Bird photography from a hide. Ep 5: Going to the ground

I continue my project where I explore bird photography from a hide. I am changing positions and going to photograph from the ground. I am using a different hide from Buteo Photo Gear for this, the Falco Mark II. At the end of the day I got some amazing photos of a kestrel!
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[@vas.milivoj]

very lovely and helpful series. Thank you for sharing :) For a begginer in bird photography and using hides, this sort of tips are golden.

[@TheGazzadj]

Great video and lovely images of the kestrel!!

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Many thanks! Was really happy with the kestrel :D

[@timcollingwood6158]

Hi excellent work thanks for sharing Best Regards Tim

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Glad you enjoyed it Tim! Have a nice day over there!

[@wildlifevideomariofrancesc7809]

WOW! Your hide is BEAUTIFUL. Hoping you can get very nice shot! 👍

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Much appreciated Mario&Francesca! Do watch the next episode as we will give two of these hides away! You might be a lucky winner.

[@wildlifevideomariofrancesc7809]

@@weylintracking-worldwide I'd really like to!

[@thailandwild4897]

Ah... that's a much more natural look. This is actually like the small bird pools that we have here in Thailand in the Kaeng Krachan National Park area. I've been filming at them recently, and the wildlife is amazing. I was fascinated to see that low hide of yours..... how many hours can you lie like that??? I'm not sure my back could take all the panning and tilting that I need to do with video!

[@KGsPhotography]

Another excellent video Jeroen. There is some beautiful light on that Kestrel at the end you got some amazing shots. Great way to finish the video. Cheers Keith

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thank you very much Keith! That kestrel was amazing :D Recently had another great encounter. Could fill a vlog with kestrels. Maybe they are trying to tell me something? :)

[@MrCarlpenny]

Nice vlog and some gorgeous Kestrel images Jeroen, I too am shooting with the A7RIV & A73, always good to see your creativity, I would appreciate you occasionally sharing some settings, I am currently experimenting with video and the creative styles as I don't want to spend hours in post colour correcting and only use iMovie atm. I have to agree, I much prefer finding natural perches but that can be limiting, keep up the great channel and content :-)

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Hi Carl! Next week I will have a final vlog on this project, and then I will ask for some questions too. Do remind me on this subject, as I can explain more about this. Also on picture profiles etc I could make a whole vlog series. I dont put settings in the vlog by the photos. Because of two reasons: first I do not think it is helpfull. You do not see the RAW, and I do edit the photos. So I could have used wildly different settings and still got the same photo... Also, searching up all the settings and putting them in the vlog ads a LOT of time... Making these vlogs is taking so much time. This vlog is two or three days out shooting in the field, and about a full day editting. I really need to cut down on that, if I want to keep the vlogs coming. Its always a trade off :)

[@MrCarlpenny]

@@weylintracking-worldwide Absolutely fully understand keeping the vlog workload to a minimum so no worries on the settings, I rarely vlog my field work but am considering producing more but they deffo get in the way of photography :-)

[@gaborklima1172]

Yes its always a question where is the right limit to organise an enviorement for a photo. There are pros a cons. anyhow it's a good experience and fun always even if it is organised. LIke your honest words at the start of the video. Keep the videos coming.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thanks Gabor! I think honesty is key here. I see so many diving kingfisher photos from people. And I *know*they made it in a commercial hide. But they don't mention that...

[@telkirton]

Great video Jeroen...

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thanks so much Tel!

[@Wildpak]

wow new idea....and I am confused that which perch is good for me. Nice video if finch. Thanks for sharing.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

You are welcome! And just start with one perch and add as you like :D

[@Jibba6972]

Hi Jeroen again another brilliant well produced and informative video, I like you hate to control things too much as it can sometimes look a bit naff and obvious its been set up, no disrespect to anyone who does that but it is just not for me, plus my garden is tiny with no room for anything like that. Loving the vlogs have watched almost all of them now, have also subscribed so I can see when you put more vids up. Keep it up, take care. John PS Kestrel shots were amazing not jealous at all honest.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

If you have only one perch, and put something up in the background and a bird feeder besides the perch, you could already do some bird photography John!

[@Jibba6972]

@@weylintracking-worldwide I do have a small set up of log/stump, mossy branch and some feeders on my neighbours tree (shhh don't tell them) if I am honest I just prefer getting out and about for the quiet time. I have a Flickr account (same as name) and if interested you can pop over and have a wee look at some of my images

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

@@Jibba6972 will take a look! I do not have a Flickr account so I don't know if I can leave anything...

[@Jibba6972]

@@weylintracking-worldwide You can still view them i think, if not no worries ;)

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

@@Jibba6972 there are a lot of John Knox's on Flickr...

[@fgb3126]

Now about names...you spend some time at 10 mins. in discussing and pointing out the different name - COMMON names - that various countries use for the same bird. This is a perfect example, yes? of the weaknesss of common names! Which is why the early ornithologists and keen amateurs developed the scientific binomial system, yes? Calling a particular bird in your place a "goldfinch" does indeed create problems for English speakers, and not only that, but whether you are an English speaking Brit or an English speaking American! As you may know, if you were in North America and you called a bird a "goldfinch" we would immediately think of Spinis tristis, the "American Goldfinch". Whereas if you were in England they would think of Carduelis carduelis, the European goldfinch! Then if you throw in the Bulfinch too...aye-yee!

