I was browsing through the bird shot threads and they seem like a lot of fun! =)

Naturally, i got curious as to how you guys started birding and what equipments are essential to get wonderful shots such as those i see on this forum =)

Please enlighten me =)

By the way, i'm currently using an Olympus E-300 and the longest focal length available to me is 200mm at F5.6, pretty humbling reading about what focal lenghts you guys can acheive with your telephotos! =b Lol! =)

Paging Reyno and Romy... :)

Hi Tok,

The best way to start in bird photography is to join a local birding club so you get to know the habits and habitat of the subject. Equipment is important, but only secondary to subject knowledge. After all, what's the use of a 1200 mm lens if you've to shoot from afar?

Check out the website of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines. They conduct regular bird walks in Metro Manila, and membership is open, with a minimal registration fee.

http://www.birdwatch.ph/ (http://www.birdwatch.ph/)


We also have a local e-group dedicated to sharing info on Philippine bird photography:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/philippine_bird_photography/ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/philippine_bird_photography/)


Here's a link to the wonderful site of fellow Naturescapes member Sudhir Shivaram, an Indian bird shooter based in Bangalore:

http://www.thejunglelook.com/Info/bp/BirdPhotography.html


Bird photography is fun, very challeging and gratifying, and can change one's lifestyle and views on the things around us...:)

Romy

I totally agree with Romy. Second is patience. Birds do not come to you, you go find em. In line with that , be prepared for long waits at times and also for long walks. As far as your current equipment is concern, I have to be frank and honest with you, 200m is not long enough for birding or wildlife photography in general. But don't be discouraged by my statement because I started with a 70-200 and move my up to longer focal length as I got familiar with my subjects. When you become familiar with them, you will learn how to get within a distance to shoot an acceptable photo without spooking your subjects. Good luck and happy shooting.

Thanks for the replies! =)

I think the nature trips might do me some good, especially the lifestyle change! =b hehehe =)

i'm surprised to find out that the coastal area is one of the birding hotspots around manila! =) encouraging to know that birds actually go there despite the pollution and people go there to observe them! =)

besides the appropriate gear, is there anything else i should know? =)

Thanks for the replies! =)

I think the nature trips might do me some good, especially the lifestyle change! =b hehehe =)

i'm surprised to find out that the coastal area is one of the birding hotspots around manila! =) encouraging to know that birds actually go there despite the pollution and people go there to observe them! =)

besides the appropriate gear, is there anything else i should know? =)

mmmmmm... I know these kinda areas can be a bit nasty to your equipment... specially those zones which have high salt deposits around... Clean your equipment well after the shoot. :)

The coastal road area is indeed a birding hotspot but not for the faint-hearted. You have to be ready to deal with the realities of the area. But it's a great place for birding and I've seen Romy's shots from there and they are fantastic! Here are a few captures just from last Saturday. Taken with a Tamron 200-500 lens with a 1.4x TC.

White-collared Kingfisher
http://www.photo.net.ph/albums/userpics/10179/_TJP8495.jpg

Little Egret
http://www.photo.net.ph/albums/userpics/10179/_TJP8509.jpg

Little Egret
http://www.photo.net.ph/albums/userpics/10179/_TJP8515.jpg

Black-capped Night Heron
http://www.photo.net.ph/albums/userpics/10179/_TJP8530.jpg

Not to sound too technical, but learning how to PP in RAW helps. The conditions during this shoot weren't ideal for me. Being overcast was not a problem, but there was a haze around that entire morning, so the atmosphere seemed to be in one big filter! PPing in RAW helped me salvage my images. Things I picked-up from Romy:
- learn how to shoot using full manual settings
- shoot in RAW
- be patient!

Nice shot TJ. The coastal area you're talking about, is this the reclaimed part of Manila Bay?

Thanks for the replies! =)

I think the nature trips might do me some good, especially the lifestyle change! =b hehehe =)

i'm surprised to find out that the coastal area is one of the birding hotspots around manila! =) encouraging to know that birds actually go there despite the pollution and people go there to observe them! =)

besides the appropriate gear, is there anything else i should know? =)

Practice, and lots of it hehehe...
But seriously, if you wanna know the capability (focal length) of your equipment, try the "beer can test method." Here's how it works:
Take a can of beer and put it on top of a chair or something elevated, step back 5 feet, aim at the center and shoot, step back 10 feet, step back 15 feet, step back 20 feet. At the end of photo shoot compare the sizes of the beer can. Crop your images to determine if the sizes of images from these distances will produce an acceptable capture.From your shoots you can determine how far you have to fall back from the subject to make an acceptable photo (image quality). Good luck Tok and happy shooting.

