Before anything else, I have to disclose that I'm just learning too myself. So take these in with a grain of salt.
Getting that out of the way, here's my observation:
1. at what time of the day is the best time to shoot birds?
I noticed that I'm getting better lighting late in the afternoon until the sun sets. You just need to adjust for whit balance though.
This applies to early morning as well. But I'm not an early person, so I'm missing a lot.
Birds are most active early morning and late afternoon. As this is their feeding time. But that doesn't mean they won't feed any other time.
With BIF, light coming from the sides will render nice images. If the sun is high up, you'll get mostly shadows from the bird.
If it's partly overcast or cloudy, you might get good result with BIF taken during mid-day but you're at the mercy of the cloud formation.
With still birds, like ducks and other wading birds, you can take them anytime as long as the shadows are favorable. Again, early morning or late afternoon is nice as the light is coming from the sides.
And do take note of your position. Put yourself in a position between the sun and your target. I think that's self explanatory.
2. what season of the year is best to shoot birds?
Depends on the bird and location.
You can only observe migratory birds maybe just twice a year depending on it's range.
Some birds don't migrate that much, and some don't migrate at all.
More research are necessary on this. That's why field guides are a must have.
3. how do you look for a good vantage point?
Knowing the bird's behavior and habitat will give you a head start.
Once you know the place or area they frequent, position yourself wherein you can get a good shot, relative to the light source.
Then WAIT and pray.
For example, if you want to take a BIF shot, you may want to position yourself on an elevated area so you'll get a nice side shot.
For wading birds and ground feeding birds, get close to the water/ground level as much as possible.
For perched birds, well shooting up is normal. It gives the bird some identity and power. If you can take a level shot, that's fine as well.
Well, for small birds like warblers which are hard to take as they move a lot, any clear shot I think is acceptable. LOL.
I guess we'll learn more from practice and experience.
Oh, I should have mentioned this first. Please respect the wildlife, and keep it that way. Remember that you're just observing and documenting. Don't do anything that will alter their behavior.
Don't get too close for them to be uncomfortable.
Giving them bait so you can get a good shot is highly controversial, and frowned upon by some. Some people do it, whether it's right or not is debatable. In my opinion, feeding them is ok as long as you're not disrupting their natural behavior. But baiting for some other motives, is not. You draw the line.
4. which is your favorite shooting position? standing, sitting, prone, submerged?
Whatever it takes.
As long as I'm safe and in a stable position, that'll work.
Good luck and have fun.
Happy birding!
, AFS 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G , TC 1.4EII, TC 1.7EII, SB-800, Manfrotto 190CXPro3/393(3421), RRS BH-55, Kirk NC300 lens collar
