When I designed the Hub, I always imagined using it for photography. I designed it as an ‘L’ Shape with two hide windows and places to hang feeders that would offer good photography opportunities. A week or so ago, I hung the first feeders up and it was not long before the birds had found them. Today, I nipped up to take a few shots and get a feel for the kind of shots that might be possible.
I do plan on setting up my tripod in the hub and photographing through the hide window, but today, I just hand-held the 100-400 mm lens, just to get an idea of what the shots could be like. The hedge is quite a way back, so I knew I should end up with a dark out of focus background. With the oak tree in full leaf, it was not as light as I had hoped, but there are a few branches that might need a ‘trim’.
It was mainly young great tits and blue tits on there and I got a couple of shots…
I also set up a feeding station on the other side of the hub, over looking the lane. There is a window in front of my desk and I wanted to set up feeders here that I could watch when I am working in the Hub. I used a metal feeder pole and banged it into the bank, next to the fence so I could cable-tie it to the fence as well to secure it. It is an excellet position with lots of places for birds to perch before landing on the feeders and I also added a branch just behind, that I also cable-tied onto the fence. Birds like to land quite close to the feeders and these also provide good photographic opportunities.
As the light here is good… better than where I had the live stream Twister Feeder before, I decided to move the camera and the feeder to this new position. It meant extending one of the cables so it would reach all the way to the Hub. I mounted the camera on a post, so it shows the Twister Feeder, a ‘Suet-to-Go’ fat bar (new product due in the shops in October) and on a tray that I have filled with meal worms and some raisins for the blackbird. I use a mini monitor to check the camera position before it goes live and I was pleased with how it looked. I wonder how long it will be before the birds discover it. I am sure we will see the first visitors tomorrow.
The view from my table (a stunning elm one built by Phil ) is just perfect and it is the most lovely place to sit and work. The atmosphere out there is so lovely… something very special about sitting in your own garden hub, watching the birds.
I also positioned the bird table so it would offer good views from the other window.
I have also started to move some of my wildlife paraphernalia in there. I want to keep all my wildlife food, feeders, cables and bits of cam kit in there and it is a good chance to sort it all out!
It is beginning to take shape….
This is such a lovely space… a very tranquil location and such a wonderful calm atmosphere in here… it is going to be a very special place.
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