I am moving forward with my quest to photograph garden birds in flight, instead of just having them sitting on a perch. I have recently bought a new remote sensor system. It is a LiDAR sensor from Cognisys, called the Sabre. It is fairly expensive, but great. It is similar to radar, but uses an infrared beam instead of a radio signal. it is much better than a PIR sensor. It does not need a separate receiver unit and importantly, it is not affected by changes in light or foliage moving in the background.
Something I find really useful is the ability to set up a “window” to restrict the area where the signal triggers the camera. It also has a narrow beam. I have already worked out a method of setting it up which only takes a couple of minutes and early results are very promising.
The most limiting thing at the moment is a distinct lack of birds. With lots of natural food around at the moment, I am getting fewer birds at the feeders and those that do come have little need to queue.
If I can refine my technique by winter, I hope to really capitalise on the method once the usual visitors return.
Until then, I will have to make do with my resident blackbirds and starlings. Mind you, when they oblige like this blackbird, then I really don’t mind.
Something I find really useful is the ability to set up a “window” to restrict the area where the signal triggers the camera. It also has a narrow beam. I have already worked out a method of setting it up which only takes a couple of minutes and early results are very promising.
The most limiting thing at the moment is a distinct lack of birds. With lots of natural food around at the moment, I am getting fewer birds at the feeders and those that do come have little need to queue.
If I can refine my technique by winter, I hope to really capitalise on the method once the usual visitors return.
Until then, I will have to make do with my resident blackbirds and starlings. Mind you, when they oblige like this blackbird, then I really don’t mind.
