Bird Species
Date Photographed
Early January 2011
Where Photographed
This male northern cardinal was enjoying the sunflower seeds at the feeding station on my deck in a suburban Minnesota neighborhood. Normally, the cardinals visit the feeders first thing in the morning and at dusk. The deep snow and cold temperatures combined to change their schedule. I had over a dozen cardinals visiting my feeding stations all day long. The weather also made them much bolder. Normally, if the cardinals see me, they fly to the trees at the far end of the yard. The day I took this photo, the cardinals were hungry enough to ignore me, and I got several good photos of them.
Tips and Tricks
- Know your feeder birds. Know at what times of the day you are most likely to see them. Know which ones will ignore you if they can see you, and which ones you need to observe from a position where you can see them, but they cannot see you.
Melissa Mayntz, Birding / Wild Birds Guide, says:
Winter is a great time to take photos of feeding birds because they are hungry and are eager to visit feeders. Placing feeders near a window (but not close enough to be dangerous to the birds) is a great way to get excellent views for taking photos.
