxe feeder, with a mocker trying in vain to reach the bowl. Incidentally, the red-bellied can't reach this one either.

Lilyfantn has the deluxe one and loves it!

Are you seeing Chickadees at yours Dave?

Beautiful pics!

Excellent Dave! thank you for showing that cage feeder. I really need one! That will be my next big mission, lol.

Now to find the best price on bulk mealies.. I've been paying wayyy too much!

I mainly want Bewick Wren, Carolina Wrens, Kinglet, and all the Warblers to get to them and have plenty. People just north of me get BBs, and just maybe I will see some in my own back yard one day.

;-)

One bird harder than a titmouse to catch in flight

Here's my effort from this morning

Dave, That's a Black Capped Chickadee, I put a pine cone out by my bedroom window by a feeder filled with peanut butter and there is all kinds of action out there today from them and a few Cardinals, it's about time to go fill it up again they have the pine cone spinning looking for more peanut butter LOL Oh, the Carolina Wren likes the peanut butter too! I love seeing him up close!

The only time I see the Titmouse sit for very long is when they have a seed on a branch trying to crack it open to eat :)