On the Hunt

In my attempts to try and shoot at least a few times a week, I decided to try and get some pictures of the many songbirds out by the feeders in the yard.  Trouble is they get spooked really easily. I tried various methods of getting close.  I tried just standing for a while, so they would get used to me.  That only worked for a little bit, but I still couldn't get close enough.  I tried standing behind some outdoor steps, but that was too far away.

I then found that the only way to get close enough was to go full camouflage.  I have a pop up hunting blind/bird blind.  It works great but is a pain to setup sometimes.  I had tried to do this before but it didn't work, so I had not done it in a while.

However, I figured out what I did wrong.  I didn't camouflage the lens.  The white Canon lens just stuck out on the background.  I got a Lens Coat and then BAM, its like I wasn't even there.  Its amazing how just that little change made all the difference.

TIPS

1. Get a telephoto lens at least 300 mm plus a 1.4 extender (my setup and you want the focal length)

2a. Get Camouflage - Blind or QuikCamo

      2b. Get a lens coat for the lens

3. If in a blind, get a comfortable seat ( I used a cheap stepladder - not good)

4. Use a tripod and at least a good ball head, but a gimbal head is better

5. Wait a little bit, let the birds get used to it

6. Setup next to a tree or bush, it helps you blend in better and gets you closer

Picture of Efforts Below