Garden Birds 2017 - part 1

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while will know that one of my favourite photographic challenges at this time of year is photographing garden birds.  I set up a hide in my garden, with a series of attractive perches, with the hope of photographing the birds on the way to bird feeders close by. Using this approach I have successfully photographed a range of bird species only feet from my back door and the warmth and comfort of home. 

One of the things I have never tried before is introducing water into the photos. I have seen other photos, professional and amateur, at setups similar to mine, but with the birds bathing, drinking or simply reflected in a pool of water. This year I have decided to give this a go.

The opportunities for photography have been limited this year, with work commitments,  my new found love of running, and some very gloomy weather, particularly at weekends. In setting up a reflection pool I have blatantly copied the approach taken by a fellow photographer, who published details of his setup on facebook. I would strongly recommend reading this post if you are interested in doing this kind of thing ( I will provide a link in a subsequent post).

Even with this guide it is quite difficult to get things right - and I don't think I am there yet. I will provide more details soon. In the meantime here are a few images of common garden birds, taken on the perches I have set up alongside the pool. The 150-600mm lens means you can really fill the frame, even with the smallest of birds, and the fact that it is a zoom lens allows a range of compositions. 

Firstly Blue tits.

Blue TitPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire  

Blue TitPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

Blue TitPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

Also a Great Tit.

Great TitPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

And one of a pair of Robins that live in our garden.

RobinPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

RobinPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

RobinPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

RobinPrivate Location, Grantham, Lincolnshire

More to come soon.........