How do you practice shooting small birds in flight?

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Bluetail

Bluetail

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I realize that ‘just go out, find the birds and fire away’ may be the first and most obvious option out of the gate, but what I’m looking for are your tips on how to practice with the intent of getting more of the bird in focus. If, say, I were trying to learn to play a musical instrument and wanted to improve, a teacher might assign specific drills and I’d know I was improving if I could master them by the next lesson. My problem is that I’ve been going to a feeder in a local cemetery that’s been attracting tons of finches, chickadees, nuthatches, etc., and I seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over with getting and keeping the focusing square on the eye, which is much less of an issue (of course) with larger birds.
Here’s an example: this cardinal had been feeding on the platform in the lower left of the image, and I lined up the shot and placed the focus point right over her eye; a split second later, she took off and I had yet another near-miss with focus to add to my burgeoning collection. (Settings=1/1600 @f5.6, ISO 1000 (auto); AF-C, dynamic 25 on a D500 with 500mm f5.6 PF lens. EC=+0.7. The day was densely overcast with snow on the ground.) My goal is to become more skilled at shooting small birds in flight in time for spring migration, and I’d love to hear any tips that helped you!
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Sorry - not trying to be a smart ass, but you answered your own question. Go shoot little birds. I’m not sure I buy the music analogy. Playing piano etudes to sharpen skills so you can play a Chopin Sonata is still playing the piano to gain the dexterity to move up to full opuses. I suppose you can shoot any small moving object to enhance you tracking skills before shooting small BIF’s, but I’m at a loss to recommend something small that flits other than a bird.

not to mention, playing practice etudes is boring. Shooting little fast moving critters is far more fun than shooting non birds to gain competency. And by shooting birds themselves at first, you might get lucky and nail a good shot. Watching yourself improve while shooting the lil’ guys is far more satisfying than shooting practice targets.
 
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As an addendum to my above post - practice notwithstanding, it does help to read up on camera techniques and birding behavior . Steve’s videos are a great place to start. My BIF technique improved vastly when I learned that birds always take off into the wind. That is not something one would learn no matter how much photography practice one does. That tidbit and a lot of other tips about how to set up the camera, etc is stuff you learn from reading up.
 
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Use single point AF then the camera won't be deciding which of the 25 focus points available should be the active one. Coupled with using burst mode you should be able to get the bird in focus when it moves. BBAF will help a lot.

When learning a musical instrument that's a whole new ball game. Many instruments won't move. Others will move only under your direct control precisely in the way you want it to move to facilitate playing. A bit like using single point AF :--).
 
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I tend to disagree with the idea of using single point focus for small bird BIF. I find it nearly impossible to get a single point on the eye of the bird and only rarely have I gotten it anywhere else on the bird. I use the smallest group focus and AF-C. For me, 1/1600th is not enough shutter speed. I like to set to something faster than 1/2000 if possible. If the subject is close and I do score it's just pure luck. You have a better chance if the bird is not too close. Bottom line: Thank heaven for digital cameras and continuous exposure mode. It ain't easy!
 
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Thank you for some helpful suggestions & I do indeed use bbf; also, i tend to toggle between d25, single point and group using the Pv and Fn1 buttons, depending on what’s in front of me & what I’m trying to accomplish. Also, I have Steve’s ebook on the Nikon AF system & maybe it’s time for another review of that excellent resource! So here are my takeaways from your comments: what I can practice is tracking—that comment really resonated—& that the music analogy broke down pretty quickly! :) Thanks again.
 
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This thread is right up my alley. I have been trying for a couple months now to shoot specificity chicksdees in flight. I’ve tried all the AF modes and get the best results with single. I’m using a D6 at 14fps, and a 500 f/4 G, 1/8000 at f10 when I have the light, letting the ISO fall where it may for now. The birds are at or near minimum focus distance because I want to keep cropping to a minimum. Those little buggers are fast!! I’ve learned a lot and seem to be inching closer and closer to the goal of a sharp eye with nicely spread wings. I think it’s ten times harder than a hummer in flight. Hummers will stop and let you take their pic, chickadees, once airborne, do not stop. Even at those settings, shutter speed and FPS, there is quite a distance between the bird from one pic to the next: not much dof, even at f/10. I’d say even at those speeds I get one chance out of three to catch the eye, from perched to gone.

It’s great fun trying.
 
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Chickadees are really tough to track. Talk about small, fast targets. The only success I have has with chickadees is when I can get setup with the bird on a branch and try to time my shutter release just as he takes off. Or - while purists may complain, I have been known to make a noise to get it to take flight. Yes I know that your not supposed to “disturb” wildlife while shooting, but chickadees seldom stay perched for long anyway and my tongue click is not that traumatic for the bird (although I never actually asked one about it.)
And even set up like that, my keeper rate is discouragingly low. If you’re getting 1/3 sharp eye focus, you’re doing better than I am.
 
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What a great question!

I think you're on the right track. You need volume to practice, so feeders and water features are both very good. I prefer the shot of the bird without a seed or part of a seed or suet on their beak, so I try to capture them landing or taking off to approach the feeder from a nearby perch. The best advice for volume is to have a single perch, and a single feeder nearby that they are visiting.

