*2nd & 3rd time photographing birds* (adding to original post)

[Jen]

I've never shot birds before and I tried the other night and it was tough! I guess I need a tripod!
Most were blurry...

1. I like this one composition-wise (not sure what bird these are is?):


2. At one point there were 7-8 of these little yellow birds on the feeder at once but I don't think those pics came out as good:


3. Is this a blue jay? Not sure?


4. Not sure what type of bird this is?


5. Same type of bird as #4...

[Jen]

6. Don't know what this little guy is?


7. Morning Dove, Right?


8. Same as #7...


9. A little robin back-side...

[squirl033]

Jen,

the little yellow ones are goldfinches. #3 is a blue jay, 4 & 5 look like downy woodpeckers. don't know about #6, i've never seen one of those. the mourning dove and robin you know.

as for the blurry photos, most of that is due to bad light. these look like you were shooting under terrible light conditions, so before you invest in a tripod (though eventually you'll want one anyway), try some shots on a brighter day. makes a world of difference! i don't know what kind of camera and lenses you have, but if you don't have stabilized lenses, shooting in poor light can be very frustrating indeed.

one thing about shooting birds... it's addicting! no matter how many shots you get of something, you always seem to want to take more... hence my zillions of heron shots! and with smaller birds, where it's more challenging, you're constantly striving to get a clearer shot, or perhaps a different behavior... or maybe just a bird you haven't gotten before. and if you go out and buy a big zoom lens, you're hooked!

[yorkshireman]

I can vouch for what squirl says I have cherry tree in my back garden in which doves roost and its very difficult to get clear photos with the light plus trying to catch birds amongst branches is a nightmare.

I have a stabalised zoom on my wish list and hope I can some good bird shots eventually - that bird is No.6 really is a pretty guy - hope someone can tell you what it is.

[JMLawson30]

These are all nice. I love the ones with the goldfinches! I am constantly looking outside to see if I can get a great picture of birds. Good job!

[Jen]

Julie - Thanks for your comments

Squirl - thanks for all of your feedback. Yes, you are very right..it was very poor lighting conditions because it was very overcast that day. I ws in the park the day before and I noticed all of the bird feeders through a fence from inside the flower garden. I could not believe how many different species of birds there were by these feeders. So, I decide the next day that I would make my way onto the other side of the fence and hang out by the bird feeders and just see what it was like to photograph the birds.

Well, I couldn't believe how hard it was to get clear shots. The flutter from tree to tree every few seconds. They'd take a seed, wait one second and then flutter to a tree. Then another bird would come down and do the same thing. The only time there were a lot of birds in one place was when the one feeder her around 6-7 gold finches on it at once. They seemed to take turns at the feeder and then rotate. There was so much movement that when I was zoomed in w/ my camera had I had a hard time locating where they were to capture them.

The other thing I noticed was that most of the gold finches and cardinals, and morning doves seemed to stick together with their own species most of the timw which I thought was interesting.

Even if they ended up bad & blurry (which is the case) I decided it was worth a try/the practice since I had never done it before.

Besides the species here there were so many other species there that were awesome. I will definitely go back there when I get a better camera.

YSM - I hope to identify all of the birds that hang in this park. #6 is a little cute guy with those big eyes. I only had a few shots of him and the others were realy blurry. This is the only other one of him that I could find semi-clear...hopefully someone can identify him:


Jen

[Finn]

Hello Jen!

First i have to excuse myself for my bad english, i do my best and i hope, that you will understand me.

To capture a bird is realy exigent. Some good suggestions:

- Use a light sensitive zoom lens with a high aperture (example f/2.8), so you can exempt the bird.
- Wait for sunlight, nothing can beat a bright, skyless sunlight.
- Take care, that the sunlight will come from behind you.
- You can put the camera on a stand in front of the feed-thing (sorry) and shot the pictures with a remote!
- Try to focus the eye of the bird!
- Take care, that nothing will be in front or behind the bird! (Example a perch).
- Use the mass photograph-function (hold the trigger and shoot some pictures in short time).
- Train with handsame bird.

I like to train with piegeons:




Harder: Seagull:




And never never never forget: enjoy your hobby!

Finn.

[Jen]

Thanks Finn!

I understand completely. I appreciate all of your suggestions and I will be sure to save them for when I get my new camera.

The seagull photo you posted was great!

Thanks again!

[photorover]

Really makes you appreciate what Sqirl and Fangman do - and now Finn, too -- huh, Jen?
ME TOO!

Yesterday afternoon I spied an unfamiliar bird in the tree - a most beautiful soft orange color, with black and white markings on its wings. Nearly broke my neck getting out the door to try and shoot it, and of course it flew away before I could get off a shot. It was back this morning, and the same scene. I ALMOST have it set up where I can shoot from the kitchen window.

I like the goldfinches.

[Finn]

Really makes you appreciate what Sqirl and Fangman do - and now Finn, too -- huh, Jen?

If its important for me, please change it in easy english