fieldcraft! (1 Viewer)

I learned from a wildlife photo pro that birds busy eating can be more approachable.We were both observing warblers in the spring.The always moving warblers were easier to get up on when occupied with bug snatching.Learning the range of each species helps too.A belted kingfisher is highly intolerant of humans inside of 30 feet.I have walked up as close as 7 feet to a green heron.The range principle can vary by individual bird.My 7 foot green heron has siblings in the same marsh that flee at a 12 foot encounter.
Sam

I too usually go to one of my usual haunts find a comfy spot, sit down and wait.
This is much the same as my dad used to do, I can remember him going out before sun up and spending the day under a camo sheet with his camera and getting some fantastic shots by picking the right place to stay.Picking the right spot comes down to knoledge about the bird your after or a good spot for everything local like a watering hole/puddle.
He is slowly converting his film and slide archive to digital. I've encoreged him to join and post some of his images here hopefully b4 he retires in a couple of years.

StevieEvans said:

Camo. gear.....?

Anyone..?

Real tree gear etc etc ....

Simon King......

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Simon King ? yes please! In camo gear; real tree gear or anything else!

Fieldcraft

I think my signature borrowed from the late Gerald Durrell says it quite
succinctly.

"Your first observations of birds and their behaviour can be
done by simply learning to drift gently through a wood:
a naturalist in a hurry never learns anything of value."

Gerald Durrell



Mike

Good tip: don't take 10 boy scouts on your hike. I tried.

Can't see the camo through the trees

I'll bet camo helps, but most people bird in places where birds are growing used to people being around. So if you not tramping the Alaskan trundra you look a bit odd walking through city park with a set of camies.

equipment question

Enjoyed your photo. I'm thinking of getting an L series lens and could use advice on the equipment you use. Curerently I am using an EOS 2000 with the standard 28-80mm. I would also love to learn or read more about fieldcraft. I grew up walking in the woods but never stalked animals. Any links would be appreciated. Thanks. Paul Friedel

Fieldcraft? Come young Dave, you know damn well that whenever we used to go birding together in Kent the nearest we got to fieldcraft was guffawing less loudly and chattering not quite so much! John

John Cantelo said:

Fieldcraft? Come young Dave, you know damn well that whenever we used to go birding together in Kent the nearest we got to fieldcraft was guffawing less loudly and chattering not quite so much! John

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I wonder how long it will take him to see your post, John. He's not been online since February!

Bluetail said:

I wonder how long it will take him to see your post, John. He's not been online since February!

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No problem, I'll phone the old whatnot & tell him! Dave is always good company when birding and I still s****** at his description of some rarity we shared as being 'as rare as rocking horse shit'!

John

John Cantelo said:

No problem, I'll phone the old whatnot & tell him! Dave is always good company when birding and I still s****** at his description of some rarity we shared as being 'as rare as rocking horse shit'! John

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Blimey! What a PC website I tried to write 's******' (= low chuckle) and it automatically introduced a line of * to obfuscate what I'd written! I wonder if it'll do it again! John

Hmmmm, dont know that camo is necessary, but in forests dark clothing, slow movement and silence helps a great deal.

Actually, around here camo helps you fit in with the humans more than the wildlife.

I find just about the most useful thing to do is find a good looking spot and then stand or sit quietly, even if you are in the open. Birds get more and more relaxed and come closer and closer. Usually the tamer species robins/ dunnocks first, then others as long as the robins etc aren't disturbed. It seems to give the shyer species confidence. I've had great results with this in Turkey and have found two hotspots which seem to be particularly attractive to migrants. One of them is a small copse and standing in the middle of this I've seen birds down to a few feet, warblers, shrikes, orioles, hoopoes, wheaters etc. walking through the copse I have trouble finding more than a couple of birds but standing still birds just seem to appear.

I work on the motto that the birds are smarter than I am. They always know I am there before I know they are there, let alone before I can spot, position scope, whip the camera off, focus, replace camera, frame and shoot.

They always know you are there. The trick is getting them not to mind that you are there. Just being in the one place for a decent amount of time without moving much helps a lot.

This is particularly noticable with waterbirds and waders, as they are often found in places where there simply isnt any cover at all. All you can do is make your way to a spot you like and then stand there waiting. Many species will gradually return to forage around you. On the other hand, some won't. In particular, some species seem to be influenced by other species around them. For example, last summer I drove quite some distance to see the rare Freckled Duck. They were at a sewage pond, no cover at all: just a big square pond cleared around for 30 or 40 metres in all directions. Lacking options, I just walked slowly down close to the water's edge and waited.

It was 47 degrees that day: seriously hot, but I stood, more or less without moving, for a half hour or so, waiting. (I'd have waited considerably longer in sensible weather, but hat or no hat, standing in the sun when it's 47 degrees in the shade (yes, that's the official BOM figure) is hard work. Little by little the stilts and avocets and dotterels came back, the Pacific Black Ducks drifted closer. But the Freckled Ducks stayed obstinately at the other side of the pond. I'm virtually certain that the only reason they did this was because they were taking their cue from the Pink-eared Ducks.

Bloody Pink-eared Ducks! They do that to me all the time: everyone is cool: I'm only a human and I'm just part of the landscape. Life goes on. There are birds everywhere. But then the Pink-eared Ducks spook, and every other species witin earshot takes off too. Wham-Bam! Empty pond.

Maybe I should dress up as a Pink-eared Duck.

I have a friend who says that the key spook-factor is the human outline; that if you can break up the head-and-shoulder outline, you can get much closer to all sorts of creatures. Assuming he is right, what can you do to break up your outline? And how silly does it make you look? No matter: if it gets me closer to the birds, I don't care.

John Cantelo suggesting I talk too much in the field. There's pot calling kettle

Dave

I have heard it said that whispering is more likely to disturb birds than talking at normal levels (especially in hides). Equally, trying to "sneak up" on wild animals often has a more alarming effect than ambling up in an apparently distinterested way. Some of my best sightings of wild animals, including birds, has been on horseback out in the open! I reckon birds are less concerned by what you are, and more concerned about your perceived intentions! There is also the question of "safe distance": as long as your proximity is not within the bird's circle of safety, you could probably dress up as a clown and perform the dance of the seven veils without putting your feathered friend to flight! What say you?

Ned

Ned

Hi Ned,

Welcome to Birdforum!

A lot of good points there, I've noticed it is often easier to get closer to a bird by walking zig-zag or in a spiral toward it, rather than straight towards it.

There`s a lot to be said for just sitting still in one place & letting the wildlife become acustomed to you.

Cheers Steve.

StevieEvans said:

Camo. gear.....?

Anyone..?

Real tree gear etc etc ....

Simon King......

Click to expand...

Mitcon and I are wearing camo gear, I've got the idea from him and I think it helps as long as you don't move too much. The army pants and jacket are very light and durable, a hat is a must under our harsh conditions.

We have covered our lenses with wetsuit material in camouflage pattern which also protects the lens from scrapes. Especially my 500mm F:4 is very conspicous as it is white originally.

I reckon birds are less concerned by what you are, and more concerned about your perceived intentions

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Ned[/QUOTE]

I was alone in a hide in SW Scotland, and had just spotted a Snow Goose in a flock of several thousand Pinkfeet, when I heard footsteps coming along the boardwalk. I looked out the window and saw an old bloke point out the geese to his companions using his walking stick. I looked back at the geese and they were all in the air, including the snowie. Great sight but it meant no photo.
Ken :-C