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Monday, March 31, 2008
Spring is creeping in .. really
More snow, today, but it does seem that these snow storms are losing their punch as the weeks slip slowly into spring. Makes it hard to think about binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras and all the other optical equipment we sell, here at OpticsPlanet, but I know people will soon be out and about, trading TV sets and computers for sunshine and the outdoors. I've been out all winter, so just want everyone to know it's been nice having the woods and trails largely to myself. I'm the people type, though, so come on out and join me. I will be waiting.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Cranes, birders, binoculars, spotting scopes
I expect to hear the calls of Sandhill Cranes, any day, now, as they migrate south. I usually hear these birds long before I see them in a binocular, though some of our local marshes do attract them long enough to provide good views in a binocular or even a spotting scope. Of course, I have never seen Sandhill Cranes here in the Chicago area the way I used to see them in Nebraska, but, even when high overhead, they always bring a smile to the face of this homesick prairie girl. Central Nebraska, this time of year, is crowded with birders, binoculars and spotting scopes. Wish I was there to enjoy the action.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Pentax k20
Had a look at the new Pentax DSLR, the Pentax K20, yesterday when our Pentax rep stopped by for a visit. He also had one of the new Pentax 300mm f/4 ED lenses. Have to say I was tempted to go down the SLR road again. Loved the way I could see a preview of the image on the LCD screen of the K20 and the optics on the 300mm ED (450mm 35mm film equivalent) Pentax lens blew me away. Wish they had had this kind of stuff back in the days when I was doing more wildlife photography. I might have kept my SLR cameras. Digital just keeps getting better. To say the least, Pentax has come a long way since the days of my first SLR, the old screw mount Pentax SP.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Bobwhite, where are you?
One of the birds I miss from my years in Nebraska is the Bobwhite. Have yet to see one in the Chicago area and I doubt I ever will, since this is a bit north for that bird. Hey, it's even tough to see a pheasant around here. In Nebraska, we would hear the Bob's call more often than we would spot one, but, now and then, we would get lucky and see on in the binocular or spotting scope, especially in spring when the males sometimes sat on fence posts to call. I even got a pic with a camera on one of these cute little guys.
Monday, March 17, 2008
SLR camera versus digiscoping
There was a time when SLR cameras ruled the roost for serious wildlife photography and an SLR with appropriate telephoto lens is still the first choice of professionals and serious amateurs who need to make and print enlargements or submit photos to magazines. However, over the years, I have gone to digiscoping with a spotting scope and small digital point and shoot for wildlife photography. I get access to much more magnification -
much more than I could ever get with an SLR. Pic quality, especially with a high grade spotting scope, is anything but shabby - certainly more than adequate for viewing on a monitor. When I need something to print, frame and hang on the wall, it's back to the SLR, but, in the meantime, I am having a blast with my digiscoping. Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Giant planet with a giant binocular
A beautiful morning with a clear sky and a slight tail wind makes for a nice bicycle ride. As I rode east, I glanced up, now and then, at Jupiter hanging low over the horizon, just a bit to the south. Since I haven't had the opportunity to see this giant planet in quite some time, I grabbed an Oberwerk 22x100 binocular mounted on a tripod when I got to work and trained it on the planet. At 22x, Jupiter was a nice disc, though too small to see any detail and, being low to the horizon, there was much turbulence and refraction. Still, just seeing Jupiter and its moons through a giant binocular brought back of flood of wonderful memories. I will definitely be taking another look later this summer when this planet is in a better position to observe.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Spotting scopes with digital cameras
Why doesn't someone make a spotting scope with a built-in digital camera? Actually, someone does. The Celestron Vistapix 14x70 for one and the Bushnell Imageview for another. Okay, why don't you see more spotting scopes with built-in digital cameras? The reason is versatility and performance. It's easier and more effective to add a small digital point and shoot to any spotting scope (called digiscoping) with a universal camera adapter, such as the Alpen 706. This not only gives you access to more magnification, it gives you the option of using better digital cameras and better spotting scopes and, of course, you can also use both items, individually as your needs dictate.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Hawk Woman
Hawks are birds of special signifcance to me. All my life, these magnificent creatures have magically appeared when I am undergoing some emotional upheaval and am in dire need some assurance from the natural world, the very source of my spiritual strength. At other times, they seem to appear with uncanny regularity when I am leading a bird group and have begun a lesson on raptors.
