Tips: Photographing birds

From Rich Hoeg's blog, www.365daysofbirds.com (he used a Canon SX60):

Birds move fast! This may seem like an obvious statement, but one must understand this item at its most basic level if you want to take good bird photos. … I prefer shutter priority or manual mode. Using either of these settings means I am able to pick the shutter speed necessary to "stop time" and ensure clear photos without any blur (unless desired to give the impression of speed).

Small bird settings

Small birds move very fast. Thus, I like to use a fast shutter speed … 1/1000th of a second or less. I like to open up my aperture to obtain a bit more light and slightly blur the background (aperture of 5.6 or 6.3). For a flight shot, I will use an aperture of 7.1 or 8 which makes the entire photo more likely to be in focus.

Large bird settings

Large raptors move slower. I find I can utilize a slower shutter speed, perhaps 1/800th of a second or less. I use the same aperture settings as with small birds.

Bird-in-flight settings

I like a shutter speed of at least 1/1200th of a second or less. For fast-flying birds, I really want 1/1600th of a second. Light conditions dictate whether I am able to achieve these settings. I also want to keep my ISO settings below 800.