Chicken Coops Today » birds

Photographing Nature ? Nesting Birds

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:26:02 +0000

Photographing Nature ? Nesting Birds

One of the greatest challenges in nature and particularly bird photography is collecting images of hatchlings as they grow to adulthood. Documenting the incredible stories of baby birds in a with a nesting box camera as the parents look them after until they can fly the nest can be exhilarating and bring a genuine tear to the eye.

However, as more and more people get interested in nature photography -mainly because of the surge in use of digital cameras – means its worth stipulating the danger this type of bird watching can pose to wildlife.

Nesting birds are notoriously nervous. Not only is it all to easy to scare a mother away from her eggs or chicks, some species may cannibalise their young once disturbed. So in attempting any type of this photography it is important to ensure the nesting birds are never disturbed.

By far the best method is to use a camera-nesting box. These are similar to conventional nesting boxes but have a ‘secret’ hidden camera compartment, normally tucked away in the roof of the bird box.

Whilst some people opt to make their own, there are several multi-species camera nesting boxes on the market equipped with cameras that not only take crisp images of the nesting birds but also take the pictures without any sound or distraction in the nesting box.

If you do choose to make your own camera nesting box or buy a camera nesting box and use your own photography equipments its important to remember to ensure the camera is not only silent (a shutter can sound extremely loud close up to a nesting hatchling) but that obviously the flash is off.

If using conventional equipment it may be difficult to get an image in the dark confines of the nesting box if you have no night vision facilities on your camera. Making use of natural light by carefully adding slits to the box (while its still empty) may help as can setting up a permanent light. This has to be installed to create a dim glow in the box only and the bulb out of the way of the birds. Any power facility such as battery must be replaceable without sudden change of light in the box or any disturbance.

This is where many of the manufactured camera nesting boxes have the advantage in that the equipment is designed specifically for this type of work where the camera compartment is completely separate and designed with the ability to set the optimum/sensitive to ensure crisp images.

Richard N Williams is a technical author and a specialist in eco-friendly products and innovations. Please contact us if you are interested in recycling, eco gifts the camera nesting box or other green gift ideas

Related Blogs

Conservation and Cavity-nesting Birds

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 08:04:05 +0000

by adulau

Conservation and Cavity-nesting Birds

There are approximately 85 species of birds in North America that nest in cavities. Some, like woodpeckers, excavate their own holes. Non-excavators like the purple martin nest in cavities previously dug out by other birds or animals. Then there are birds such as wood ducks that nest in naturally occurring cavities that form in many trees. Many of these birds will also nest in birdhouses provided by humans.

If you could travel back to a time before Europeans began coming to the New World, you could see these birds living in abundance, each filling a particular niche in the ecosystem. The birds ate bugs that might otherwise become a plague on woodlands. In turn, their numbers would be kept in check by hawks, owls, snakes, and other predators. It was a beautiful, healthy balance.

In a case of humans living inside their natural balance, Native Americans in some parts of the country discovered long ago that they could attract purple martins to nest in hollowed out gourds. In this case, the martins ate many bugs that were considered pests to people and animals. That is how the first purple martin birdhouse was created. (It is important to note here that, contrary to many claims, mosquitoes are not among the insects favored by purple martins.)

A more common example of human interaction with nature, in the last couple of centuries at least, can be examined in a discussion on “introduced species.” Humans have frequently brought all kinds of plants and animals from their native lands, depositing them on foreign soil. Sometimes it happens accidentally, but there have been many intentional introductions as well. Many times, the new species dies out, because they were taken from their natural niche and inserted where there was no place for them. Occasionally, a species will survive, carving out a new niche. When this happens, it usually has devastating effects on native species.

In the bird world, two strong examples of successfully introduced species are the English house sparrow and the European starling. The house sparrow was brought to North America in the 1850′s in an attempt to reduce insect populations around human communities. This, unfortunately, proved unwise. As the number of sparrows increased, they began to consume huge amounts of grain and growing vegetables, and they competed with native cavity-nesting birds. The intentions were good, but the experiment was simply ill conceived. The house sparrow aggressively defends any nesting site it claims, and these sites are often ones preferred by birds like bluebirds and purple martins.

If the introduction of English house sparrows to the U.S. was ill conceived, the case of the European starling was downright silly. In the 1890′s, a man named Eugene Schieffelin wanted to bring to our shores every bird mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. This comedy of errors ultimately culminated in the continental distribution of starlings. They now reside from coast to coast. Highly aggressive, they actually “evict” other cavity-nesting birds from their homes. This, combined with the ever-increasing pace of land development by humans, puts a great deal of pressure on our native bird populations.
Conservation

Conservation is not a new or recent phenomenon. Conservation, or living in a sort of balance with nature, had been the norm for successful cultures for millennia. Many ancient societies had very respectful, and respectable, agricultural policies. Some were as simple as not over-killing, and using all parts of the animal for food, clothing, and shelter. Some early techniques were quite complex, like land terracing, crop rotation, and irrigation.

Then came the Industrial Revolution. Myriad products and services, such as the world had never before seen, suddenly came on the market, ever quicker and in greater numbers. The big businesses that grew up in this environment became very powerful; they felt they were invincible. They treated their workers horribly, they took advantage of consumers by gouging prices, and they ravenously devoured every possible natural resource in the name of profits. Forests, rivers, mountains, oceans, earth, and air all were hostage to the unrestrained avarice of the wealthy few.

Soon, a few wise observers realized that this was a trend with a dead end. In 1864, George Perkins Marsh, considered by many to be America’s first environmentalist, wrote Man and Nature. In it, he argued that rampant deforestation would bring “the face of the earth to a desolation almost as complete as that of the moon.”

