Bird Drips

I have been shooting birds in my backyard for the past few years and have read about people setting up drips at their perches. I was hoping someone could tell me how this is done.

Hey Todd

Here's a link to some info presented by Arthur Morris:

http://www.birdsasart.com/bn210.htm

Scroll down to the Samburu Water Drip for details. I haven't used this trechnique myself, as I have a pumped creek in my yard. However, I do plan to use this water drip when I can afford to travel to some drier places in the future

http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/view ... ight=water

Here is an essay that I did a couple of years ago. All the pictures have been deleted at this point but it might help. I could send you a shot of it if you wish?

Eleanor

This link will give you some more info on bird drips: http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/view ... bird+drips

Joe Smith

ebkw wrote:http://www.naturescapes.net/phpBB3/view ... ight=water

Here is an essay that I did a couple of years ago. All the pictures have been deleted at this point but it might help. I could send you a shot of it if you wish?

Eleanor

Eleanor,

I would love to see your images and how you have yours set up.

I am still trying to get my yard set up the way I want and need it for photography, yet not get in too much trouble with owner's association. Luckily, my immediate surrounding neighbors are pretty cool and find me amusing when I go out back to take care of 'the animals'.

Eventually, I want a big pond - not too deep, but large enough that the cranes, herons, egrets, etc. all come back. In my yard, I know they are semi-safe, in the lake-bed behind us (in the woods), kids go out there and wreck havoc.

Thanks!

I used a commercial bird drip on my ground bird bath for the first time this spring. While it's primary benefit is to make the still water of a bird bath more noitcable and attractive to birds overall, my goal was for it to attract more spring migrants (warblers, thrushes, vireos) passing by for a rest. In my large suburban yard in northeeastern NY, it did not accomplish this. As I normally do, I had few spring migrants around. The bird drip mainly got the attention of chickadees, house finches, and mourning doves.

Since fall migrants feed on berries and fruit and not just insects, I tend to get more warblers stopping by in fall. i will retry the drip then and see if it grounds any more warblers than I usually get.

Here's a few images of different drip set-ups that I have done.
The images below shows a dual flash set-up done for a shady area.
A small pond liner was placed in a hole in the ground and covered with dirt.
You can see a hose hanging from a tree with dripping water, and a branch placed over the pond for the birds to make their way down. This next image below shows a set-up that you can do in an area that you don't have access to running water.
This is a 5 gallon jug with a spiket (found at any camping store)
It can be hung from a branch, or a backdrop frame (as you see here)
I just scraped some soil away and layed down a piece of pond liner.
I did not cover the liner up. The birds still come down.
You can also see two small tripods, where I have branches (perches) attached to the handles. The perches are placed over the water.
These set-ups work best when placed near cover/trees.
This next image (below) shows a simple set up where I raised the pond off the ground, using a piece of plywood and a bucket.
This gives some great out-of-focus backgrounds.
For this set-up, you can see a small black hose, which is attached to a larger garden hose.
The small diameter hose gives a great drip and does not need to be suspended above the water very much.
You can also see an assortment of perches placed around the pond.
If you look carefully, you can see a perch with Pine cones coming out of the left tripod. I'm also including an image of an Orchard Oriole on that very perch to show you the result.
Here's the image of the Oriole on the Pine cones with the green out-of-focus background.

Alan - thanks so much for showing us. I've thought of raising my drip pool too because some birds want to land right next to it rather than on a perch 6 feet away. If the pond is on the ground and they insist on landing 12 inches away the background is going to be bad. To get those birds with nice backgrounds it seems raising the pond would be the answer (a useful solution in the sagebrush areas of Deschutes National Forest, OR perhaps).

The readers will note that the birds will nearly always face the water, so plan your perches accordingly. A perch directly behind the pool will yeild photos with birds facing the photographer directly most of the time, while profile shots are obtained by placing branches on either side of the pool.

OMG, thank you Alan!! This is what I've been looking for and missed when I had to leave St. Augustine before taking your class.

I knew what all I needed, but wasn't sure 'how' to bring everything together. These are awesome in the help department.

I do have a question though.... I've heard you mention before about using tripods for holding up perches, etc., and I see it in the images, but how? What do you have on the tripod to hold the perch?

*edited - Oops, going back and rereading it I see that you are using the handles. Cool!*

Great idea about the backdrop stand for holding water bottle.

Thanks... and thanks Matthew for tip about placing perches.

Another good way I've found for supporting perches is to get a length of 4" X 2" and drill a good selection of holes, the hole diameter can be varied to suit different perch thickness's, the holes can also be drilled parallel, angled-up, angled-down so the perch can always be held in virtually any position.
Either dig the perch support into the ground for a semi-permanant support or make a wooden stand to enable it to be moved nearer or further.



PS. Great set-up Alan. Thanks for sharing your method

I do have a question though.... I've heard you mention before about using tripods for holding up perches, etc., and I see it in the images, but how? What do you have on the tripod to hold the perch?

Here are some images of the tripods I use. Make sure it has a hole down the handle so you can stick the perch down in it. This way, you can raise to the desired height, set the angle, and even twist the handle to see both sides of the perch. You can get these for under $20 at Walmart or target.

Thanks for sharing your info, Alan. I am going to try setting my bird bath under a tree, and hang the hose from a branch pictured somewhat like in your first image.

Alan Murphy wrote:

I do have a question though.... I've heard you mention before about using tripods for holding up perches, etc., and I see it in the images, but how? What do you have on the tripod to hold the perch?

Here are some images of the tripods I use. Make sure it has a hole down the handle so you can stick the perch down in it. This way, you can raise to the desired height, set the angle, and even twist the handle to see both sides of the perch. You can get these for under $20 at Walmart or target.

*deleted images for reply*

Thank you Alan!! That is a big help.

I just started a very small drip, haven't got pond liner yet, but had some contractor garbage bags, took one, cut it and now have 8 small liners. I have to set up some branch perches, in the meantime though, I have my child-sized twig bench out there. This is just a test run... still have to figure out where exactly to place it better. For best background, it is in great spot. But, for safety of birds (had hawk swoop by twice while out there), it needs to be closer to cover. So, I've got some planning and rearranging to do. In time though, I will get everything meshing right.

Can't wait!!

- And and thank you to you also Justin! -

After seeing Alan's I really don't need to post mine

Also, how would I post an image in these discussion forums?

ebkw wrote:After seeing Alan's I really don't need to post mine

Also, how would I post an image in these discussion forums?

Click on the Post Reply button at the bottom of the thread. It allows you to post images just like for a new topic.

This is the shot that goes with the essay that shows my mini water "feature".

I started out with a pump and fountain but changed over to this fitting from an irrigation system attached to a hose. It works to attract birds much better than the fountain did. It is supposed to spray but by fiddling with the water pressure you can get it to drip!


I use the rock area for shots of birds bathing as I am not interested in just getting shots of birds on perches.

I should add that I photograph right through my basement window with this set-up

Thanks Eleanor!

More options and possibilities to think about as I bring everything together. Yeah.

Thanks for the ideas here. I'm going to try a hybrid of these examples on my trip to AZ next month.

Jon,

Please take pictures of your set-up and post them when you return!

Another perch holder is pvc pipe with a stake screwed into its side that you can stick into the ground. I have a couple of these with pvc in different dimensions for twigs of different sizes. Alan's tripod perch holder is a great one in that it affords more placement opportunities. Joe Smith