OK, so you’re an avid birder. I get that. You enjoy just spending time staring at your backyard. You get a thrill watching all the characters back there interact with each other. How many times have you found yourself saying”Man, I wish I had that on video”. Well, I’m here to tell you you’ve run out of excuses. The technology has gotten cheaper and easier to use. Now there’s no reason you can’t be showing off your latest migratory bird find to all your birding buddies.

Let me give you a few quick and easy ways to make this happen. Hold on!

1. Get a decent video camera. Doesn’t have to cost thousands or even hundreds. HD is nice but not necessary. I use a Sony DCR-SX44 Handycam Camcorder and it’s been great for this. Keep in mind, If you’re looking to do talking head type shots that the microphone on this camera is very good. Also know that as soon as you move up to a camera that allows an external microphone you will be spending a LOT more for it. This has more to do with your budget and interest in higher end gear.
2. Get and use a tripod as much as possible. If you think you can get good shots holding your camera, think again. The video will be jumpy and the subject will look like it’s lost in a tornado. Plus, it’s extremely annoying for anybody trying to watch the video. I know there are times when you have a shot that you don’t have time to set up and you’ll have to wing it. If you follow my next suggestion, that shouldn’t happen to you too often.
3. Be prepared to shoot a TON of video so that you’ll have the cream of the crop when you start editing. Get the biggest external card your camera can handle and make sure you have an AC power source if you’re shooting at home or plenty of charged batteries because you’ll use them.
4. Use iMovie to edit your video. It’s that simple. If you don’t have a mac, find a friend that does. You won’t have to look far. I have never used Windows Movie Maker and have no idea how well it works. I only know how easy iMovie is to use and how powerful it is. Or you can jump all the way up to Adobe Premiere Pro if you enjoy a challenge and have about $800.00 you’re not using-LOL!
5. Make sure to add narration or at least music. Video without any aural cues is very hard to watch for any length of time. Be creative. Write a story for it that you can dub into the movie.

These are just the bare-bones minimum suggestions for making and improving your own nature videos. Don’t be afraid of the technology. It’s gotten a whole lot easier to do since the super 8 days.

If there are things you’d like to know more about from this article or from anywhere, leave us a comment below and let us know. Also, don’t forget to Like, Stumble and retweet anything you think your followers would like by clicking on the buttons in the upper left margin.

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Top Five Ways To Shoot Great Nature Videos

Do your neighbors think you are insane?

Over the years, my closest neighbors have had a lot of reasons to call the paddy wagon on me. No, I’ve not taken my trash out in my underwear either. I’m talking about my fanatical obsession with feeding, watching and interacting with my backyard “crew”.  From running out my back door to shoo starlings off a feeder to taking down a squirrel log at dusk so that the local raccoon won’t make off with it. To birders, these things seem quite tame and normal. I’m not sure people who don’t share our passion would think the same thing. Let me give you a few examples of things I’ve done just in the last month which may give a non-birder cause for pause.

Staring Down Starlings

Earlier this month, I had tried to put out some of my homemade suet(not cookies, suet)for my backyard buddies when it got unusually cold. Believe it or not, I actually had a robin eating the stuff. Anyway, as usually happens, a starling found it and went to town. As most of you know, if ONE finds it, it won’t be long until the FLOCK finds it. This is exactly what happened. Within three days of careful controlled feeding, I had so much noise coming from the woods behind my yard I had to take action. What action, you say? Setting up starling-targeting turrets? Nope. Walking halfway into my backyard and simply staring up into the trees at individual birds. Believe it or not, this will work. After about ten minutes the flock flew off. No big deal right? What if your neighbor walked out in their backyard and stared at the grass for ten minutes? What would you think?

Standing Like A Statue

As I have mentioned in an earlier post about hand feeding birds, I’ve had some success finding a titmouse or two that will come to my hand and feed. How did I accomplish this? Did I walk outside and just call to one to come to me? No way. I had to go out, take every feeder down and stand like a statue near where the main feeder station is. After about twenty minutes of listening to chickadees and titmice scolding me, by shear luck I had one brave titmouse come down and grab a peanut morsel from me. Would you think I was normal standing their looking like a feeder with my arm outstretched? Maybe. Do my neighbors think it’s normal? I seriously doubt it.

