My Bird Table

Regular visitors to my Flickr photostream will be well aware that I have recently purchased 2 new lenses: A Sigma 10-20 mm wide angle zoom and a Sigma 70-300mm telephoto zoom with macro; the later was a spur of the moment purchase as it was cheap (€135.00) and had good reviews.

The 10-20mm I had tested and knew that it was a useful and well built lens, but the 70-300mm was a shot in the dark for me. Naturally, when it arrived it was straight on the camera and out I was looking for subjects too test it on. And naturally, for me, the weather was crap. Anyway here is my first test shot:

Click on image to see larger version

Without turning this post into a review, which I don’t want to do, I am so far happy with the results.

So I’m excited and there were loads of birds flying around, but the light was flatter than a French pizza. I wanted to capture something out of this world and as I ……well you can appreciate how I’m feeling; I decided to get the birds to come to me, as it was imposable to take any photos of them in-flight . I was going to build a bird table and put it up right outside my office window.

Not being the handiest man in the world, I set about looking at what I have lying around; There was nothing that doesn’t need a saw and a hammer. Plan B. What have I got that is upright and I can put bread on? The garden table….no, the local cats can get on that. Plan C: The ledge outside the window…no, I wouldn’t be able to move for fear of freighting them. I know, I’ll glue a plank on my old tripod, that way I can move it around and even adjust the height; I’m a genius, go for it Batman, plan D.

Having dug through all the old skies, boxes of junk and motorbike spares, I finally find my trusty old tripod. How pleased it was to see me after all these years! Little did it know that it was about to be recruited for a far more important cause than it had all those years ago. Next was to find the plank/wood/surface for my adjustable bird table. It’s at times like this when you realise how much useless junk you really do have.

I finally find my plank/wood/surface, but with one problem, no hole for which to attach it. This means finding the electric drill my wife bought me for Christmas 1986. I can’t remember using it, so it must be in the box somewhere. Just to diverse a little here: My wife bought me this drill thing for Christmas, I can’t remember ever wishing one, even in a moment of mad passion, yet there it was under the Christmas tree. So why did she get all mad, and still reminds me and everyone that she thinks is listening, about a dryer I bought her for her birthday 2 years ago. Somebody explain that to me! (comments welcome at the end of this post) Anyway, I’ve found the drill and I’ve even found a drill bit that is the right size; this is going to happen this bird table.

The shins on ones legs are very delicate things: I’m about halfway through this plank/wood/surface that I’m drilling when all of a sudden, what must have been a stray bit of Kriptonite, catches on the head of the drill bit. The plank/wood/surface then spins at 10000 rpm on the coke can I’m using as a rest and clobbers me in the shins. Even Dubliner’s would have been shocked by the words I used, but they sure would have enjoyed the dancing. Needless to say, it hurt.

With the table now bolted together – I even painted the surface white so as to reflect light and improve the photo – and my shins throbbing like they were injected with Viagra, the tripod is finally a fully adjustable feeding implement for the use of photographing birds; a Bird Table. I then carry my new creation to the back garden and load it with bread, bacon bits and some old peanuts I found. I set the table up about 3 metres from my window and adjust the camera with the remote cable attached. And wait…

And wait. After about half an hour later a Blue Tit finally lands and as fast as Superman on ecstasy is off in the other direction with my meaty morsel. Every time I reach for the remote they see me and get scared; I had to do something. So I lowered the blinds just enough for the camera to see the bird table. Things start to happen, the word is out on the skies and the birds start to land. After about 30 photos I decide to review what I had: 30 super views of our fence in the background, the autofocus has been deceived. I try manual focus, but the depth of field is so narrow that the next 30 photos are all blurred. Eventually, I find that “Group Dynamic” is the way to go and return to my stalker position and wait….and wait. Nothing, no birds, what’s going on? The answer becomes obvious when you see the next photo here:

Tactics had to be rethought, climbing objects had to be removed and I had to think if this was all worth it. Finally, I get a half – and I mean half – decent photo of a Robin red breast: see here. I once again reposition the camera and concentrate the food within the lenses field of view. So after about 3 hours of trying to juggle between work and safari bird stalker I get a good enough, and only ONE good enough photo that I feel I can post on Flickr and here it is:

Click image to see enlargement

Was it all worth it? In a way, yes. I’m feeding up the birds before winter and I get to see them up close and personal. As with all my photos though, I still feel that I haven’t quite got the shot I want, so will I be at it again today? Watch this space!

~ by ducatirider on October 24, 2007.