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Bird BEHAViOUr
Watching the birdie is not as simple as it sounds. Solid
fieldcraft, endless patience, lightning-fast reflexes and a
deep understanding of your subjects’ lifestyles and habits are
vital if you want to capture inspiring images of bird behaviour.
With Wildlife photographer
Mark CarWardine
pHOtO mAstErclAss
pArt 17
WE sEE Birds
every day, yet they can be surprisingly
tricky to photograph. The smaller ones appear tiny, even
through a telephoto lens, and few of them stop moving
for more than a millisecond. So perhaps it’s no surprise
that, for many years, most bird photography was rather
lacklustre. Mundane, unimaginatively composed,
illustrative portraits were the norm until the early 1980s.
But the bar has been raised and the challenge now is
to provide an intimate glimpse into our birds’ action-
packed private lives. Images of them singing, yawning,
fighting, preening, stretching, swimming or even staring
at their toes (as gulls often do) are far more interesting
than pictures of birds doing nothing much at all.
All the usual photographic ‘rules’ apply: focus on
June 2007
the eye, keep the background simple, and think about
composition and light, for example – pictures of bird
behaviour must have aesthetic appeal as well as interest
value. But the most important ingredient is drama.
This usually happens very quickly and is easy to miss.
Experience, anticipation and quick reflexes can make the
most of such unpredictability, but there is no time to be
surprised or spellbound. Quite simply, you have to focus
on the picture-taking and enjoy the experience later.
So this month we’ll be looking at how to capture that
‘decisive moment’ – the term coined by pioneering
lensman Henri Cartier-Bresson to define the serendipitous
instant when a photographer captures a whole world, an
entire event, in a single click of the shutter.
In a clown-like pose,
a gentoo penguin in
the Falkland Islands
scratches its head
with its foot. By
capturing such a
comical moment, Kevin
Schafer’s photo draws
the attention far more
than a classic portrait.
It’s the sort of image
that you have to look
at twice.
BBC Wildlife
73
pHOtO mAstErclAss
Bird BEHAViOUr
mEEt tHE ExpErt...
KEViN scHAFEr
UsA
award-winning
photographer and
author of
Penguin
Planet,
Seattle-based
kevin Schafer is a
founding fellow of
the international league of
Conservation photographers.
Kevin Schafer is highly respected for his
photos – and for his strict code of ethics. “Any
power a photograph possesses is directly tied
to the belief that it represents a real event,”
he insists. “Take that away and all you have
left is an illustration, a digital trick.”
Unfortunately, these days, it is all too
easy to resort to trickery. “Trust is
particularly important when photographing
bird behaviour,” Kevin emphasises. “You
have to represent a true moment in time.”
And this inevitably means longer hours in
the field. “People sometimes think wildlife
photographers are inherently patient,”
Kevin laughs. “But I think it’s just that we’re
willing to put up with more discomfort,
frustration and boredom than the average
person. It’s not the same thing at all.”
Every issue, our world famous photographers share their knowledge and skills.
Mark Carwardine shows you how to apply the theory to get the perfect picture.
yOUr stEp-By-stEp gUidE...
1
ANticipAtE tHE ActiON
Kevin schafer’s top tips for bird behaviour photography
A pair of wandering albatrosses
on South Georgia in the throes
of their courtship ballet.
2
dON’t HEsitAtE
1
Never walk past a picture
kevin came across these wandering albatrosses moments after stepping ashore
on Bird island, South georgia – in the rain. it would have been easy to leave his
camera in the bag and assume he’d see dancing wanderers again. fortunately, he
stopped and took pictures. it was the only time he saw this behaviour in five days.
Two male puffins battle it
out on a Scottish clifftop.
White sands dune

Research the birds
you plan to photograph – it’s important to
have some idea of what to expect before going into the field.

Spend time observing your subjects
to understand their
behaviour. This will help you to anticipate their actions. When a
sleeping bird wakes, for example, it is likely to yawn and then
stretch one wing after the other.

Keep your eye glued to the viewfinder.
The defining moment may
be a long time coming, but you can bet that the second you look
away will be the instant the bird does something spectacular.

Shoot first and ask questions afterwards.
If something
unexpected happens, a moment’s hesitation is enough to miss
the shot. One of the great advantages of digital is that you can fire
away and delete all the near-misses later at no extra expense.

Keep firing until the action has stopped.
There is usually a split-
second when everything comes together, so the more pictures
you take, the better your chances of capturing the perfect shot.

Don’t worry about checking exposure
or the action will be over
long before you have finished fiddling with your camera.
3
KEEp yOUr distANcE
4
sEt yOUrsElF A prOJEct
“trust is particularly important
when photographing bird
behaviour. you have to represent
a true moment in time.”
Capturing bird behaviour often requires
long periods of waiting for just the right
shot. “I once spent four hours on a beach in
the Falkland Islands,” Kevin recalls. “I was
lying on my belly, with the wind blowing
sand into my eyes and camera, and flies
landing on my head, hoping a penguin would
stop in the right spot and do something
interesting. Most of the penguins emerging
from the sea stood in the wrong place,
turned their backs or wandered off. But one
stopped and lifted his foot to scratch his
head. That was the shot I’d waited for.”
The patience to wait for that ‘decisive
moment’ is crucial. But practice is equally
important. “Get out there and search for
unusual perspectives, subtle compositions
and beautiful light,” says Kevin. “The more
pictures you take, the more you’ll learn to
see.”
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BBC Wildlife
2
Keep an open mind
it’s important to be flexible. kevin went to Staffa, off the west coast of Scotland, to
photograph its distinctive basalt columns. But when he found a delightful colony of
puffins, he changed his plans. these males were fighting so fiercely that both birds
rolled off the cliff together, separating in mid-air just before hitting the water.
June 2007

Don’t get too close
when photographing bird behaviour. There’s a
good chance that your subject will suddenly move or open its wings,
and then part of its body will be cut off by the edge of the frame.

