Now that the leaves of fall have left us and Winter is dropping on our heads, it’s a perfect time to think about birding. Winter is one of my favorite times for backyard bird photography. After reading this article, I hope you’ll find joy in it too!

In my neck of the woods, landscapes get much more barren and difficult to photograph. I often find myself looking higher in the trees for the birds this time of year. Birds with snowflakes falling in the frame make for striking photos. Over the years I’ve learned some great strategies to make the most of winter birding in my backyard. Let’s get into the good stuff!

Backyard Bird Photography: Gear

Getting serious about bird photography can get seriously expensive. Luckily for most of us, backyard bird photography doesn’t have to be about $13,000 lenses and the latest and greatest mirrorless camera. Sure, I drool over those set-ups as much as the next guy, but you can get perfectly appreciable photos with a more reasonable kit.

The photos in the gallery above were taken with my Nikon D780 and an old, inexpensive Nikkor 28-200mm. While this lens wouldn’t be my first choice, it’s certainly capable of getting fair images of birds in the backyard. 200mm is about the shortest focal length I would suggest, however.

The next step up would be something like a 300mm f/4 prime. The above three photos were taken with either a Pentax K1 or Nikon D780 with their respective 300mm f/4 prime lenses. For backyard bird photography, these lenses are excellent. The Pentax lens in particular is quite affordable used. These lenses are super sharp, deliver excellent bokeh, and give just enough reach for small birds at shorter distances.

Lastly, and my favorite option, is the longer zoom lenses. The images above were taken with either the Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 or the Panasonic-Leica 50-200mm f/2.8-4. There are tons of options for these lenses for nearly every system. Many of these lenses are available new for under $2000. Shopping used is even better. These lenses deliver more versatility and reach, and won’t break the bank as badly as more intense prime lenses.

Hopefully, you’ve noticed that when it comes to gear I’ve just focused on lenses. Most modern interchangeable lens cameras are more than up to the task of backyard bird photography. I’ve managed bird photos I love with everything from a Pentax K-70, to a Panasonic G9, to my current Nikon D780. If you have a camera you enjoy, keep it and invest in the glass!

Backyard Bird Photography: Getting the birds to the yard

Of course, participating in backyard bird photography is difficult without the birds! In the wintertime, bird feeders can be important to your local bird communities as well as help draw them to you. My wife got super interested in birding several years ago and started researching how to attract and help birds in our area. Researching your local birds and what works best for them is paramount.

For instance, we learned that putting out certain types of suet feeders has really attracted several species of woodpeckers to our yard. Similarly, mealworms are a preferred food for Eastern Bluebirds out here. It’s also worth looking into what types of birdhouses are good for nurturing and protecting those species as well.

Water is also an important consideration, especially in winter. Water sources tend to dry up or freeze, and the birds will love easy water. We invested in a heated bird bath for our back deck and it’s as much of a draw in the winter as the food! Not only that, it makes us feel good knowing that our local birds have an easy source of water.

This tip pertains more to photography than general birding, but having perches close to the feeder will help immensely. Luckily for us, we have several large oak trees close nearby our deck. Putting up places for the birds to perch nearby will give you more access to good shots. Our birds frequently grab from the feeders, then fly to a nearby branch. This is a great opportunity to get the shot.

Techniques to get the photos

Whatever camera and lens combo you have, learning the autofocus system is vital. Every camera will have its strengths and weaknesses in this area, and learning what those are will improve your keeper rate vastly. Some cameras can just go into tracking mode with bird recognition and fire away. Others do best in single-point, single autofocus with frequent taps on the AF button.

Next, it’s important to learn what you need in terms of exposure. Typically, you’ll want a fast shutter speed for small birds in order to freeze their quick movements. This can run you into higher ISO settings. It’s important to understand how each setting on the exposure triangle affects the other. You’re basically looking for a fast shutter speed, and the lowest ISO you can manage, which usually ends up with a more open aperture to allow for more light.

Once you have an understanding of how that stuff works, my favorite “cheat” is to use a few auto settings. Auto-ISO is a lifesaver when birding. I almost always use it when I’m doing backyard bird photography. If you’re in variable lighting conditions, the camera can adjust the ISO on the fly and help you out big time.

Another helpful mode is shutter priority. This mode allows you to set your shutter speed and let the camera handle aperture. (I recommend at least 1/800 for relatively still birds, more if they’re moving a lot.) You can use these two settings together to keep your mind on the birds and off of the camera to great results.

Now get out and get started with backyard bird photography!

Hopefully, this little primer has got you motivated to get out there and get started with some backyard bird photography this Winter. Of course, there’s so much more to it than these starter tips and tricks! Composition, consideration of backgrounds and lighting, editing and cropping, etc. You can get really deep into it. Perhaps in the future, I’ll do a deeper dive into bird photography.

Do you enjoy birding through the winter? Would you like to see more in-depth articles about backyard birding on my site? Are there any birds you’re after this Winter? Let me know in the comments! We’ve had a new arrival this year in the form of some Red-Breasted Nuthatches. I can’t wait to get a good photo of one!