Later, in 1892, a man named John Muir founded the Sierra Club, an organization that exists to this day. The first point in its mission statement is to “explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth.”

Let us consider the words of another early proponent of conservationism, President Theodore Roosevelt. He said, “The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it will avail us little to solve all others.”

Over time, information and awareness spread, and many groups and individuals stepped up to try to turn the tide of destruction. Today, there are thousands of organizations and millions of people worldwide that are dedicated to improving our ecological outlook. Environmentalism has become a persistent pint of our national and cultural discussion. It has been a big part of presidential campaigns ever since Teddy Roosevelt. It is as if we have always known how important our connection to nature is, but maybe we forgot for a while. Now, we struggle with the thought of sacrificing the life-enhancing things that technological progress has brought us. Though some sacrifices will be necessary, many knowledgeable people believe that they do not need to be big ones.
How a Hobby Can Change the World

There are many things people can do in the course of their ordinary lives to improve the future of the ecology without making any sacrifices whatsoever. Picking up a new pastime – like birding, for example – could help make a positive change. Providing food, via bird feeders, and shelter, by way of birdhouses (also known as nesting boxes), for wild birds can actually help sustain native species. Bluebirds, purple martins, and wood ducks are a few species that are making comebacks thanks, in large part, to the efforts of recreational bird watchers.

Of course, there are a great number of organizations ready to help those new to the world of birding get started. From large national and international groups like the Audubon Society, the North American Bluebird Society, and the Purple Martin Conservation Association, to small, local birding clubs that can be found in towns of all sizes, help for the neophyte birder is close at hand.
So What Does the Future Hold?

We have traveled far in a dangerous direction. Only a major correction can steer us in the direction of a healthy, sustainable ecology, and preserve our beautiful world for coming generations. The good news is that a seemingly insurmountable task might be broken into millions of tiny, easy activities. If we are all together, each accepting a little bit of responsible stewardship of the earth, we can chart a course for success.

Michael Rasco is the owner of UtopiaBirdHouses.com, a website committed to providing high quality birding products and wild bird information.

Related Blogs

Looking for chicken coop designs/images and want to know what birds can and can’t be together?

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:45:03 +0000

Question by Duat: Looking for chicken coop designs/images and want to know what birds can and can’t be together?
I’m wanting to build an enclosed coop that is off the ground and fenced in. The coop will probably be placed in an area with a large 8′ chain link fence on 2 of the sides and a building on another. I’m mainly trying to figure out how to make a roof and the coop. I’m also wanting to know if all these birds can live in the same area: chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, pheasants, and maybe turkeys. I’d like to make a coop with seperate sections for each bird species. How big of a coop should I have for a small number 3-4 of each type of bird? I do like some of the coop pictures I looked at with the nesting area stuck out some in the back with a roof that lifts up to get to the nests. I’d like to find more pictures of the insides of coops especially for ducks. I assume they would have to be made different. I’m currently living with my bf and his parents on their farm. I have plenty of supplies and aggreed to build the coop myself if his father would buy the birds.
Thanks for the replies. My bf’s dad has had chickens and turkeys before but were free to roam the whole farm. We have to many cats around and everyone doesn’t want the turkeys runnin loose since they got attacked by them. The guinea fowl and pheasants my bf’s dad was thinking about them. I mainly prefer chickens and definitely ducks/geese. With the chain link fencing if I put a different type of wire (smaller holes) and dug down 1-2 feet and had a couple feet above the ground would that help avoid predators digging in and also reaching the birds? There are a few other farms around that raise different types of birds for pets that I can ask some information about the birds. As far as babies we will be removing them to an incubator. I was thinking about 5 nest boxes for chickens/ducks each. Probably have 2 females and 1 male each. I’ll probably make the coop so I can add extra nests if needed. I’ll tell my bf’s dad about the other fowl so we can wait or build a seperate coop later on.

Best answer:

Answer by Bobbie F
Ducks, guinea fowl and turkeys do not belong in a coop. They need to free range. If you can provide a fenced area for them, large enough for them, great.

Predators can and will come right through chain link. If the roof is not screened, raptors will kill all but the turkeys. Why not start with chickens first and see how that goes before adding other birds. There are lots of chicken coop plans online.
Best of luck to you.

What do you think? Answer below!

Related Blogs

North American Pet Products Parakeet Nesting Box for Birds Reviews

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:41:18 +0000

North American Pet Products Parakeet Nesting Box for Birds

Boxes & Carriers

North American Pet Products Parakeet Nesting Box is a dual mountable nest that is excellent for breeding parakeets. Its sturdy wooden design holds up, while a large opening ensures easy, quick access for your parakeet parents. North American Pet Products Parakeet Nesting Box also features a recessed area in the center of the box which keeps the nest eggs from moving around.

List Price: $ 0.00

Price: $ 4.90

Related Blogs

Why do you still eat chicken and other birds knowing it could be full of deadly diseases?

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:49:24 +0000

India:300,000 chicken killed due to bird flu!
Turkey:100,000,France,50,000 etc etc etc!!!!

Related Blogs

How to build a homemade nesting box?

Chicken Coops Today administrator — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 21:46:47 +0000

I have two Parakeets that I think have been mating. I live in a country where there isn’t that much of pet supplies, at least when it comes to birds, and it will be a while until my mother comes to visit from the US. It won’t be until May that the birds have a real nesting box but is there a way I can build a homemade nesting box that will hold until my mom brings a real nesting box? At least one that will fit inside the cage, since they are still untrained and have yet to get used to their new surroundings. We just got them the other day. Thanks.