ATTRACTING and PHOTOGRAPHING Birds in Your Backyard (Beginner's Guide)

This video is about attracting birds to your backyard, and a few tips to help make your life easier while photographing them. This was showing examples of some birds down here at the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society in Belize. As well as, some Eastern Canadian birds.
These are techniques i've been using for about 3 years now. There's something so satisfying about photographing birds in your backyard. When I have some spare time, or the weather isn't looking too good, this is one of my favourite pass times. I hope you gain some value from watching this video.
The fruit feeder I was talking about: goo.gl/ctNC22
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[@StefanoIaniro]

Hope you enjoyed this video! I plan to make follow up videos to go more into detail on the different points. These photos and videos were taken from backyards around Eastern Canada and Belize. Let me know if you have any other tips for attracting birds.

[@glater]

I found your channel a few days ago while googling for the chatter noise that was coming out in my videos caused by the AF on the Sigma 150-600mm lens, so I'm new here. I mostly take photos of whitetail deer from 90 to 125 yds away, but when I'm home I spend a lot of time taking bird photos and smaller animals that come around my country property. I'm not a birder and really don't know the proper names of most birds that come through, but I do enjoy photographing them. I use my crop sensor a6300 & a6400 with the sigma lens, so usually shoot birds at 900mm equivalent & even go to clear image zoom a lot of the time. Even with that, I have to crop most of the bird photos taken from up to 50 ft. I've said all of this, wondering if you'd eventually make a video about your workflow (distance from subject, how much cropping you use, and any other helpful info). Thanks again.

[@StefanSobkowiak]

Nice job. Great to see good quality video right from te start of your channel.

[@StefanoIaniro]

+Stefan Sobkowiak Thanks Stefan! Glad you enjoy!

[@jacobstreets8445]

Thanks for the great ideas. I'm planning my own yard habitat and appreciate the pointers.

[@fishhead1227]

Thank you very much. I used this video to get me started by adding perches in a good position where my background is lovely. Great video.

[@Chimboica2011]

Hi Stefano, by watching your video i know for sure my back yard will have some birds by spring. i can not thank you enough for your caring video regarding respect for our wildlife. You r amazing. Thank you so much.

[@StefanoIaniro]

So glad to help! I really hope you get a lot of birds :) Thank you!

[@umairswati5837]

Your videos are so informative and i learned whole alot from you in a very short span of time. I recently got into bird photography and your videos have been so helpful. Thank you very much.Keep up the good work sir. Happy birding!

[@monaburch9163]

I just started backyard birding in 2020 and have been photographing them as well. Totally thought it was cheating having false perches around the yard lol, so glad it’s a common and normal practice 🥰. Love your videos btw!!

[@prevalain]

I live in south-west France near the Atlantic coast-line. I’m mostly concentrated on shore-birds but I do have woodland nearby my home and I will be setting up perches and natural-looking feeders near a shallow running stream that’s 2 feet-wide. Photographing song-birds seems to me to be much more difficult than aiming large shore-birds. So I will be out in the wild so to speak doing something totally new to me. Your advice is quite sound and is food for thought. Up to this day, I’m using an alpha 68 with a 400mm Sigma prime Apo lens or with a Minolta 70-200mm Apo lens. Come February, I’ll be purchasing a Sony a7iii body with a 200-600mm G master lens.Thanks so much for a very fine video . Love your channel! Cheers.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That sounds amazing! It sounds like a beautiful location. I visited France last year and got to see many different areas. I can imagine you'll get some beautiful songbirds passing through! The perches are a huge benefit because you can somewhat predict where the birds will land. I wish you luck 🙂

[@HighPaw_]

This was so helpful! Thank you

[@fernandoish9194]

Nice! Next year I’m finally moving from a flat to a house with a big backyard and this is exactly what I was looking for. You said there were some sites where you could find what kind of plants were better for your area, what’s the name of those! Thanks and nice work!

[@BioBush]

I have a little tiny yard and I'm inspired to try some of these techniques. Native plants with some engineered perches in front. Sounds like a nice view out the window anyway! Also, I forwarded the modular perch idea to my coworkers, so who knows, we might build one at the zoo. Great video!

