Birding
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How and why did I get so into birding and bird photography?
Roxy started me photographing birds.
I’ve been asked this question a number of times - people are curious if this is something I have done for a long time, did with my family growing up, or if it’s new? While I have always been interested in birds and set up bird feeders in my yard over the years, my interest certainly increased once I seriously got into photography. I have mentioned that I first picked up a camera when we got our cat Roxy, but we soon found out that she has a fascination for birds - not to hunt them, but to watch them - maybe this contributed to me getting into birding.
My father was also a hobbyist photographer and he would spend many hours photographing robins, cardinals and blue jays in their yard as well as great blue herons and egrets a bit further afield. Perhaps I have inherited this interest from him - I know that when I am out birding and making images, I definitely feel a closer connection with him and it certainly benefits my mental wellbeing.
I think that my interest in birds surprises people as I don’t necessarily fit the stereotypical view of a bird photographer and I think it’s likely time to debunk that stereotype. Many different people (young and old) have found pleasure in bird watching and photographing them as it’s an interest that can be practiced on a short neighbourhood walk or a more lengthy birding destination trip. The stereotype of someone wearing a multi pocketed khaki coloured vest bulging with various birding accessories and a pair of binoculars hanging around their neck is not what I’ve been accustomed to seeing on my birding adventures.
My approach to birding
I have several approaches to birding and it really depends on how much time I have, the type of bird I’m looking for (if I’m looking for anything specific) and weather conditions.
Birding along the river valley near my home.
The majority of my birding is very local - I mean within a 5 minute walk from my home. I am fortunate to live close to a park system that runs along a river valley inhabited by all sorts of birds from songbirds and woodpeckers to water birds and raptors. Usually I will head out for a walk and take anywhere up to 2 - 3 hours for my birding experience. I almost always take my camera and a 150-600mm lens so that I have the ability to photograph birds that are close to me and at a bit of a distance. (see Bird Gallery)
When I do this sort of birding I am generally out looking to see what I can find without a definite plan in mind. I don’t stay in one spot unless there is something interesting happening, so this is more of an opportunistic birding approach and what I like to call a birding walking meditation.
Birding at Frank Lake - a local migratory bird waterway.
The other type of birding I do is travelling to a specific location to capture images of specific birds. This means travelling with a backpack and tripod along with some longer focal length lenses and prime lenses (i.e, 400mm or 600mm lenses). If I’m staying more local I will head to Frank Lake (a local migratory bird wetland area) where I can see all sorts of shore birds, herons, and pelicans to name a few. It’s about a 45 minute drive from home and I love to catch sunrise and golden hour light there, so a visit is usually 4 - 5 hours. (See Frank Lake gallery)
For other bird species I will travel further afield up to 10 hours or more away, but this usually means a weekend or up to a week long trip. I do this for snowy owls and a lot of this photography is done from my vehicle with the occasional use of my tripod. This type of birding is more of a find a location with the birds I’m looking for, or a location they are known to frequent and then sit and wait - and that can be all day sometimes. (See Snowy Owl gallery)
Benefits of birding
Sometimes it’s good to have a helper along.
I will be honest and say that while it is exciting to see different birds and those that I’ve never seen before (often termed lifers), I don’t really go birding with the express goal of capturing epic photographs or building a list of lifers. For me the experience is far more enjoyable without that pressure. I spend the time observing and learning bird habits as well as figuring out the best way to photograph them without disturbing them. This takes a lot of time and patience, however it is worth it when a bird trusts you enough to let you photograph it without changing its behaviour or flying off.
There is a lot of down time when I’m in the car birding and even when I’m walking - I spend this time doing my mindful meditation (see this blog) and just really being present. I even take my journal with me and if the opportunity arises I will stop and do some writing. All of this helps to calm my mind and slow down my breathing which really does benefit my health and mental wellbeing.
I also find birding is mentally stimulating - trying to figure out ways to identify birds either from their shape, colouring or song can be very challenging, however it’s so rewarding to be able to identify and know key habits of different species. It’s even more fun to be able to share tips and info with people when you’re out hiking or walking - fun short bits of info - not long winded bird dissertations - I promise!
Male Mountain Bluebird.
In 2023 I started to help out a friend with his Mountain Bluebird Nestbox Monitoring Run and I am getting ready to start year two of monitoring. When I started I had no idea how to tell the male from the female or what sort of habits they have.
By spending time with them and reading about them to understand behaviours that I have seen, I have built up a good basic knowledge of these beautiful birds who migrate to our area during the spring to build nests and raise one to two broods over the summer before they migrate again in the fall.
It has been so satisfying to provide safe nesting sites for these birds and watch them through their breeding season. I’ll be writing a post about this experience in the near future.
Resources that I use
I rely a lot on the Merlin Bird Apps (Merlin Bird Id and eBird) which has bird packs for different geographical areas. You can also record your bird sightings which is used for research purposes. I have recently started using the sound identification feature in the app and I find it really helpful and interesting. It helps me to have an idea what I might see which also gives me clues about where to look.
I also have several local birding handbooks which I use when I want to learn more information and details about the bird species.
In addition to my identification resources, I usually take binoculars as it’s easier to scan for birds with these than using my telephoto lenses. A good pair of binoculars is really useful and it is not an expensive investment unless you start getting into birding scopes.
