For many folks, doing local bird photography is their best option from both cost and time commitment perspectives. Flying to an out-of-country location to spend a week with a professional photographer/guide to photograph exotic birds can be an exciting prospect. From a practical perspective it is simply out-of-reach financially for many of us.

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To make the most of our local bird photography opportunities there are some simple things we can do.

Weather can directly impact subject density

It is important to learn how local weather can impact the subject density of various bird species in our local areas.

For example, the gull and duck images that appear in the first part of this article were captured in January after a prolonged spell of very cold weather in the Niagara peninsula.

I knew from experience that the temperature needed to stay in the -10 degree Celsius or colder range for at least a week before the ice at the local harbour would freeze out to the lighthouse area.

If this sustained cold weather was accompanied by some high winds, ice would pile up along the edge of the lake side of the frozen harbour.

These conditions force the ducks and gulls to fly out to Lake Ontario to feed, then return to a large section of ice and snow where they would congregate.

Hundreds of ducks and gulls would gather on this large patch of locked-in ice and create an abundance of opportunities to photograph the birds in-flight.

These specific conditions only happen once every few years and do not last very long. A few days of warm weather can cause the ice build-up to disappear quite quickly. And, it may not reform again for the rest of the winter season.

While the birds are in this concentrated state they represent a wonderful opportunity to get in some practice with birds-in-flight. I had a couple of days this past January when I could easily fill a couple of memory cards with 4,500 to 5,000 images of birds-in-flight, in less than 3 hours.

Winter conditions as well as heat, storms, fog and other weather related factors can cause birds to take shelter.

Take note of migration times.

While some birds may stay in our local area all year round, other species may only appear during migration times. For example, in my local area swallows tend to arrive in late April to early May.

They can be plentiful and active while they build nests, mate, and raise their chicks. Once the chicks have fledged by mid June, the swallows often move on to different areas to feed.

Many species of small songbirds tend to arrive in early to mid May and stay until the early fall, before they begin to fly south.

Some birds may stay later in the fall if their source of food in the area is also migratory.

This is the case with vultures in our area. They will feed on the carcasses of salmon that swam up area creeks to spawn.

Bird watching clubs and web sites that track sightings of migrating birds can be valuable sources of local information.

Birds need food, water and shelter.

Local bird photography is contingent on our winged friends having enough food, water and shelter. Talk to other bird photographers and members of bird watching clubs to discover where specific species can be found, and what time of year they are most plentiful.

Sometimes birds can vacate an area quickly. I was at Hendrie Valley one afternoon and captured hundreds of images of cedar waxwings feeding on berries.

I decided to go back the next morning to capture some additional images… but upon arrival there were no cedar waxwings to be found. I had forgotten to check if there were any berries left on the trees the previous day before I left for home.

Learn where specific species in your local area tend to hunt. Birds like herons, kingfishers, ospreys, and egrets often frequent the same ponds throughout their time in an area… as long as the food is plentiful.

Adult birds will often feed their chicks for the first few weeks after the chicks have fledged. These interactions can create interesting photographic opportunities.

Observe various species and take note of how they feed. For example, terns will most often dive to catch a fish, but they will sometimes skim along the surface of the water if small fish are congregating near the surface.

After diving a tern will often do a mid-air shake to help dispel water from its feathers. It takes some practice to pan with these birds to capture a mid-air shake… but the resulting images are worth the effort.

Terns usually surface from a dive with a captured fish at right angles in their beaks. Since terns feed while in flight, a bird will need to toss its fish into the air so it can catch it head first. This allows the bird to swallow it.

Take notice of birds like terns flying with a fish in their beaks as they often drop their catch after tossing it in order to reposition it in their beaks… and then have to retrieve it in mid-air.

I always use a combination of Pro Capture L and Bird AI Subject Detection for birds-in-flight so I can capture an action sequence a split second after it actually happened.

It is critical to practice eye/hand coordination as opportunities for local bird photography can be fleeting… especially when birds are hunting, or returning to their nest with their catch.

Watch for mated pairs.

Be aware of mated pairs as they can be great opportunities for interesting in-flight opportunities. Water foul like ducks, geese and swans can be good species on which beginners can focus their bird-in-flight practice efforts.

Mating season brings out aggressive behaviour as birds fight to get a mate… or protect their current one.

Many birds use threat displays before attacking a competing bird. These can include the lowering of a bird’s head and neck, extending wings, and hissing.

Backyard bonanza.

Terrific local bird photography may be as close as our own backyards. Make your yard bird friendly by using bird feeders, adding a water feature, planting trees and shrubs that can serve as nesting areas, and mounting nesting boxes.

Here are some additional sample bird images that I captured handheld in my own backyard.

Observe birds and learn to anticipate behaviour.

Spending time observing bird behaviour is a good investment. You’ll notice how larger birds will typically defecate before taking flight. Smaller birds will usually crouch down before launching themselves into flight. And, birds almost always fly in the direction that their heads are pointed.

Birds that dive for their prey will sometimes do a mid-air shake to rid their feathers of water… like the osprey in the image below.

Some birds have aggressive personalities and will try to steal food from other birds… even some that are larger than themselves.

Use Pro Capture!

You can capitalize on anticipating bird behaviour by learning how to effectively use Pro Capture. Virtually all of my images where birds are moving in some way, were photographed using this fantastic technology.

Doing local bird photography can still be rewarding.

We don’t have to spend thousands of dollars, and fly to exotic locations, to experience the rewards of bird photography. All of the photographs featured in this article were captured within a 40 kilometer driving distance from my home.

Technical Note

Photographs were captured handheld using camera equipment  noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process in post. This is the 1,450 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.

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