Like to take better photos of birds? In the final part of our series on bird photography, wildlife and travel photographer Dale Morris shares four more great tips to help you take your bird photography to the next level.
If there’s one form of photography that really does benefit from having a plan, it's bird photography. As pretty as they are, birds don't seem to like having their photo taken. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can use to improve your chances. Here are four of them.
01 KNOW YOUR SUBJECTS
One of the nicest things about any form of wildlife photography is being in the natural environment. So enjoy it and try to learn about the subjects you intend to photograph. Study the movements of birds. Visit their nesting sights and roosting places, learn their habits and behaviours, and then plan a shoot and shoot your plan. Be careful not to cause disturbance though, especially where nesting birds are concerned. Hide yourself, build a blind, wear neutral colours, and be quiet!
This Thick Knee was nesting in my garden and had become very accustomed to my presence. Every day I fed him and his partner. That’s when it became possible for me to position a fish-eye lens right in his face. When shooting birds, always try to check your depth of field to avoid focus problems between the tip of the beak and the eyes. DSLR with fisheye lens 1/90s @ f/8 (f/16 or higher would have been better ) off-shoe flash (hand held) set to rear curtain. Photo by Dale Morris.
02 FIND NEW ANGLES
Many birds are located way above ground level. They’re either in a tree, in the sky, or perched on a ledge. Photographing upwards, especially when you’re close, will give you a cricked neck and an oddly angled image of a bird’s feet and behind! Try to find elevated vantage points so you can fire across at your subject, rather than up at it. Water birds are particularly easy subjects to photograph because you can lie on the ground and shoot them in profile.
Ducks in a row. Be on the lookout for backlit subjects and backlit settings such as this early-morning glowing grass. Also, look out for potential low-angle shots which get you at face level with your subject. DSLR, 400mm lens, f/4 @ 1/160s. Photo by Dale Morris.
03 CHECK YOUR BACKGROUNDS
A long lens will give you a lovely crisp image with a clean, diffuse background if used correctly. Keep an eye out for glowing backlit leaves. They give some colourful punch to your pictures. Also be aware of distracting features in the background, like a gap in the foliage or the unfortunate position of an annoying twig. If something is buggering up your shot, it’s often possible to take a step to the left or right and simply recompose your scene. Beautiful results can be achieved with wide apertures, but use your depth of field button often so you can check that all of the important elements are in focus. 
A lilac breasted roller. Perching birds often look best when the background has been reduced to a pleasant diffused blur. This can be achieved by using a shallow depth of field and a long lens so long as there is a sufficient distance between the bird and its background. DSLR, 400mm lens, f/4.5 @ 1/250s. Photo by Dale Morris.
04 VISIT A ZOO
Falconry flying centres, walk-through aviaries and zoos are all good places to photograph birds. The animals tend to be very acclimatised to humans and will often present the photographer with plenty of opportunities to hone their skills. 
Barn owl. Falconry centres, zoos and wildlife parks can be great places to practice bird photography. DSLR, 16mm focal length, 1/8000s @ f/4, fast sync flash and a graduated ND filter to darken the sky. Photo by Dale Morris.
Look for eye catching attributes such as plumage, eyes, beaks etc and then concentrate on composition. DSLR 90mm macro 1/90s f13 with flash. Photo by Dale Morris.
How to Shoot Stunning Bird Photos (Part 1)
Excerpt from an article first published in Australian Photography + digital, November 2013.