Cleaning Up Around The Place

I have a gentleman and his helper who weeds my flower beds, trims my bushes, lays mulch and mows my yard. Why then would I be out sometimes twice a week to rake underneath my feeders? We birders know it’s to protect our friends the best we can from disease but what of my neighbors? They must think “this idiot does almost no yardwork EXCEPT raking under those damn feeders. what the hell is wrong with him?”  I can’t say I could fault them for that observation. Could you?

More Where That Came From

Those things I just mentioned are but the tip of the iceberg. Wherever I’ve seen my backyard buddies need my help, I try to do whatever I can to be there for them. Since I’ve already decided my neighbors think I’m insane I no longer care how silly I may look doing it. Building a backyard sanctuary for my family and my backyard friends is just that important to me.

Tell Me Your Stories

Do you think your family or friends are just this close to setting up an intervention on you? Do you find yourself stopping what you’re doing in your yard and thinking “man, my neighbors must think I’m whacko”? Leave me a comment below and tell me about it. I’d feel a lot better knowing I have company and that I’m not the ONLY one who goes to such lengths.

Until next time, get those nestboxes ready for your early nesters and enjoy the paradise you’ve worked so hard to create!

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Do Your Neighbors Think You Are Insane?

At BirdOculars, we know you need the best and most up to date birding binocular info. Even though we try hard to provide this, sometimes we have to go outside our site to get it. One of the best of these resources is the Amazon Marketplace. Whether your looking for birding binoculars from Pentax, Nikon or Bushnell, you’ll find great prices and millions of customers eager to review products they’ve purchased. This is truly a win-win for you.

How We Rated Them

No complex mathematical formulas here, sorry. What we’ve done is to look at the top rated birding binoculars in the Amazon marketplace that are priced below $200.00 and have more than 3 stars with at least ten reviews. Then, we’ve consulted our own experience with various birding binoculars to come up with a list of top rated birding binoculars.

What we were looking for is birding binoculars with a combination of value and reputation. We hope you enjoy reading our picks and would like to know what you think.

Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15×70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter

If you’re looking for a low-priced pair of giant binoculars, the Celestron SkyMaster Giant fits the bill. They’ve got multicoated optics and BaK-4 internal prisms which are two key features you should look for when considering a pair of giant binoculars as they promise brighter and better images. Furthermore, this pair comes with an adapter for attaching them to a tripod and a soft carrying case to keep them protected. Our verdict? They’re a great value pair of giant binoculars but if you’re planning on using them for long periods of time you’ll need to get a tripod as they’re just too heavy to hold for a long while.

[Check Prices - Read Reviews]

Bushnell Powerview 8×21 Compact Folding Roof Prism Binocular

This pair of Bushnell PowerView binoculars marries contemporary styling with the quality and durability we’ve come to expect from Bushnell. The optics are fully coated so you’re guaranteed superior light transmission and brightness. They also have an easy-to-use center focusing system. Our verdict? Incredibly low-priced binoculars that are great for taking anywhere and everywhere as they won’t load you down, however the neck string they come with is thin and could be better quality.

[Check Prices - Read Reviews]

Bushnell Falcon 10×50 Wide Angle Binoculars

Another great price pair of binoculars from Bushnell, and it’s clear to see why the Falcon model continues to be so popular. With its rubberized abrasion-resistant finish they’re super-comfy to hold, while the InstaFocus lever ensures smooth feedback and the right tension to get magnification to just the level you want it. Our verdict? We love the cool fold-down eyecups which make scratching the lenses virtually impossible, but for those with poor eyesight these might not be the binoculars for you as they could do with a broader range of diopters.

[Check Prices - Read Reviews]

Bushnell PowerView 10×50 Wide Angle Binoculars

With an incredibly easy setup, it’s no surprise these Bushnell PowerView binoculars are popular with bird watchers as they are simply great for tracking and focusing on moving objects. And because they’ve got the non-slip coating they’re easy to hold, too. Our verdict? Great for bird enthusiasts as all it takes is a quick toggle of the finger on the center focus knob and you’ve got your bird in sight. We’re not so keen on the fact there’s no way of attaching them to a tripod however.

[Check Prices - Read Reviews]

Bushnell H20 10×42 Porro Prism Waterproof/Fogproof Binocular

If you spend lots of time bird watching by lakes and rivers, or even while out on the water, the Bushnell H20 Porro Prism binoculars are a great choice. With a 10x magnification they’re powerful, but weighing in at just 27 ounces means they’re nice and light, too, plus you can attach them to a tripod if need’s be. Our verdict? At first use, the focusing mechanism is a little stiff but this should ease up with use, however we can’t fault the BaK-4 prism glass which maximizes light transmission and helps give super-clear images.