With respect to camera settings, I use a mirrorless camera and I have the ability to put the shutter on silent mode which is useful for disturbing birds (especially song birds) when you are in close proximity. I also shoot on either low or high continuous burst mode. This allows me to capture any action (such as take offs, hunting or landings), but I usually shoot in short bursts unless there is something really exciting happening - otherwise I end up with hundreds of images to go through when I download the day’s shoot.
Common merganser feasting on a crayfish - taken late in the day after the sun had set.
I try not to get too caught up in gear, however there are certain things such as fast lens (i.e., ones with larger aperture ranges that allows more light into the camera during early morning and late evening hours when the light is low) and long lenses (focal lengths greater than 300mm) that make it easier to capture bird images without getting too close to the birds and disturbing them. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that you need super expensive gear to enjoy bird photography. I started out with a crop sensor camera and very affordable 70 - 300mm lens - a combination that enabled me to capture some amazing images of local birds. Other people have bridge cameras with built in zoom lenses and they are also able to capture some great images.
With respect to bird photography technique educational resources, I really like Steve Perry www.backcountrygallery.com for bird photography tips and camera settings. He shoots primarily Nikon or Sony, however the tips are very useful for any camera make/model.
Swainsons Hawk having a late afternoon meal.
By far the most inspiring and beautiful bird photography book that I have is Marie Read’s Mastering Bird Photography - I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in learning bird photography, however the stunning images in the book would tempt any bird lover to buy it just for the images.
“I attended a talk about what it takes to make great nature photographs. The speaker’s advice was deceptively simple and as relevant to bird photography as it was to nature photography in general. His four tips were: Be there, be prepared, be aware and be lucky.” (Marie Read - Mastering Bird Photography)
This is wise advice because I’ve found that frequenting the same areas and spending time with birds has really increased my “being lucky”factor.
My favourite birds
A Great Blue Heron who was a little late migrating and got caught in an early autumn snowfall catches snowflakes on his tongue.
This is a tough one to answer as there are so many beautiful birds that I’ve seen and photographed.
I have a special affinity for great blue herons as my father often photographed them and had an amazing sunset image with a heron silhouetted against the marsh grasses.
I have yet to see one in such a scenic location, however I continue to seek them out.
They are such a majestic birds in flight, but somewhat clumsy during take off and landing which makes for interesting images.
Female belted kingfisher eyeing up lunch in the lake.
Kingfishers are another favourite bird to photograph and capturing them in flight is a real challenge with their explosive speed during take off and flight.
I am fortunate to have several resident belted kingfishers that frequent the river valley near my home, so I’ve been able to observe them nesting in the sandy cliff banks and fishing in the river.
Kingfishers have a very distinctive raspy call that they emit just prior to taking off.
I have learned that the female has a rusty brown coloured band across her chest while the male does not which is how I can tell which I am photographing.
They like to nest in sandy banks along the river and feast mainly on fish and aquatic creatures like crayfish.
A family of loons at feeding time.
I also have an affinity for loons with their haunting calls on a lake in the misty late summer mornings.
I have been fortunate to capture images of them with young on their backs and handing off fish to them.
There is something magical about going for a sunrise kayak trip around the lake and photographing these beautiful birds in the golden light just after sunrise.
I have been fortunate to find up to 3 mating pairs on a single lake which makes for exciting photographic opportunities.
Male snowy owl flying across a farmer’s field.
Raptors are also a favourite of mine and especially snowy owls which overwinter in Canada. They prefer wide open fields to the thick forests frequented by other owl species.
Their preference for open spaces doesn’t make them any easier to locate as white against white makes them challenging to spot.
The females are slightly larger and have more distinct banding than the males which can be almost pure white.
They tend to like to perch on high spots such as snow banks, posts or even the crown of rural roads where they have a good vantage point to spot mice.
Red breasted nuthatches are local year round, but always a treat to see.
I notice that my favourite birds tend to be seen during specific times of the year - one might say they have a seasonal tone to them, but another benefit of birding is that it can be done year round and while it is interesting to spot migratory birds, there are beautiful year round species to choose from as well.
Red breasted nuthatches stay here year round and their inquisitive nature and penchant for stuffing seeds and nuts into crevices in tree trunks is always fun to watch.
They are such a dainty bird and can often be seen upside-down on a tree trunk pecking at the bark looking for that stash of seeds or nuts.
New birding trend
Birding used to be primarily an older person’s pastime, reserved for retirees with oodles of time, however since 2019 when travel was restricted, it has opened up to a much broader group and I often run into all sorts of people birding. Some are strictly focused on what they can see/identify, while others have cameras in hand and are anxious to capture that special image.
I have mentioned a lot of mindfulness health benefits from birding and there are also physical benefits from getting outside and walking to being able to lift and carry cameras and gear (I’m usually carrying 15 - 20lbs of gear in my backpack). I’ve noticed my strength and endurance has definitely benefited from this hobby.
I would encourage anyone who is interested in exploring birding to download the Merlin bird app (which is free) as a starting point. It can seem intimidating to identify bird species, but I would suggest starting local with your backyard birds or those in a nearby park. Once you build some confidence identifying a few species it becomes fun to look for them further afield. Grabbing an image with your phone camera can also be used to identify birds with the app, so this helps to expand your identification knowledge. Making this a game with your children can also turn walking into a fun educational connection time.
Are you a birder or have you ever given it a try? What is your favourite bird species? I’d love if you’d share in the comments below. If you’d like me to share more posts about birding or bird photography please let me know as I’m always happy to chat birds.
Pileated woodpecker - the largest woodpecker I see in my area.
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
