Garden

Don't forget your garden as a means of practising your skills. I've used it at all times of year in all kinds of lighting conditions and I've managed to get pictures of Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Collared Dove, Goldfinch, Great Tit, Greenfinch, House Sparrow, Sparrowhawk and Starling.

After initially sticking a piece of dead shrub branch into the ground (which didn't look nice in the pictures), I bought a Rowan tree in a pot from a garden centre and placed it at the right distance from my window; this required a little bit of experimentation.

I always use the 12mm extension tube in the garden, allowing me to position the tree and the feeders that little bit closer (the minimum focusing distance of my 400mm f5.6 lens is 3.5 metres without the tube). The tube does not prevent me from focusing on anything landing at the back of my small garden, including the regularly visiting Sparrowhawk. I positioned the feeders on the tree to either side of the tree trunk and left the branches in the middle clear. The birds more often than not land on a branch before jumping on to the feeder.

I also bought a sheet of nylon leaf-screen camouflage material which I hang inside the window. This actually makes it more difficult for me to see the birds coming, but it makes the birds less nervous (some can still see me though!).

Now, I'm not going to give you directions and opening times for my garden - you'll have to set something up for yourself!

Some images from my garden

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