[missbirdphotos] Re: My new bird studio
- From: "J. K. Cliburn" <jcliburn@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:55:37 -0500
You're lucky to have the warbler around! I'm envious.
And I love the water garden. That's just what I need, and what I'll
have one of these days.
On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 4:33 PM, Dance, Gayla <dancegf@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/Ladymathprof/?action=view¤t=prothonotarywarberrock.jpg
>
>
>
> http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/Ladymathprof/?action=view¤t=prothonotarywarbler.jpg
>
> The above are pictures of the prothonotary warbler at my bird bath on Sunday.
> They are light years away from the skill level you folks post here, but I
> get a kick sitting outside and playing with the camera. I'm bound to get
> better, right?
>
> While I'm writing, I thought I would solicit ideas from the group about my
> water feature.
>
> First, check out this website with 4 webcams. I am looking at the bottom
> left webcam of the waterfall of a stream. During the day, they usually has
> many birds bathing on the ledge rock which I have tried to get my birds to do
> for years, but they rarely do.
>
> http://www.tomnliz.com/Livecam/
>
>
> Here is my set-up. There are two waterfalls, but one is on the bird creek.
>
> http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y252/Ladymathprof/?action=view¤t=IMG_5566.jpg
>
> Any ideas on how to get more customers? Tonight I will move the hose to the
> larger waterfall to the bird creek falls to see if moving more water will
> interest them.
>
> Happy birding,
> gayla
>
>
>
> ________________________________________
> From: missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of J. K. Cliburn
> [jcliburn@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 2:08 PM
> To: missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [missbirdphotos] Re: My new bird studio
>
> Judy,
>
> I tried a few different configurations on the cane before I hit on one
> that worked. First I tried just a vertical piece with holes drilled
> in the side, but the water streams extended too far and too much
> splashed out, no matter how large I drilled the holes. Next, I tried
> the "tee" configuration with the holes drilled on the underside, but
> the stream velocity was too high, resulting in too much splashing.
> Then, I used the tee with holes drilled on top, and it took multiple
> incremental enlargements of the holes until they were big enough to
> avoid mini geysers and provide the dripping effect you see in the
> picture.
>
> I also ended up cutting off the stem of the tee a few times on the
> final configuration, in order to reduce splashing. BTW, there's a
> 1/4" rubber hose inside the stem, and that hose connects to the pump.
>
> Bottom line: The smaller the holes, the more energetic the stream (as
> you might expect), given the more or less constant flow rate of the
> pump.
>
> Jay
>
> On Mon, Apr 23, 2012 at 1:15 PM, Judy Howle <howle@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> You have a nice setup! Good luck with photos. I have wanted to do that
>> also and maybe one of these days... I like the cane and I know where some
>> cut cane is if the trash men haven't picked it up yet. I would like to make
>> a dripper or fountain.
>>
>> Judy Howle
>>
>> Southern Exposures
>> http://southernexposure.zenfolio.com
>>
>> Digital Photography Class; Resources for Photographers
>> http://digitalphotographyclass.net
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:missbirdphotos-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of J. K. Cliburn
>> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 8:29 AM
>> To: missbirdphotos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [missbirdphotos] My new bird studio
>>
>> So a couple of weeks ago we had a thread here discussing a "bird studio." I
>> was intrigued, so I decided to convert my driveway loop into one.
>>
>> First I had to move my birdbath and a couple of feeders away from the front
>> of the house, from where I could conveniently watch birds through a big
>> window from the comfort of my kitchen table. Then I read somewhere that
>> moving/dripping water was an effective bird attractant, so off to the store
>> for a little pump... I got a 60 gph submersible pump from Home Depot for
>> $15, but, alas, I had no power in the driveway loop. Sigh. I remedied that
>> by boring a 1-inch hole in the front of my house, trenching across the
>> driveway, laying 45 feet of conduit, stringing 12-2 wire, tying into a
>> circuit in my garage, and installing a weatherproof riser box with an outlet
>> and a switch out in the loop. Presto: power for the pump. (Have you priced
>> Romex recently? Yikes!)
>>
>> The drippers at the store were too expensive for my tastes -- and they
>> weren't suited for a birdbath anyway -- so I went to a nearby canebrake,
>> harvested a couple of stalks, and fashioned a dripper out of cane segments.
>> Works like a charm.
>>
>> I wanted a rustic look, so I rejiggered my platform feeder by removing it
>> from its 4x4 post in the front yard, removing the roof, mounting it on an
>> old pine knot fencepost, and made an insert out of 1x2 and window screen to
>> allow water to drain through the seed when it's installed in the platform.
>> I then found some elm limbs and mounted one to the feeder for a perch. I
>> sat the other one on the ground over a cast iron plant.
>>
>> Next, I went into the woods and found a deadfall white oak trunk that had
>> broken in a few places and used my chainsaw to cut off a couple of "stumps."
>> I found a deadfall elm limb with a nice bend in it that I used to lean
>> against one of the pine trees. I bored some 1-inch holes in it and inserted
>> peanuts, hoping for jays or woodpeckers. (None have partaken yet.)
>>
>> Finally, I erected the Ameristep doghouse blind, which my poor wife finds
>> appalling, but I argue we live in the country and don't get many refined
>> visitors anyway, so what harm can it be?
>>
>> Yesterday was my first attempt at photography in the studio. The highlight
>> of the day was an early morning, dew-drenched Indigo bunting who surprised
>> me sufficiently to cause me miss a shot when he was on the perch. I settled
>> for a feeder sidewall shot. I also got a cardinal and a chipping sparrow in
>> the evening, but unfortunately they weren't on the perch, either. (BTW, It
>> gets HOT inside that blind when the sun shines on it -- even on a cool,
>> windy day!) I was pleased to finally get good feather detail using only a
>> 300mm lens (without teleconverter, because I wanted to open up to f4). I'm
>> not pleased with the Chipping sparrow detail, but he was in harsh light, so
>> that probably explains it. The cardinal and bunting were in diffuse light,
>> and those seemed to turn out much better.
>>
>> So, thanks to Missbird photogs, I now have a studio! I'd be happy to
>> receive suggestions for improvements and additions.
>>
>> Jay
>>
>>
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