Bird Feeders: Keeping it Natural

A gust of wind ruffles the feathers of a Mourning Dove

As those of you who visit Country Captures regularly know, I always strive to capture wildlife images in natural settings.  Photos of birds sitting on feeders, roof tops, and powerlines are not as aesthetically appealing to me as birds on a natural perch.  It really doesn't take much to set up a feeding location with lots of natural props as long as your local ordinances allow a brush pile on your property.

This photo shows the setup where many of my bird shots are taken.  The pop-up blind gives the birds a sense of security although they know full well that I am inside.  While the brush pile provides perches galore, the upright hollow logs hold the bird seed that brings then flocking in.  Scattering some feed in the brush attracts ground feeding birds such as the mourning dove pictured above.

Spending time in the blind is a great way to pass a few hours on a chilly winter day.  Reviewing, deleting, and processing the keeper images will make the long winter evening hours fly by quickly as well.