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

That is true Breck, but this is still a vlog without any intention to be scientific... I could add all the names in text as well, but that would add to the production time which will mean I have to cut down on quality elsewhere. Its all a fine balance of what I want to achieve and what is actually possible :)

[@fgb3126]

Having music playing in the background while you are talking makes it difficult for me to understand you, and that is in addition to the on-going difficulty I have in understanding you because of your thick English accent. There is nothing you can do about your accent but you can stop the music, yes? And btw your English is wonderfully fluent and correct, it's just my ear and your particular, individual accent. As a monoglot I never criticize anyone (ANYONE) who speaks more than one language! Yes.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

I later vlogs this should be solved Breck! I thought how I set it worked, but the truth is, there are so many different ways to view the vlogs. And I always tested here on my system which has decent speakers. I set the two apart in volume a lot more now, and also use the equalizer to set the music down in the freq. areas of the voice.

[@johnnyc613]

Good video! You Jereon out of every other birder I follow on KZbin have made making the bird pool so possible and easy to make! Even in your pool reflection episode... I always scratched my head at how it’s done without becoming a BIG project ! Super !! Great video

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Glad I could help!

[@adrianmoore4690]

nice video and nice shots

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Many many thanks Adrian!

[@K-Cylion]

This is the first video I have seen from you, great work! I am wondering, is this some private land or a park/forest?

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

It is in a garden indeed :) If you haven't seen already, in the first episode of this series I explain more about this area...

[@K-Cylion]

@@weylintracking-worldwide great! I will check them out, as a fellow Dutch and wildlife enthusiast I really enjoy this video’s.

[@glennhunt2375]

Don't worry about getting the names wrong Jeroen your English is far better than my dutch! Great video.👍

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Much appreciated Glenn! I'll learn them along the way :D

[@fgb3126]

Amen!

[@tudora5498]

Very nice video, great images! I really like the ones of the kestrel, those are some of my favourite birds.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Mine too! Very pretty birds :) I made a few really nice photos a few days ago again. Will be coming up soon :)

[@elfinfoundry3251]

Nice setup Jeroen, looking forward to the next episode. Glad to see your elfin mode dial cap made it to NL.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thanks for watching! Yes it did! I am planning a video on switching modes/memory on the camera, and will mention it then! If you want to do something with that, let me know :)

[@shanefeetham2920]

Hi Jeronen Nice videos I’m thinking of getting the a9 and 200/600 do you think the a7r 4 is as good and do you use the 200/600. Cheers Shane

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

I use the 200-600 G most of the time Shane. Love it with the A7riv, gives lots of space to crop. The A9 series is great if fast focus is important, like with birds in flight. I wouldn't trade my A7Riv for one though. Love this camera :)

[@shanefeetham2920]

Thanks for the reply. I use the Nikon d500 and 300-2.8 vrii but with having a bad shoulder I’m struggling to hold it now. Do a lot of kingfisher shots so need something quick and looking at your kingfisher shots it looks up to the job.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

@@shanefeetham2920 From my memory, most diving kingfisher photos were made with the 70-200 f/2.8. A lot lighter lens :)

[@fusion-music]

Love the demonstration of setting up the hide Jeroen.

[@GeoffCooper]

Cool setup Jeroen, and really nice encounter with the kestrel :) I'm really enjoying this hide-based series you're doing! I'm looking forward to when there is decent daylight either side of when I have to be at work and I can maybe set up my hide somewhere local, or even in the garden... Regarding the knot, surely if you're rethreading like that a figure-of-eight would look even nicer ;)

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

There are always prettier knots Geoff ;) This is such a simple one that everyone can learn without any prior knowledge. And can probably do again after that. Making a figure eight knot in itself is quite complicated for quite a few people... Light has been terrible here! Terrible weather too :( Wish we have snow like you guys. Ohhhh, I soooo would love to photograph mountain hares Geoff. Next year a colab? I would love to get there for some Highland photography again!

[@GeoffCooper]

@@weylintracking-worldwide fair point - I personally always use a bowline since it's secure but always fairly easy to undo! Yes, I'd definitely be interested in that collaboration - really looking forward to being able to travel about again!

[@CamillaI]

Good control at ground level must get my set up out in the garden again , well done good video 👍😍

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thanks Mark! For some I understood it is the only possibility to do bird photography right now :(

[@EdwardKilner]

I enjoyed this video, especially the final shots. Really fine work. Thank you.

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the video Edward!

[@davidblackwell6842]

Great video jeroen super shot of the kestrel

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Thanks david! Amazing birds they are...

[@stephanandersen7643]

You are still controlling the enviroment, now it´s just on the ground :)

[@weylintracking-worldwide]

Yes you're right Stephan. There's still control. But like I said, if I would change the view to a badger sett, it is also control.. I think we all have our own feelings when it comes to this. Personally, I like going out in the wild the best! But this is something I might get back to when I make the final vlog in this series :)

[@stephanandersen7643]

@@weylintracking-worldwide Looking forward to that video, you make great vlog´s. i an a fan :)