[@StefanoIaniro]

+BioBush Very glad you got inspired! Berry bushes work especially well, and it's always fun to see birds with their faces covered in berries. That's great! It really is a great design, definitely the best i've come across. I hope it brings you success! I'm looking forward to watching your videos, they look very intriguing. I'll be home from the jungle in a month, so I'll have proper internet to stream videos haha.

[@WhistlesToAnimals]

You are awesome and everything you said is right on. But in my yard, I often have unnatural things in the background because I live in the city with a tiny yard. If you are taking pics that are intended to impress others, you can't be any righter. But if you just take pics for yourself and just to see the birds better and closer, then keep having fun. I wish a lot more people could be half as considerate as you are to wildlife. That impresses me.

[@Abangsaury]

Wah pemandangan yang keren banget bosku🙏👍👍👍

[@WillGoodlet]

Great tips thanks! Hoping to make more use of my garden this winter. Have lots of fruit trees & birds but no organised perches - hardly ever spend time there with the camera

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! It's a ton of fun to play around with different perches and set ups. Plus it's awesome to see what you can attract to your yard!

[@j.a.yuri.4319]

Thanks for the tip I'm in Gilbert Arizona on a third of an acre I have twelve trees in my backyard I have to Sprouts came up within six feet of each other and now thay about 20 feet tall. I put a feeder tied some really tight twine and within about an hour I started getting birds Birds coming.

[@paparomesoutdoors711]

Great video brotha, such amazing advice and well thought out. Hope you find some salamanders great work as always.

[@StefanoIaniro]

+Papa Romes Outdoor Productions Thanks, Romolo! Same here, it's been raining a lot so fingers crossed!

[@edmartinezg_treslentes]

Thanks! i will try some of this! Stefano you ROCK!

[@patthompson1253]

Lots of great tips, thank you!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! Thank you!

[@patthompson1253]

@@StefanoIaniro Stefano, By way of mentioning, watching your video from St. John's Newfoundland. As a landscape photographer , I'm looking to add new interest to my photography - so it's on to learn more about bird photography. Most helpful - thanks, Pat

[@StefanoIaniro]

That's awesome! It's a great time to start since you'll be prepared for the breeding season this summer 🙂

[@reoflex]

You want clear early morning light for the best small bird photography. Clear early, or even later clear light. This way you’ll get true, vibrant colors. Golden hour light is great for people, but the yellow light will throw off the vibrant coloring of small birds.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Definitely agree! I think it also depends the birds you're trying to photograph. I've seen amazing results of raptors in that golden light. However raptors aren't necessarily known for their vibrancy, which is probably why that light compliments them quite nicely.

[@j.a.yuri.4319]

I plan on putting a small pond just underneath the double trees. I'm sure it's going to come out great.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That sounds amazing! I've heard some people say it took them WEEKS to get birds coming to their new feeders. The fact you got some so quickly is a good sign. Having those big trees is great for cover. You must have great habitat 🙂

[@nancynappi317]

Your the bird whisperer 🐦

[@StefanoIaniro]

+Personal_ Nap Haha, it helps when you know what they want 😅

[@nancynappi317]

Stefano Ianiro lollllll if only men studied woman like they did birds 🙏🏻🤷🏼‍♀️😂

[@StefanoIaniro]

+Personal_ Nap Hahaha, I'm sure we could pick up a few tips from bird relationships.

[@jochenlambrechts9725]

Great video!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!

[@itaylorm]

Wonderfully helpful information

[@TimNunyerBizniz]

Good stuff, Stefano. Might you have any tips on growing moss on a staged tree branch?

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! I think your best bet would be to find a fallen branch while walking through a forest that already has moss on it. If you're in an area like mine it could be hard to find, but every so often you will find some great ones. I've never tried growing it myself though. It can be really tricky in some climates. I would suggest to check out some garden centers. It's possible they will sell moss plants already, which may be able to be transferred to a branch.

