Picture Of The Week 04-26-10

Blackpoll

Yellow Warbler

Where: Richmond, VA • Glidewell Rd. (Home)

Notes: I had taken a suggestion from a friend to setup a "dripper" at my birdbath to help attract Warblers and other songbirds. I began using a milk jug with a pinhole pricked in the bottom of it. I suspended the jug by its handle on a metal shepherd's cane over my birdbath, so the drops hit the water puddle below. The containers's screw-on cap acts as a flow control for the amount of water-drops it releases. A one gallon refill lasts about three or four hours, when adjusted to a slow drip. This dripping not only attracted many more birds, but several new species as well. Today alone there were three species not previously observed at my birdbath before. The idea is that the sound attracts birds to the water. Since the drips began to drop, I have observed birds that use to momentarily show up for a sip of water, were now sitting in the puddle and bathing for minutes at a time. This birdbath (pictured above) is actually a bowl-shaped rock with its own water reservoir and pump underneath. I like this natural look, plus its good for photography purposes as well. "Dripping" worked so well, I decided to add a more permanent dripper using a small water line and a couple of plumbing valves from the local hardware store. Instructions for building and installing this natural looking birdbath are available as a PDF download file (see:Natural Birdbath Build).

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Yellow-rumped
Warbler

Equipment: Canon EOS 40D • Canon 400mm Prime L Series Lens f-5.6 • Manfroto Tripod • Wireless Shutter Release

Exposure: Shutter Speed = 1/500 second • Aperture = f 8 • Exposure Mode = Aperture Priority • Focus Mode: Manual • Lens (Focal) Length = 400 mm • ISO = 800 • Aprox. Camera Distance = ~15 Feet • Date Shot: 04-26-10

©2010 Robert W. Schamerhorn. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.