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Your checklist of the day!


Kevin

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6 hours ago, dragon49 said:

Ty - I don't have binoculars.  I just scope things out with my 60x zoom point and shoot camera.  Something is not right with my vision though, or at least how I use the lens.  I saw the bird clearly a few times with my eyes, but when I switched to the camera, was unable to point it at the correct spot.  I frequently encounter this problem when trying to take pictures of warblers in trees.

What 60x, if I may ask?  I've birded with only a camera when I've had no choice.  It's definitely not my preferred method,  but ...

Start with your camera already zoomed about halfway in.  When you see the bird with your eyes, notice prominent branches, rocks, or other features nearby.  Keeping your head still, bring the camera up to your eye.  Look through  the viewfinder for those features you picked.  Once you find them, then finish zooming and shoot.  Practice with slower birds - herons and egrets are great subjects.

If your camera has digital zoom, use it to magnify the bird beyond 60x.  Digital isn't worth much for pictures but it's good for looking for large field marks.

But there's no way around warblers, kinglets, and many other fast movers being difficult to observe with a camera.  If you have $150 available, consider a pair of 8 x 42 binos.  B&H or Adorama have great, affordable used gear.  It's much faster and easier to find a bird with binos; they're made for it and cameras just aren't.  You can get more recommendations than you'll need if you start a discussion in the Equipment forum.

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14 hours ago, Charlie Spencer said:

What 60x, if I may ask?  I've birded with only a camera when I've had no choice.  It's definitely not my preferred method,  but ...

Start with your camera already zoomed about halfway in.  When you see the bird with your eyes, notice prominent branches, rocks, or other features nearby.  Keeping your head still, bring the camera up to your eye.  Look through  the viewfinder for those features you picked.  Once you find them, then finish zooming and shoot.  Practice with slower birds - herons and egrets are great subjects.

If your camera has digital zoom, use it to magnify the bird beyond 60x.  Digital isn't worth much for pictures but it's good for looking for large field marks.

But there's no way around warblers, kinglets, and many other fast movers being difficult to observe with a camera.  If you have $150 available, consider a pair of 8 x 42 binos.  B&H or Adorama have great, affordable used gear.  It's much faster and easier to find a bird with binos; they're made for it and cameras just aren't.  You can get more recommendations than you'll need if you start a discussion in the Equipment forum.

Nikon COOLPIX B600.  I did a lot of research and decided on the best point and shoot.  I got this last summer before I considered myself a birder.  I bought it to also photograph other wildlife.  I disabled digital zoom so as not to degrade picture quality when at max zoom.  I'd rather get better pictures of what I can, rather than miss a few IDs.

Appreciate the photography advice.  One of these days, I'm going to upgrade to an SLR where I can add lenses, get much better than 60x zoom, and change aperture and shutter speed.  I'm hoping to get something that I can comfortably use with a next strap on long walks.

I'm most-likely going to stay with the Nikon line when I upgrade, and may ask advice in the equipment forum when the time comes.

I'm going to pass on the binoculars for now.  Although my nature walks have turned into dedicated birding trips and am always excited to add to my small life list, I'm more interested in getting better pictures of what I can see with my equipment and don't to have something else to carry.

 

 

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https://ebird.org/checklist/S107574223

Just a quick trip around the local bird preserve while someone was at an appointment nearby. Lots of swallows flying around, Ruddy Ducks courting, and a Killdeer guarding its nest. Nothing too rare, but a FOY Lesser Yellowlegs, at least. It's been (and will be) ridiculously windy the rest of the week, so this may be my only opportunity for birds.

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1 hour ago, dragon49 said:

Always good to go for a walk, but today, I saw fewer birds and fewer species than I normally do in the area.  Not sure whether it was a slow day for birds overall, or if my timing was off.  I normally don't go birding in this area at the time I started my checklist:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S107709619

Midday is the “birding doldrums”

Birds are disappearing to do whatever they do after the morning buzz of activity, before slowly picking back up for the evening. It’s why I always bird at sunrise. 

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