One of the most challenging avian subjects is a warbler. Not only are they small, they are examples of perpetual motion. Electrons are considered stable by comparison! Combine this hyperactivity with their love of dense habitat and treetops, and you have a recipe for photographer insanity!

In Ontario, there are 44 species that have been recorded according to the Ontario Bird Records committee in 1998. The best opportunities for photography are in the spring. The breeding plumage at this time is magnificent. During this season several species will be concentrated into specific locations at a predictable time. By summer the birds will be dispersed to breeding territories and they will be more difficult to find. The best places to go are areas that concentrate the birds on migration. Point Pelee, Rondeau P.P., and Long Point P.P. are excellent. If you're lucky enough to be in Point Pelee when a wave of birds comes through, you can see more than 30 species of warblers in a day.

Warblers are constantly on the move. In order to get sharp images, higher shutter speeds will be required. It is desirable to have at least 1/250 second or better. In order to achieve fast shutter speeds you can invest in fast lenses ($$). A strategy with slower lenses is to use fast film (ISO 200 or higher). You can also "push" your slower film to get a higher ISO (see tips # 4). Alternatively, consider using electronic flash to freeze motion (subject of a future article). If all else fails, pray for a sunny day!

Warblers are very small birds; this creates a problem with getting a desirable image size, as you will be at the lens minimum focusing distance (MFD) most of the time. To increase magnification, consider decreasing the minimum focus distance by using extension tubes. These are hollow tubes that fit between the lens and camera and effectively reduce the MFD. For example, with our 500mm the MFD is 15 feet, the addition of a 14mm tube decreases this to about 13.5 feet. The use of E.T. will cause some light loss. Another option is to use a teleconverter to increase the magnification at a given distance. As magnification increases, so does vibration, so it is even more important to use a good tripod and technique.

The light is best in early AM and late afternoon. Another advantage of early morning is that the cooler temperatures keep insects down and consequently the treetop species will be lower until things warm up. Often times when a "wave" of warblers has flown in, there will be a few individuals who are a bit tired. They will often perch low in the brush to rest. As long as you don't pressure them, it is a marvelous opportunity to photograph them.

Spring is the only time of the year where you have a large concentration of birds and no leaves. The advantage of the parks mentioned earlier is that the lake effect will retard leaf development. This will provide interesting photographic opportunities with newly budding leaves. This provides a splash of color without obscuring your subject.

There are ways to increase your chances of success. Shooting a lot of film is helpful. It is often helpful to put your camera on its highest motor drive setting. (I.e. maximum frames per second) This helps because the birds are constantly looking back and forth and shooting several frames increases the odds you get a nice profile. Also, expect your percentage of "keepers" to be very low due to their rapid movements. Often your developed film will have a couple of photos of the bird, then a couple of the empty perch! (At first you may wonder why you took the photograph!) For the most part only a few percent of all your photos will be worth saving. This is true for the experienced photographer as well.

Some warbler species present difficulties unique to them. Birds with a black eye on a black face (ex. Black-throated Blue and Common Yellowthroat) are extremely difficult to photograph. Unless the light is perfect or electronic flash is used, there will be no detail and all that will be seen is a black, featureless patch. One way to deal with this is to stake out their territory with the sun at your back, and wait. As in the old west, don't shoot till you see a glint in the eye, then fire several frames quickly (and hope you're the one left standing!) Electronic flash is helpful, but be careful as you may "burnout" lighter areas. If you can, set your flash to underexpose by 1 to 2 stops to prevent this. This will give a more natural appearance and put a glint in the bird's eye. This reflection adds life to your photograph.

As with any group of birds, you must have some knowledge of it's behavior and be able to identify the different species. If you have a choice between a rare visitor and a common one, it's best to focus your energy on the rare one. There are many books that are helpful in identification and behavior. A new book titled, "Warblers of Ontario" will be available this spring. The author Chris Earley is a naturalist at the Guelph Arboretum. This book features many photographs by Jim Flynn and other photographers (as well as a few photos by a couple of jokers by the name of Fairbairn and Reaume). There are spring and fall comparison charts as well as interesting notes on the natural history of warblers.

The last suggestion concerns the bird photographer's dream, the "co-operator". This is a bird who would normally be in continual motion. For some reason, whether tired or just wanting to help out the dejected photographer, it is sitting still and soaking up some sun. NEVER WALK AWAY. This is a gift! Take a lot of photos as it may be years before another opportunity presents. Never leave until you've shot several frames varying the exposure, composition, shot in both vertical and horizontal formats, and changed lenses and tele-converters. When you think you're done, think again! You will never begrudge the extra frames.

In summary, trying to photograph warblers is challenging due to their small size and activity. It will take years to build a decent collection. If you can come away with a few good shots each season, you have done well. Next month's tip will discuss how to become the pavorotti of bird photographers by learning effective stalking techniques!

Copyright Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume

Magnolia Warbler	Blackburnian Warbler
Copyright Scott Fairbairn and John Reaume