Photographing
Ohio Warblers
inding Ohio warblers to photograph in April and May is the easy part. Getting good photos of them is a bit more challenging. Even with all of the birds in the vicinity getting decent images of them can be tough. These little guys are quick and they usually don't sit still for more than a second at a time. They are bouncing from limb to limb or crawl- ing up and down trees.
- Find a good place away from the traffic flow.
Use a tripod if you have one. - Stay put. At times it makes sense to change locations,
but generally stay put…the birds will come to you. - Use the longest lens you can…400mm or more.
Don't use a flash! Makes the birds
look like they are posed in the studio.- Make a couple trips. Different species
migrate through at different times. - Be patient. Some days are better than others.
Even parts of the day are better than others.
Male Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Weather decides everything with the Ohio warbler migration. Southerly winds determine when and how many warblers will be in town on any given day.
A day or two following a nice southerly wind will bring thousands of warblers. If northerly winds prevail for long stretches then the warblers will slowly filter in,
but not in overwhelming waves.