Nice shot TJ. The coastal area you're talking about, is this the reclaimed part of Manila Bay?

Thanks Reyno! The reclaimed area is along Macapagal Avenue where the SM Mall of Asia is located. If you proceed along Macapagal Avenue, at the end of it there are some grasslands where you can find lesser coucals, munias, little egrets, little herons, black-capped night herons, bright-capped and zitting cisticolas, and even grass owls. You can see some pics on a previous thread. (http://www.digitalphotographer.com.ph/forum/showthread.php?t=397) Continue further and you reach the Coastal Road that leads to Cavite. These shots are form a fisherman's "wharf" that faces a lagoon. I haven't been here yet when all the migrants arrive, so I can't wait for that in the next few months.

Nice captures TJ ! I agree with you TJ, that coastal area isn't really for the faint-hearted ... grabe so much garbage but a truly wonderful place to see so many of our feathered friends.

Birding is a state of mind. Mental preparation first before hardware. In the links below, I have written basic birding articles that summarizes the path I have taken. Pardon the incoherencies, lost thoughts and grammar issues as the limit was only two pages and was asked by the editor to really target first time digicam user. I am more at home at doing eng'g technical report but hope these will give you another perspective in your birding quest.
cheers,
gil

birding in general
http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/nature/birds.php

bird in flight basics
http://www.digicamhelp.com/learn/nature/flight.php

Thanks everyone for the replies! =)

would there be a good place to start birding? The coastal area is actually near our place, but with a limited focal length, i'm not sure if i can capture them properly. i might go there sans camera just to get a feel of the whole thing =b

either that or i'll try to practice shooting some maynas around our backyard, hehehe =b

what's the best time to go birding?

Nice captures TJ ! I agree with you TJ, that coastal area isn't really for the faint-hearted ... grabe so much garbage but a truly wonderful place to see so many of our feathered friends.

Great captures, TJ.... the WCKFs are better groomed than what I normally see there....:)


Speaking of garbage, Tina, there was a birdnut seen there early this year, who was reportedly trying to shoot water birds among mounds of trash......:Grin:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/54464504.jpg



The crazy guy got these Common Redshanks in that sortie:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/54469568.jpg



Romy

Who could that birdnut be..hehehehe... excellent composition and perfectly exposed captures Romy.

I wonder who that SUPER birdnut is ??? LOL Romy, grabe ka ha !!!! At least your blind gave you wonderful results.... Hmmmm eh kahit naman walang blind, you always come out with excellent shots eh :)

Maski naka camo-hide, I know who that birdnut is! Now that's being passionate about your subjects and your craft!

That looks like fun Romy! =) some people might have mistaken you for something other than a photographer if it weren't for those huge lens! Lol! =)

how long were you in that position?

Grabe :) Full battle gear... "Hindi ka ba kumakain ng Siopao under those covers?!" :)

Mabuti at hindi na recycle si Romy :~). I am not yet at that level as my bird dreams is still not yet nightly :~).
cheers,
gil

That looks like fun Romy! =) some people might have mistaken you for something other than a photographer if it weren't for those huge lens! Lol! =)

how long were you in that position?

Tok, I was that way for over an hour. When the sun got more intense, I switched to shooting fliers... :)


Grabe :) Full battle gear... "Hindi ka ba kumakain ng Siopao under those covers?!" :)

Earl, the stench and sight there were so bad that I imagine the only thing one can enjoy doing there is shoot birds...:Grin:

Romy

Tok, I was that way for over an hour. When the sun got more intense, I switched to shooting fliers... :)

Earl, the stench and sight there were so bad that I imagine the only thing one can enjoy doing there is shoot birds...:Grin:

Romy

Yan ang nuts over birds talaga !!!!! You are the #1 proof that we will go through almost anything just to be able to shoot birds .... but I will most definitely NOT tolerate the leeches that Nilo was making kwento about one time :Grin:

Yan ang nuts over birds talaga !!!!! You are the #1 proof that we will go through almost anything just to be able to shoot birds .... but I will most definitely NOT tolerate the leeches that Nilo was making kwento about one time :Grin:

Tina, when you see the colorful endemics higher in the slopes of Mt. Makiling, the leeches would be inconsequential.... baka pati ahas, di mo papansinin and you'll just keep on shooting... :D

Romy

HEhEHEhhEHehHEHehHEHEheHE Romy ! Yikessss I dread the thought of going through such an ordeal - SNAKES !!! No Way Jose !!! I leave it all to you and the other guys nalang to go up those mountains and to experience those leeches and snakes :Dum:

My favorite birding spot is definitely Subic (second only to Candaba of course) - Dude birding lang most of the time - what could be simpler than that - HEhEHEHhEHEhHEHEhe