I was in church Sunday, telling a friend she didn't need to make a special trip out to the woods to see hawks - the suburbs were filled with them - and that was a good reason to always carry a binocular or monocular. She smiled to humor me, when a Red-tailed, as if on cue, swooped down in front of the church window to our left and landed on a light tower in the neighboring park. I told her she could close her mouth, anytime, then handed her my Nikon 5x15 monocular from my purse so she could get a better look. Maybe I was a hawk in a former life. Monday, March 03, 2008
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Spent some of my childhood years in the state of North Dakota and remember it for it's wonderful prairie potholes as well as its friendly people. With that in mind, I have been thinking of setting up a birding tour some day. What does a prairie birder on the move carry? A birding binocular, of course, but also a spotting scope. In fact, you may be using a spotting scope more than a binocular for this type of birding. Eastern birders sometimes fail to appreciate how essential a spotting scope is for western birding. Think of it this way. How do you plan to get close enough to shore birds that are on a mud flat, hundreds of yards out in the middle of a marsh? Wading? No way, not if you have any concern for the birds or the habitat and, besides, that's going to be illegal in some sanctuaries. Head west, you birders, head west, but take a spotting scope.
Our lakes are showing signs of ice out, at last. Picked up some extra miles on the bike, the other night (just before our recent snowstorm) with a ride around one of our suburban lakes. There was open water along the edges of the shoreline! Hurrah! Of course, open water means ducks and geese. So far, haven't seen much more than the usual Mallards, but I expect that to change, soon. To that end, I will be supplementing my ever present Nikon monocular with some compact binoculars and, as soon as the birds make an appearance, I will add a spotting scope.
Hard to believe, but most of our local lakes are still iced over and this is very late for us. That means no spotting scope action on birds for this gal. Ouch! Hey, according to the calendar, spring is less than a week away! Never has a birding nut and her spotting scope been so ready! The forecast? Snow, of course and more cold weather. I have a feeling that when the birds come, it will be one big show. I better have my birding binoculars and spotting scope ready to go on a moment's notice.
Spring is spotting scope time for birders. The action kicks off with waterfowl and a bit later, shorebirds and waders. All of these bird groups make ideal subjects for a spotting scope, since all are usually observed over long distances over open water or impassable marshland. I am often asked whetther to go with a 15-45x spotting scope or a 20-60x spotting scope. My answer is that 45x will work for nearly any application. The exception will be shorebirds at extreme distances. This kind of work calls for the best scope and you will often be pushing your scope up to 60x if it has it available. However, only the finest and most expensive spotting scopes can offer good image quality at 60x. That 60x is of little use in a low priced spotting scopes. You will see more detail in a good scope at 45x than a mediocre scope at 60x.
Monday I had a close encounter with a coyote as I rode my bicycle to work in the pre-dawn darkness. Yesterday, I had an even closer encounter with a deer on my bicycle. Should I be wearing night vision goggles? Actually, I have had a customer ask me this. He wanted to ride a mountain bike in the back country without a light at night and in a cross country race, at that. Yes, night vision has come a long way, but I know what an NV goggle can do and I also know what it takes to mountain bike in the backcountry. Sorry, no way. It's tough enough with all the potholes around here and a good bike light.
As I bicycled to work in the pre-dawn darkness, the last thing I expected to see, right in the center of the city on our busiest street, was a coyote. Sure, I know coyotes are common around, here and I also know that they do quite well in the city, but seeing one, up front and personal, cross the street a bare ten yards in front of me, was still a pleasant surprise. Of course, I could go out with a binocular or a spotting scope and probably search for weeks and weeks without seeing a coyote. That's what makes a sighting like this so special.
My bike trails, as of this last weekend, were still buried under ice and snow, but as soon as I can get through on one of my cyclocross bikes equipped with snow tires, I will be mixing some bicycling and birding for the first time, this year, at least in a serious way. For those of you wondering about doing some bicycle birding, the approach that works best for me is to map out some good birding spots and plan a route to connect them. Be prepared, of course, with a binocular, to stop anytime you see birds, but better to bike quickly to each spot, then stop and bird slowly. This is much better than wandering without a plan, though that also has a charm of its own. Keep in mind, too, that you can also bike with a spotting scope, especially if your bike is equipped with a rack. Strap the tripod to the rack, then carry your spotting scope in a messenger bag.
You know it is Chicago if you wake up to snow one morning, then read a weather forecast that calls for thunderstorms and rain in only a couple of days. What is a birder to do? Okay, 2008 has been off to a rocky start as far as a bird list and my birding binoculars and spotting scopes are currently feeling ignored. Still, better birding days are coming, so time to pull out the field guides and review my warblers and shorebirds.
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