chipperatl

Yes you can get them out in a hurry, the tension also will pull the lens caps open about 98% of the time. The harness/case combo also have an extension strap so I can carry them loose outside the case and bring them up quick to my eyes. They hang about waist level. The only issue I have with the side camera strap is if I have it below the chest harness extension connection. Bins aren’t as loose to pull up. One time adjustment. The rapid strap crosses your chest above the chest harness case for the bins.

Chest harness with case for bins, and rapid strap for camera. The camera hangs on my hip. I want to say I tried a monopod with that setup, but it was clunky. You can get it to balance right away from your body when grabbing bins. When it doesn’t work you have a stick that ends up swinging around.

Red-shouldered Hawk

Another Imperial Moth Bent-line Gray Spot-winged Antlion Lacewing larvae - All that “fuzz” is dead bug parts

Also Green Heron or American Bittern. It sure looked bigger than Green Heron flying over.

Photo sleuth said 52% Marsh. Some songs out here, but not full just chatter. So having a hard time with which one I’m hearing. Could be both are out here. I’m leaning toward Marsh as that supercilium is more white.

Birding has been very light around here lately, but the moths haven't. Nearly 4.5" wide Imperial Moth Dark Marathyssa Moth Tufted Bird-dropping Moth I think this is my first Angle Shade - Olive Angle Shade Four-toothed Mason Wasp More here - https://www.balancethechaos.com/birding

Finally got a Sora to make itself seen in the County. First one for our eBird Illustrated Checklist.

iNaturalist has a ton of sightings in SC of this. I’m starting to try to load moths and other insects in there as it has a great AI for helping to ID your observations as you enter them. Along with the human ID help.

@The Bird Nuts which lens for that great Blinded Sphinx pic? I haven’t pulled the trigger on a macro yet, but looks like when I do a ring light may need to be part of it. My moths tend to still have some blown out areas from on-camera flash and diffuser with kit lens.

Have to backtrack on this. Got better audio and 75% sure I had the culprit behind the leaves of a tree, throwing its head back at same time as I heard the song. Field Sparrow.

Any one else have any thoughts? A couple of eBird reviewers contacted me with some concern about it not being quite right. I found some Xeno-Canto and eBird recordings that were close. There was a FISP about 1/4 mile away that had a slight rise, albeit at 1k hz lower.

And because of having to become familiar with the call of this bird, I nabbed a county-lifer Prairie Warbler yesterday.

In addition birds can be flagged for time of the year. A really common Yellow-rumped Warbler isn't a big deal, unless it is in the middle of winter in the North. Then it will be flagged. They also will often crank up the filters during the Backyard bird count. That way someone who participates and sees a Red-bellied Woodpecker, and calling it a Red-headed, can be flagged and asked for more clarification. They can also be flagged for a hight count. Dunlin appears on my checklist, but when I put in 25 of them it flags as a hight count in my inland county. My advice if your bird isn't confirmed, don't take it personal. A couple of us didn't agree with our reviewer on a late Tundra Swan, but the bird was such a "tweener" juvie it was a tough call either way. I accept the fact this bird would be way out of season for around here and the scientific data is the important part. It goes on my list, but not in the data.

Welcome to Whatbird. Great photo!!