Wildlife Photography Practice

[zombiesniper]

A lot of great advice.

Quick and easy.
If you have a park nearby that a lot of people visit you will be able to shoot small birds. They tend not to be as jumpy in these parks as they are used to people.
As stated Zoo/Bird rescue/dog park all offer animals and birds in a controlled environment.

Little more time and effort.
Find an are where wildlife congregates near you. Frequent the area at different times of the day to learn the patterns of the local wildlife. This way you will know where to be to get the best images.
eBird is an excellent resource for finding birds in your area.
Patience and persistence is the key here. You need to learn about the wildlife for this approach. Learn when and where they'll be. Which wildlife you can make accustomed to your presence etc.

Don't get discouraged if at first you're not getting those Natgeo photos. Nobody gets them day one. For some it takes years of struggle before they are happy with a shot. It's never the same for any two people. Gear/knowledge/available time and available wildlife in your area all have a great impact on how quickly the evolution happens. Keep at it.

And most of all.
Keep it fun. There's no need to stress over a missed opportunity. I miss shots all the time that Jr. gets. He can raise his camera faster than I can. Just how it goes.

If all else fails come to my wildlife workshop where I guarantee full frame images. lol.
Wildlife Training by Trevor Baldwin, on Flickr