March 4, 2018 - Bird Photos with Props - 1

While we were in Florida this winter, I decided to try taking bird photos using props. I learned how to do that when I attended a workshop led by Alan Murphy a couple of years ago. I started by buying an interesting piece of driftwood, discovered by my shopping consultant (my wife Diana).

BirdPhotographysetupBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180203

This piece of wood had some hidden nooks where I could put food to attract the birds. I added some yellow wildflowers that were growing in the yard of the house we rented.

BirdPhotographysetupBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180203

The piece of wood was held to the deck railing by a bungy cord. Using an old tripod, I added a photogenic stick that the birds could perch on.

BirdPhotographysetupBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180203

I had some regular bird feeders out, so birds were already visiting our deck. A Gray Catbird was one of the first birds, however, to use my new setup and it even landed on the perch I provided.

CatbirdGrayBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180203

There were several places on the wood piece where birds could land and eat.

CatbirdGrayBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180203

Some, like this female Eastern Towhee, chose to land on top of the wood piece. I like this pose because it still includes some of the flowers but has a nice, clean background behind the bird.

TowheeEasternfemaleBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180208

A Northern Mockingbird became a regular visitor.

MockingbirdNorthernBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180208

Warblers aren’t usually attracted to feeders but, when I used some of the homemade suet I got from Native Nurseries, this Yellow-rumped Warbler became one of the most frequent visitors.

WarblerYellowrumpedBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180205

Because the Yellow-rumped Warbler is such a small bird and its winter plumage is dull, I think the flowers in this photo are actually a distraction. A larger bird, like a Mockingbird, or a very bright bird, like a male Cardinal, would probably have looked great here.

WarblerYellowrumpedBigBlueSeaThePlantationGeorgeIsland20180207