Perhaps you’ve looked at a bird through a spotting scope during a field trip and were completely awed by the intimacy of the experience. When it comes to observing a bird, nothing personalizes the experience better than the view through a scope. Intricate feather detail is revealed as a bird raises its crest, preens, or [...]
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This is Shrike Country
Shrike country is open country. Shrike country has peripheral perches, scrubby habitat, and lots of prey items. For as long as I’ve been visiting Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a Northern Shrike has claimed its snowy prairies throughout the winter months. Occasionally there’s been more than one shrike. Even though I’ve observed a shrike there just once [...]
Vortex Razor 20-60×85 HD!
Vortex Razor 20-60×85 HD
I recently spent a few hours evaluating the Vortex Razor 20-60×85 HD spotting scope alongside some of its market rivals. Considering the comparatively friendly price of the Vortex Razor scope at $1,599.00, I was curious how it would stack up against my personal favorite high-end spotting scopes. Under overcast lighting, [...]
Aperture and Digiscoping
Though digiscoping has opened the doors of nature photography to thousands of birders and other outdoor enthusiasts, it’s still not a silver bullet when it comes to obtaining good results. However, I do feel it’s a compliment to digiscoping whenever it is compared, albeit somewhat skeptically and critically, to high-end super-telephoto setups that cost [...]
Using a Photo Adapter
Another method of connecting a D-SLR to a spotting scope has been around for many years, but film SLR cameras were used prior to digital. In this configuration, the eyepiece is removed from the spotting scope and the lens is removed from the D-SLR. Using a T-ring that’s specific to the camera body, the scope [...]
More about DSLR Digiscoping
Someone we need to see more digiscoping from is my co-worker Ben Lizdas of 600 birds blog. He’s made a few changes to his digiscoping rig since last time I blogged about him, upgrading from the Leica Televid 77 APO to the new Leica Televid 82 APO. This gorgeous photo of a Bald Eagle was [...]
Digiscoping Tech Group!
Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a resource where the latest digital cameras are field tested and discussed by expert digiscopers from around the world? Look no further than Yahoo’s digiscopingbirds tech group! It’s a great place to obtain accurate information on digiscoping adapters, accessory adapters, camera reviews, and obtain answers to all [...]
Leave your Camera Attached!
I’m sure you’ve seen the following digiscoping practice in the field. Using a spotting scope, a birder scans terrain and habitat when something of interest grabs his attention. Perhaps it’s a shy Sora that has sauntered into the open from thick marsh grasses, or maybe a beautiful Magnolia Warbler has perched on a [...]
Barred Owl eating a Mourning Dove
Early on 9/7/09 at Pheasant Branch Conservancy (WI), my birding group happened upon a Barred Owl that was finishing off a Mourning Dove. We were able to identify the food item when it consumed one of the wings (not on the video, unfortunately). Nevertheless, a very cool observation! The video was captured via my Nikon [...]
Swarovski Scope Blowout Sale!
This is a great time to finally own one of the best spotting scopes on the market for digiscoping, and at a price unlikely to ever be seen again. Because they’re being discontinued, prices on Swarovski’s ATS/STS series spotting scopes have been dramatically discounted, both 65mm and 80mm, HD and non-HD models. Only [...]