Leave room in the frame
to make it easier to follow the action.
Framing too tightly makes it very hard to keep up and almost
impossible to compose effectively.

Be careful to focus on the bird’s eye
– or, at least, on its head.
Without due care and attention, even the best autofocus can miss
rapidly moving birds altogether.

Dedicate sufficient time
to a particular species or an individual
bird. This is a much better way to hone your photographic skills
than flitting from one potential subject to another.

Photograph your subject in every possible aspect.
When taking
pictures of feeding birds, for example, capture every step in the
process: foraging, pecking, capturing, holding, squabbling and
swallowing.

Don’t despair
of your inevitable failures. Just remember that all
you need is one or two outstanding shots to make it worthwhile.
June 2007
BBC Wildlife
75
pHOtO mAstErclAss
Bird BEHAViOUr
mAstErclAss cHAllENgE UK...
EssENtiAl Kit...
BiNOcUlArs
Few serious wildlife photographers go
into the field without a good pair of
binoculars. You need these to locate
potential subjects and learn to second-
guess what’s likely to happen next.
Whooper swans, for example, bob their
heads just before taking off, while
penguins often stand and preen after
emerging from the sea. Best of all,
observing and understanding your
subjects will heighten your enjoyment.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Size and weight
– heavy binoculars are
tiring to carry and difficult to hold steady.

Magnification
– you need sufficient
magnification to see detail (that’s the whole
point of binoculars), but not too much to
hold them steady (7x, 8x or 10x are best).

Twilight value
– this is the light-gathering
power of the binoculars. anything with an
object lens that is smaller than 30mm will
be too dark.

Field of view
– the wider the field of view,
the greater the chance you have of picking
up a bird quickly.
CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES:

Spend what you can afford
– cheap bins
may give an unclear image, strain your eyes
and have a narrow field of view, but any
binoculars are better than none at all.
Bird behaviour is easiest to photograph in your garden
or local park.
David Tipling
explains how you can
encourage interesting action and get some top shots.
singing
Singing birds can be targeted in parks,
gardensandatothersiteswherethey’reused
tothepresenceoflargenumbersofpeople.
Identify favoured song perches before
waiting in position for your subject to
perform. Early
mornings soon
after dawn are
the best time.
Think about the
background–the
lesscluttered,the
better.
Family life
Waterbirds offer great opportunities for
capturingimagesoffamilylife.Mallards,coots,
moorhens and swans on stretches of water
frequentedbyhumanswillprobablyallowclose
approach.Lookforshotsthatshowthebond
between parent
and young, such
as nuzzling or
passing food.
Explore all the
angles, shooting
lowwherepossible
foraddedimpact.
Feeding
Providingbirdswithfoodandwaterisagood
way of capturing action. Birdfeeders act as
meetingpointsthatcansparkoffphotogenic
squabbles, particularly in species such as
woodpeckers,starlingsandfinches.Fornatural
looking shots of
birds drinking,
sink a dish into
the lawn and
disguise the rim
with moss. Be
ready to capture
fleetingmoments.
Nesting
Offerbirdsnestingmaterialbyplacingsheep’s
wool,piecesofdriedgrass–or,forbiggerbirds
suchaspigeonsandmagpies,smallsticks–on
your lawn. If you don’t have a garden of your
own, try this in your local park. If you know a
local population
ofhousemartins
or swallows,
create a muddy
puddle – they
may visit it to
collect mud for
their nests.
mAstErclAss
rEAdEr pHOtO OF tHE mONtH
now it’s your turn. Use all our
experts’ hints and tips to take great
photos of bird behaviour.
Use david’s ideas for inspiration,
though you don’t have to
photograph the same subjects.
Upload up to eight images on our
website and the winning shot will
be published in
BBC Wildlife.
HOW TO ENTER
dOs
&
dON’ts

DO use a fast shutter speed
to freeze
movement.

DO look for potential subjects
in areas
where the birds have become used to the
presence of people.

DO stay with a particular bird
or group
of birds – the longer you do, the more
you’ll be in tune with their behaviour.

DON’T lose concentration
– constant
vigilance is crucial.

DON’T switch off your camera
– it should
always be on and set to the correct
exposure for the light conditions, ready
to fire at a moment’s notice.
log on to www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com
and click on photo Masterclass, then
follow the instructions to upload your
images. Closing date: Wed 6 June.
RULES
1) The contest is open to amateurs only. 2) Up to 8
entries per person. 3) Entry of a picture constitutes a grant to
BBC Worldwide to publish it in all media. 4) Entries will be
judged by
BBC Wildlife.
5) The winning image will be published in
the August issue. 6) No correspondence will be entered into and
winners will not be notified. 7) Entries will not be accepted by
post or email. 8) Image file names must include your full name.
‘uRBAN & GARDEN WILDLIFE’ WINNER: SuE JARVIS
We chose Sue’s shot because she has captured a
charming moment in starling family life. the birds are
clearly in an urban setting, and the diffused, clutter-
free backdrop emphasises the detail of the youngsters’
feathers and beautiful colours in the adult’s plumage.
June 2007
76
BBC Wildlife

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