It was an ordinary tree limb about an inch or so in diameter lying on the ground with a graceful arch extending across and above the ground. Along its length a few smaller branches poked out here and there at random places. A background of crossing brambles lay about thirty feet or so behind and caught the full sun. Around the arching tree limb were placed several cedar stump-like logs and other assorted greenery along with rustic looking logs to provide a sampling of natural habitat foliage. Here and there black sunflower seeds we scattered placed at strategic locations to attract the myriad of songbirds that made this small corner opening at the edge the woods home. Before long, a brilliant crimson Northern Cardinal landed on the limb and raised his crown as if to proclaim this perch as his own. I moved the camera slightly to my left, focused on his eye, then recomposed and fired off a series of images. The resulting final image could possibly be the single best bird photograph I've ever taken...all made possible by shooting from inside the confines of a simple birding hideout.
Birding is a hobby I've casually pursued off and on for many years. I have a decent bird sighting list I've kept up...sometimes, however, I've never seriously attempted to photograph these fascinating feathered friends until recently. Mostly I've just taken snap shots and spent time afield watching them, except on rare occasions.
My wife Kris has been the bird photographer in the family using a simple point and shoot zoom camera, she has captured some amazing photographs just by shooting them from the deck or through the bedroom window while they use the bird feeders. She and I both wanted something more, something that might offer the opportunity to not only see a wider variety of birds, but to capture them in their natural habitat. So I was prompted to construct a simple bird hideout.
Okay...I'll admit it...I sort of over-constructed this thing, but I wanted something that was semi-portable, yet substantial enough to provide not only a good hiding place for bird photography, but something that would provide a element of weather protection. It's not waterproof, but does protect from the cold winter winds.
Commercial blinds are available and they work quite well and are designed to be portable. In many cases all that is required is simply something bland to sit behind to disguise your movement. The idea is to reduce the distance between the camera and the subject thus making it possible to capture more detail and to allow the birds to act in their normal manner. I constructed this one using an old studio backdrop as the main covering, then covered it with two strips of brown burlap which I painted in a camo pattern using flat black and flat brown spray paint. The main covering was simply draped over a rope that was tied between two trees and then staked down at the corners to create a type of A-frame tent-like structure. The burlap was simply draped over it and held in place by using short pieces of twine to tie it together. I also used a couple of long branches wedged into the ground and extended outward to "inflate" the material from the inside to provided for more head room.
About five yards or so in front of the hideout I placed a series of natural props including cut logs, natural logs, tree limbs, greenery, and other assorted things for a feeding area. The idea is to be able to change it up from time to time...add to it, remove things, re-arrange, that sort of thing to maintain a fresh look. It's also important to provide perching locations near the feeding station as the birds tend to briefly stop on perch's to make sure it is safe before dropping onto the feeding area. I've added to and modified my setup numerous times since the first installment.
Just as important as the props is the background which should be several yards behind and provide a solid yet diffused assembly of natural foliage. Treelines, brambles, bushes, brush piles, dirt mounds, a distant hill, a shaded area, just about anything natural will work, it just needs to be separated several yards from where you want the birds to land. You will also want the prevailing light to come from behind you in most cases. As with the props, you can get creative with the placement of your hideout to best take advantage of the light. In the summer, the area I use will also have a natural growth of wild flowers which will enhance the scenic value of the birding photo opportunity.
As far as attracting the birds, I use black sunflower seeds mostly which can be purchased at any location that sells birdseed, but I also use peanut butter mixed with ordinary birdseed to make a kind of suet that is wedged into small holes drilled into the props. Things like Mill Worms and fruit rinds also work and will attract a wider variety of birds and possibly other kinds of wildlife in the long run. Woodpeckers especially like old semi-rotting limbs that harbor insects and such, so by hanging them onto longer limbs wedged into the ground like a pole, you enhance the ability to attract those fascinating birds. You can even toss out some "road-kill" to attract birds like vultures and possibly even birds of prey. It can sometimes take a few days even up to a week for the birds to find the offerings and get use to the blind being there, so be patient.
Focus is also important. You should always focus on the eye of the birds using single point focus. Most cameras allow you to move that single focus point around to aide in composition, but simply using the center point as the focus point, you can easily recompose or crop your image to obtain the result you want.
So there you have it, in a nutshell, using a birding hideout can certainly provide a great deal of enjoyment and an often welcomed change of pace for your photography. Hope you can give it a try.
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