It’s no secret that Spring marks a season of great activities and events. It’s the season for shaking off the winter blues and diving into all sorts of fun events and activities. For one, there’s March Madness for inclined basketball junkies. However, much of the buzz happens outside. You’ll see parks bustling with picnics, frisbee games, and folks just enjoying the sunshine, while gardens come alive from the city porch to the farm field.
If you’re into bird photography, spring really is the season to get excited about. For one, you get a huge influx of migratory birds returning, significantly increasing the diversity of species to capture. However, our avian friends are also sporting a vibrant breeding fluff, making them look absolutely stunning through your lens. It’s also a bustling period for courtship displays, nest building, and eventually, feeding hungry chicks.
The new, longer daylight hours and sparser foliage are also feathers in the cap for any birder with a camera in hand. Needless to say, there are endless opportunities to document fascinating behaviors this way.
Simply put, spring offers an unparalleled window for any photographer hoping to fill their memory bank with spectacular bird images. This, of course, rings true for digiscopers, as well.
Here are a few basic tips for capturing springtime birds via digiscoping – that is, using a smartphone camera, optics, and a Phone Skope adapter to connect them.
Like with any season, golden hours photography yields forgiving, images with soft lighting and shadows.
It’s all in the timing. The best time for bird photography is early morning (within 3 hours of sunrise) or late afternoon (2 hours before sunset) during the “golden hours” for soft, warm light and peak bird activity. Spring is ideal for migration and nesting, while winter/autumn offers greater visibility.
Managing light conditions. Generally speaking, it’s best to keep the sun at your back for digiscoping success. Less sunny days are much more forgiving. That’s why overcast days often provide some of the most successful digiscoping captures.
It’s important to be patient in a birdwatching location, but it’s also a good idea to stay mobile, hitting multiple ones.
Staying patient. Like with any outdoor photography, digiscoping requires a patient approach for success. Pick out spots that are deemed to hold a lot of birds and sit tight for a while. You never know what you’re missing when you constantly relocate.
Staying mobile. On the other hand, there is a sweet balance to be had when it comes to digiscoping location. Sure, give your spots time to produce, but it’s effective to have a variety of spots to visit. It’s like a bass fisherman, looking for slightly moving water, good lake structure, or the different winged “fish hawk that feed at the water surface. For bird photography, stay mobile, looking for areas with high-visibility trees, or a feeder, for that matter.
Additionally, when staying mobile, pack as light and efficiently as possible. The longer you remain unfatigued, the longer you can enjoy this physical, yet rewarding hobby.
The nest is best. Of course, when seeking good digiscoping setups and locations, finding a bird nest in the spring can be pure gold – even pure Golden Cheek Warbler. You might be treated to some pretty awesome behavior, born of the incredible maternal instinct of mother birds.
So, if you’re a birder, this is your time. If you’re a birder/photographer, it’s really your time. Embark on your next birding trip soon, with digiscoping gear in tow. It’s time to capture cool avian moments – vibrant and colorful ones. Good luck!