To the extent possible, try to make the bird's location predictable so you can pre-focus. The best way to do that with small birds is to set up a perch about 3-4 feet from your feeder. Birds like to fly to a nearby perch to "make sure things are safe" before landing on a feeder.

The other aspect of this is technique - and that includes camera settings. I'd never use single point for flight. If possible, I want to use group so I can follow the subject more easily, then move to Dynamic 25 if you can stay on the subject.

Take a look at your Lock On settings. That setting is a two edged sword. It controls how well a subject stays locked on a moving subject before seeking an alternate subject. But if you have not achieved focus, that setting would also hold lock on to an unintended subject and delay picking up your intended subject.

While you are learning, ease up on your focal length. It's exceptionally hard to focus on a small bird with 500mm equivalent or more. Try 200-300mm if the subject is not too small in the frame. That will make the subject easier to keep under the AF point or Group you select.
 
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You are closer than you think to getting some great images. You have excellent gear and you have a feeder. Study the flight patterns of the birds as they approach the feeder. Position yourself so you can photograph subjects as they approach, not as they leave. Use a shutter speed of a least 1/4000, especially if you have a limited panning range. Use Group focus and don’t worry about letting your ISO climb. This type of photography is reflexive and has a low success rate, so be patient.
 
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Rick, perhaps I wasn’t clear. I’m not GETTING 1 out of 3 sharp eyes, I’m getting a CHANCE at 1 out of 3. Haha. I have a few that are nearly there, but a bit soft. I am doing as you do, trying to catch them at take off, though they never sit still long enough to require asking to move. I’ve tried prefocusing in several ways, and locations, as Eric suggested. The time that tiny little eyeball passes through that plane of focus, even at f/10, is so, so brief.

Eric, thanks for the suggestions. I’m doing most of what you say, but my next shorter lens is 70-200. Also, apparently I’m not dexterous enough to change to D25 mid burst. I have tried and will continue to do so. Still experimenting with the lock on settings.
Again, it’s fun trying.
 
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As mentioned above, practice, practice , practice. But one area which was hit upon above and which makes the biggest difference between succes and failure is learning the subjects behavior. Anticipating when they will land or takeoff can make the difference. And they almost always show recognizable signs of that. That’s why practice so important. Also shoot as fast as possible and forget about ISO, at least initially.
 
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There is a reason why you don't see many photos of songbirds in flight. :)

Seriously - human reaction time is part of the equation. You can improve your reflexes and timing with practice, but it's always going to have a low hit rate. Focus challenges just reduce the hit rate further.

But think what a small community you join when you can get a few photos that are sharp and in focus.

Have you tried using "Split Second Shooting"?
https://nps.nikonimaging.com/technical_solutions/z7_z6_tips/split-second_shots/

Of course, that could give you hundreds more out of focus or missed shots, but it would give you a large number of frames when you do have good focus.
 
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Eric Bowles gave you some very good suggestions...and yes, there is a reason you don't see many song birds in flight. Fast, fast, fast. I admire that you try. And you continue to try. The problem here is that they have so many choices and angles of launch it is a daunting endeavor. Add this to having a narrow depth of field, it is tough. There is another way to do this and increase your chances. One of the masters of BIF for smaller birds is Allen Murphy. What you will see in his designs and teachings is his perch and feeder management matches what Eric suggested. What I would add to that is try to get the bird arriving on the perch vs. leaving the feeder. Part of perch management is learning the flight pattern of the arriving birds. Once you see the pre-perch pattern, you can then focus on the perch (or just a tiny bit behind it), lock down the tripod and use a shutter release. I futz around quit a bit in the back yard with these techniques. It appears that perch management and creation of same is a bit of an art. Wishing you all the best in this!
 
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Great comments, Kim.

One thing I'll add from my birding experience is you can "train" your birds. If you regularly put out food at the same time of day in the same place, the birds will literally wait for it to arrive. It reduces the amount of food you use, and helps birds balance natural food with supplemental food. So your photography is for a couple of hours in the morning or late in the day when food is provided. But you need to be consistent with the food even if you are not with the photography.
 
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I have a few questions for you. First, how close to the birds are you when you're photographing them, and how much did you crop this image? Also, have you tried on a sunny day with better light?

It seems you're frustrated with your results. But you're trying to accomplish something that is one of the most difficult tasks in photography under some of the poorest conditions to do so.

Wayne
 
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JSD said:
Rick, perhaps I wasn’t clear. I’m not GETTING 1 out of 3 sharp eyes, I’m getting a CHANCE at 1 out of 3.
Click to expand...

Whew! Here I thought, “If this guy is getting 1 out of 3, he doesn’t need my help!” Seriously though, you’ve gotten some good suggestions from the folks here and yes, shooting song birds is certainly tough. Keep the faith - hope springs eternal.
 
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Someone, a golfer maybe?, said “the more I practice the luckier I get”, and a photographer said, “ if luck smiles on you, don’t screw it up”.
Practice, and be in the zone when the time is right. 😎
 
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JSD said:
Someone, a golfer maybe?, said “the more I practice the luckier I get”, and a photographer said, “ if luck smiles on you, don’t screw it up”.
Practice, and be in the zone when the time is right. 😎
Click to expand...
If I gave any serious thought to the number of times luck smiled upon me but I went and "screwed it up" I'd probably be living in a mental institution somewhere. LOL!
 
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