[Check Prices - Read Reviews]

At BirdOculars, we realize we aren’t the holy grail of reviewers. So, check out these other resources to find more top rated birding binoculars and more.

• Binocular Reviews has reviews on nearly every make and model of birding binoculars and even breaks them down by star ratings.
• All Best Binoculars gives detailed reviews of the top binoculars and allows you to browse them by brand or type.
• The Binoculars Advisor from the Birdwatching.com site shows you where to start in your quest for new binoculars and answers questions you may have along the way.

Just keep in mind if you click those links you will be leaving the BirdOculars site and we cannot be held responsible for the opinions or ratings of those sites.

Tell Us About Your Favorite Birding Binoculars

Is there is a pair of birding binoculars that are your favorite that’s not on the list? Do you have any experience with those on the list? If so, please leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear what you think of our list of top rated birding binoculars.

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Olivia Lennox is a bird watcher and word botcher from London, England. She blogs on a diverse range of topics from last minute ski breaks to cookery, but her free time is spent watching the sandpiper and the smew in the cold winter sky.

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Top Rated Birding Binoculars

If you ask a person who’s been feeding birds for a while about getting them to hand feed, you’ll either get a bewildered look or one of “you poor person.” That’s because if they’ve read anything about hand feeding birds they’ve been told how long it will take and how patient you have to be. I’ve been experimenting with hand feeding for a few years now and I’m going to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. Yes, it’s true that some birds and species will never hand feed. However, I believe you can have success at hand feeding birds without spending hours sitting out in the cold.

My Hand Feeding Method

Before I get to the list, let me start out by saying that this method works best for titmice. I’ve read from Hugh Wiberg’s Hand Feeding Book that chickadees are also very receptive but I have not had much success with them and this method. If you don’t have any titmice in your backyard, you’ll need to adjust it to suit the other birds you’re trying to hand feed.

1. Get hulled peanuts or peanut pieces. It’s best to present something they don’t get all the time BUT that they do recognize and love. Be flexible and try other food if peanuts don’t work.
2. Pay attention to your feeders and when they are the busiest. Most guides will tell you first thing in the morning but it doesn’t have to be then. I go out briefly at lunch time.
3. Take down ALL feeders and place them near to you. Otherwise, the crafty titmice will find them on the ground and feed from them.
4. Get a lawn chair and start out sitting at least 10 feet from a main feeder station.
5. Sit very still. Repeat, very still.
6. Stare forward and do not follow any birds that land on your feeder pole to stare you down. Most will fly back into the trees but not all will.
7. Just because you can’t hear anything do not assume nobody’s watching. Repeat…sit still.
8. If after 15 minutes or so you have nobody landing on the feeder pole or the ground, move back another few feet and repeat sitting still.
9. By this time you will have had some birds landing on the ground and taking dropped seeds at least. If not, give it another 15 minutes and then leave.
10. Tomorrow, start by sitting or standing 15 feet away. There should be increased traffic near the feeder station.
11. Each day you should try to move a little closer until activity slows down again. When this happens, move back a step and repeat step 5.
12. Try to repeat this process at the same time each day. You will become a part of their routine and you will see more curious birds landing near you. Eventually, one of them WILL land on your hand.
13. Try not to jerk or react when they do land which can be hard the first few times. Especially, if they blindside you and land on your hand from behind you.
14. Finally, accept that not all birds will feed from your hand. MOST probably won’t. However, the few that do will make it all worthwhile.

Final Thoughts

I hope you find this shortcut guide to hand feeding your backyard birds helpful. With winter upon us in North America, chances for getting birds to hand feed go up dramatically. Also, please let me know what you think of my method after you’ve tried it. Just because it’s worked for me doesn’t mean it will work the exact same for everyone. I’d really like to hear any changes you made that worked. Please leave me a comment below and tell me about them.

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Hand Feeding Birds Faster

For now, go check out “Leaving The Nest” and leave a comment, like it, tweet it, stumble it and share it with your friends.

Leave me a comment below and I’ll answer anything you need to know about it.

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Leaving The Nest YouTube Video Posted