There really is no secret to how I am getting my pictures of the birds. Each morning around 8:30 or 9 Abbey and I go out to sit on the patio. She lays under the bench and I sit quietly in a chair holding my camera.

This is the lens that I use:

It’s a nice lens that gives good images but it isn’t overly powerful. You can see that some of my photos haven’t been as sharp as others, that’s because the birds were sitting in the orange tree, about twice as far away as the feeder.

I usually stay out there for close to half an hour. The birds start showing up within minutes of our arrival. Some of the birds are a bit nervous about Abbey and take longer to approach the feeder. The Hose Finches aren’t too concerned. We seem to have two types of hummingbirds. The Anna’s are afraid of Abbey and usually won’t go near the feeder unless she is over near my chair. The Ruby Throated ones are much bolder. They get about 2 1/2 feet away from her and just hover there telling her what for. Abbey doesn’t always stay under the bench. When the birds scold her she gets intimidated and sits next to me. When she is feeling bold she explores around the back yard, giving the more timid birds a chance to feed.