Bird House

Late fall is a ideal time to photograph wild birds. Leaves are falling off the trees, opening the view and birds are eager to feed. And if you are participating in 1 of the many organized bird counts taking place between now and mid-February, a photographic record can be invaluable in identifying the counted birds.

As widespread as birds are, and as photogenic as several of them are, they are maddeningly challenging to photograph. It is difficult to get close enough for a decent shot, and birds in no way appear to sit still for the camera. Lighting, focus, and exposure can be tricky, fooling even the best automatic exposure and focus mechanisms. So what do you do?

Method
As with any photography, realizing your topic will boost your photographs. Spend some time watching the behavior of birds about your feeder. You will notice particular patterns. Do they very first land on a nearby branch just before going to your feeder? Do they return as soon as they have grabbed a morsel? Do some birds feed off the spilled seed on the ground? Do they favor a specific spot on your feeder? What time of day do various species feed? When will the greatest light fall on your birds?

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Though I do not know the answer to the Mad Hatter’s riddle posed to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland:  “Why is a Raven like a writing desk?”, I do know how to tell a raven from a crow!

I have heard raven and crow used interchangeably to describe any large black bird.  In truth there are a lot of methods a widespread crow and a raven are alike.  They both are the exact same color, all black from beak to legs.  They both exhibit boisterous, aggressive behavior if they really feel threatened.  It is not uncommon for either of them to drive off an owl or a hawk.  Both are extremely intelligent, playful, and are good at solving puzzles.  I witnessed a crow open my suet basket with ease and fly off with its prize!  So thievery is on their agenda as nicely.

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Purple martins are the only North American bird that will nest together in multi-level birdhouse “condos” and create martin colonies of up to a hundred people. These birds are recognized for their iridescent purple plumage and have lengthy been identified for their insect-consuming abilities. Centuries ago Native Americans lured martin birds to their property websites with natural hollowed out gourds. Today, martins have become increasingly dependent on man-produced apartment-like birdhouses and nesting websites provided by humans.

Nest competition from starlings and home sparrows has contributed to a decline in the number of North America’s largest sparrow. The Purple Martin Conservation Association is dedicated to the conservation and population growth of North America’s largest swallow through scientific research and public education. The PMCA recommends opening your starling resistant birdhouse about the time when adult martins are initial scheduled to start arriving in your area. If essential, briefly close the martin home to keep other competitor birds like starlings, house sparrows, bluebirds, tree swallows, flycatchers, and home wrens from claiming the nesting website.

When picking a martin birdhouse or when developing your own make sure it is lightweight, so it can be safely raised and lowered. Martin birdhouses ought to be light in color and ventilated to stay away from overheating inside the home. Professionally developed birdhouses constructed with cool aluminum, reflective rooftops, and ceiling panels with proper ventilation supply wholesome houses for martin birds. Starling resistant entrance holes, recognized as SREH entrances, are developed to resist predators and are recommended by the PMCA to assist keep birds  safe when inside the birdhouse. Other features obtainable with expert houses include separate entries and nesting rooms for each family. This provides a protective staging location for young birds prior to flight and greater protection from natural predators such as starlings, owls, coons, and hawks. Bigger compartments also supply safety and enable martin families to yield much more fledglings.

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