[@TimNunyerBizniz]

@@StefanoIaniro Thanks I never thought of that. I live in the Pacific North West so that shouldn't be a problem lol

[@StefanoIaniro]

@@TimNunyerBizniz Hahaha you're very lucky! Hope you find some good ones. Good luck!

[@seantomlinson3320]

Thanks that was fun. Time to stop doing yard work!

[@cpphotographyc]

Hi. It's very interesting tips on you video. Congratulations and thank you for sharing your experience. Can you be more specific on what type of clothing(color) to wear when taking these kind of photos? and, Can I take a bird feeder to a forest just to experiment if I can get some other shots? Thank you very much!!!🤗👍🏻📸🐦

[@noelokeeffe3423]

Thanks for the great video, can you explain more how you made the pond

[@michaelbutler4961]

Thanks for sharing

[@diane-s3391]

Hi, good tips! What kind of birdfeeder do you have? What kind do you recommend?

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! And I have quite a few with different seeds in it depending what I'm trying to attract. For seed feeders I usually have 2 or 3. One larger one that is more permanent and then a couple smaller ones that I can move around the yard. The type really depends on how you'll mount it. I have one with a hole on the bottom so I can mount it on a pole and a few that are small enough to hang from tree branches. I'll also have a suet cage that I can hang. And when the time is right, a hummingbird feeder. For the hummingbird feeder try getting one with a wide opening to pour the sugar water into. Those ones are way easier to clean than the small (about the size of a quarter) ones.

[@diane-s3391]

@@StefanoIaniro Thank you for your response! With regards to bird seeds, can you buy healthy mix of seeds or should you buy one bag peanuts, one bag sunflower hearts, etc? Any Amazon seed mix recommendations? Would be nice.to see birds visit as we shelter in place and practice photography!

[@StefanoIaniro]

@@diane-s3391 No problem! And it kinda depends your birds. What I would do if it's your first time feeding is get a mixed bag and try to see which seeds the birds will eat and what they won't. Then I would buy the seeds they like in bulk and make your own mix. I like to have a mix of Sunflower Seeds and Peanuts. Then in a separate smaller feeder I will have thistle seed for the Goldfinch. I also put out suet feeders and hummingbird nectar 🙂

[@diane-s3391]

@@StefanoIaniro Got it! Thanks so much for responding! I'm excited to see which bird visitors come by 😀 You're enthusiasm in your channel is encouraging.

[@Leo_Santisteban]

Hi! Awesome video. I have a question, what can I do to attract birds to a small backyard? I don’t have a lot of space, it’s a 7x7 meter garden. I did some of the things you recommended but the birds still prefer to stand on the “”tall”” trees (about 5 meters tall) instead of my perched

[@NatokioJibon]

Sir if you help me I can be a photographer. Many of my hobbies will be photographers.

[@vie-vie]

So I followed all your tips and now a Robin sees my garden as his domain and chases all other birds away. Any tips on what to do with aggressive Robins?

[@coronavirus4716]

Really this is too informative but here in India with a high population density and too much urbanisation and unplanned settlements everywhere, it's difficult to attract Wildlife. Pollution''s a matter too. Any suggestions?

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks! I really think the best thing to offer is water, no matter where you are in the world. Having a small pond or bird bath is really helpful. That's the easiest thing to do to attract the most species. It might take some time before they find it but once they do you should have daily visitors.

[@coronavirus4716]

Thanks, would give my best

[@spokolokofly]

In your opinion - when should I enter inside the hide? before sunrise or whatever time during the day?

[@StefanoIaniro]

For backyard birds I find it really doesn't matter. But if you're in the field, you want to go in as early as possible. Usually before sunrise.

[@spokolokofly]

@@StefanoIaniro Thank you a lot! I will try to do my best:)

[@GraniteChief369]

After three years of feeding birds a squirrel showed up, now a Sparrow Hawk turned up this winter.

[@NatokioJibon]

Sir if you help me I can be a photographer. Many of my hobbies will be photographers.

[@NatokioJibon]

Sir if you help me I can be a photographer. Many of my hobbies will be photographers.