Cautch pan for platform bird feeder manual#
Cautch pan for platform bird feeder full#

Cautch pan for platform bird feeder manual#

You have to keep a sharp eye out for the birds as they will come and go before you even get a chance to photograph them, that’s why manual focus is so important.Īs a bird approaches the feeder, fire away. I find focusing here gets me the highest keeper rate as most of the birds will land on the middle of one of the side boards, or close to it. So now that the feeder is set up and camera is on a tripod, manually focus on the pole that supports the feeder. This will keep you from walking back and forth to the feeder moving it 5 mm closer or further away 10 times when taking down and setting up. You can take measurements and duplicate them every time you set up, or simply put something in the ground as a marker for the feeder position. TIP: Once you get set up on a station, don’t try to chase all the other birds around. A zoom lens works well in this application. Too close and parts of the bird will be chopped off in the image. Too far away, you’ll have to crop the heck out of your images and it will degrade the quality. When setting up the platform feeder, make sure it’s not too far away, or too close. After a while you’ll begin to notice the different approach areas different species take so you can adjust as needed. If I want to photograph a different bird, I may have to move the feeder according to where the bird enters the yard. (Large or small)Īs I mentioned earlier, the Cardinals in my yard follow a specific flight path. I went a bit further and mounted my feeder on a light stand which allows me to move the feeder wherever I want it depending on the sun, the background I want, or the species of birds using the feeder. I’ve used those and one of the issues I had was it turning or swinging in the wind. There are several ways to mount the feeder but I do not recommend the type that hang. Keep in mind we only want a shot of an isolated bird with a nice wing pose.

It’s important not to get a large section of the feeder in the photo because that’s more cropping you’ll have to do. So, you should set up your camera towards the side facing the fence. For instance, if the birds land on a fence on one side of your yard, they will probably leave the fence and land on the same side of the feeder. When using a platform feeder to capture birds in flight, there is no way to restrict where they will land but you can through proper placement, line the feeder up within a flight pattern. I can pretty much predict the flight path and set up my camera accordingly. SECRET: The smaller the platform feeder the better your odds of getting a bird in focus because the smaller feeder brings the bird closer to the platform feeder support pole, which we manually focus on.Ĭardinals in my yard fly from the woods, to my weeping willow tree, and then onto a rose bush near the feeder, then they land on the side of the feeder.

Cautch pan for platform bird feeder full#

for Instance, the Red Bellied Woodpecker will come in low and swoop upwards and then land on the feeder so I know not only do I have to turn my camera, I also have to aim more towards the ground to get that awesome full wing spread. When using a platform feeder, you will need to study where different species of birds land and take off. Platform feeders are a bit more challenging when capturing birds in flight due to the size, largely because there is more real estate for the birds to land on, unlike the tube feeder. It’s not unusual to see a large variety of bigger birds on this feeder.

Unlike the tube feeders, platform feeders offer more room and the ability to utilize a variety of seeds. Try them both and decide which one gives you the most keepers. I currently have two techniques using the platform feeder. These feeders are also the best way to capture birds in flight in my opinion. Platform feeders are the best way to attract larger birds like Woodpeckers, Blue jays, Cardinals etc. NOTE: This method works best with birds flying in from the side of the feeder.