Any funsters who are bird-watchers here? (1 Viewer)

[roadster55]

I've used Bushnell birding bins for 30 years, love them. On my second pair. I was gutted to have left them home this year when there were vultures, eagles, storks and lovely interesting little things around.

Thanks for the tip. Were all those birds in Spain by any chance? I seem to remember seeing big birds of prey almost everywhere back in 2003 when I toured away from the Costa's in real Spain. Must do that again but with bins and a bird book!

 

[Speve]

Here's one I took in March down near Caceres not very good as they were a long way off you can see the carcas if you enlarge picture.

 

[JeanLuc]

A couple of months ago I switched from Opticron iMagic 8x42 to Zeiss Conquest 8x42. The improvement is quite marked and I would particularly recommend the Zeiss for spectacle wearers as they have good eye-relief. The image is very bright and clear.

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[roadster55]

Spain is closer to Africa than Europe in some ways when you see photos like that. Think I might put that on my list of things to do...

 

[snowdrops]

Thanks for the tip. Were all those birds in Spain by any chance? I seem to remember seeing big birds of prey almost everywhere back in 2003 when I toured away from the Costa's in real Spain. Must do that again but with bins and a bird book!

It was in Provence. Also saw a fab Scops Owl. Heard hin on a branch above our van and we always have our back doors open, (bed at the back). Shone torch on him, stunning. Came back every night too.

 

[Speve]

It was in Provence. Also saw a fab Scops Owl. Heard hin on a branch above our van and we always have our back doors open, (bed at the back). Shone torch on him, stunning. Came back every night too.

That's a good spot they are very difficult to spot as they are very small .

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[snowdrops]

Thanks for the tip. Were all those birds in Spain by any chance? I seem to remember seeing big birds of prey almost everywhere back in 2003 when I toured away from the Costa's in real Spain. Must do that again but with bins and a bird book!

It was in Provence. Also saw a fab Scops Owl. Heard hin on a branch above our van and we always have our back doors open, (bed at the back). Shone torch on him, stunning. Came back every night too.

That's a good spot they are very difficult to spot as they are very small .

Not far off the size of a little owl. He was about 3 metres away !!!!! Luckily, like most birders, I know my calls and heard him long before we could find him. Seemed to be working with a partner as they kept calling to each other. I was like small child in excitement lol .

 

[Speve]

A couple of months ago I switched from Opticron iMagic 8x42 to Zeiss Conquest 8x42. The improvement is quite marked and I would particularly recommend the Zeiss for spectacle wearers as they have good eye-relief. The image is very bright and clear.

That picture taken through a vanguard spotting scope with a Nikon D3100 camera. I'm still learning the technique of digiscoping but will probably end up buying a good telephoto lens.

 

[teddybard]

Still think the first was a Rock Pippit.

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[PhilandMena]

I've used Bushnell birding bins for 30 years, 8 x 42 love them. On my second pair. I was gutted to have left them home this year when there were vultures, eagles, storks and lovely interesting little things around.

That's what I have, Great value for money.

 

[PhilandMena]

That picture taken through a vanguard spotting scope with a Nikon D3100 camera. I'm still learning the technique of digiscoping but will probably end up buying a good telephoto lens.

Swaro! nothing to touch them.

 

[teddybard]

No real test but a Photo I took earlier this year in CromartyView media item 18581and one from InvernessView media item 18583second may be bit more testing as I'd not seen one before

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[Mikey RV]

Taken last November at Caceras campsite outside the camper Azure magpies.

 

[jumartoo]

We have two pairs of binoculars but never carry them on walks or bike rides as they are too big and heavy. Can anyone recommend a lightweight pair that aren't too expensive?

 

[wasp]

Since we came to Australia for our 10 week weekend. I have seen loads of different birds, where we are in the outskirts of Brisbane I have seen brush turkeys, parrots cockatoos kookaburras we saw Pelicans yesterday on Stradbroke Island I will try an put pics on but I not very good at posting photos I will have ask swmbo

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[Mikey RV]

We have two pairs of binoculars but never carry them on walks or bike rides as they are too big and heavy. Can anyone recommend a lightweight pair that aren't too look expensive?

I use Hawke nature trek, 8X24 there waterproof Baka prism lenses. About £100 really pleased with them.

 

[jumartoo]

Since we came to Australia for our 10 week weekend. I have seen loads of different birds, where we are in the outskirts of Brisbane I have seen brush turkeys, parrots cockatoos kookaburras we saw Pelicans yesterday on Stradbroke Island I will try an put pics on but I not very good at posting photos I will have ask swmbo

There is a particular bird in Australia, I don't know it's name, but it has a loud haunting call. It always made us smile when we heard it.

 

[DBK]

We have two pairs of binoculars but never carry them on walks or bike rides as they are too big and heavy. Can anyone recommend a lightweight pair that aren't too expensive?

I use Hawke nature trek, 8X24 there waterproof Baka prism lenses. About £100 really pleased with them.

My brother has a pair of Zeiss 8*20 or they might be 10 * 22, can't remember, but they are superb. They fold up very compactly, he carries them in a little pouch on his belt when cycling and their optical performance is as good as the larger Zeiss glasses. Of course their field of view is less than full sized binoculars and performance in low light is reduced but on a sunny day you can't tell the difference. Downsize is the price of course!

I've just looked at the Nature-trek website and they don't seem to make that model any more - this is their smallest which looks good for the price http://www.hawkeoptics.co.uk/nature-trek-10x32-binocular.html.

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[jumartoo]

The Hawke bins look good. Price OK also. Thanks.

 

[Mikey RV]

The Hawke bins look good. Price OK also. Thanks.

They are great and with the Baka Lenses great in low light. Good luck.

 

[kip]

Great Grey Shrike. (The largest in the Shrike family). The other, taken 6 inches from our motorhome window is, I believe a Willow Warbler. (Sometimes it's very hard to distinguish between the warblers).
Both taken in Morocco, beginning of March.

g g shrike Also known as the butcher bird due to its habit of impaling it's prey on thorns & barbed wire."Not a lot of people know that"

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[Mikey RV]

g g shrike Also known as the butcher bird due to its habit of impaling it's prey on thorns & barbed wire."Not a lot of people know that"

I did.

 

[Ockerron]

Seems to me that bird watching goes hand in hand with camper-vanning pretty well, I'm not going anywhere without my bird guide, all I need now is some bins!

I love spotting birds and trying to identify them. I now have a lovely bridge camera with a 35x zoom so hope to take lots of pics this trip. There are some really good apps you can download for free that can help with identifying songs and plumage.

 

[big bertha]

Since we came to Australia for our 10 week weekend. I have seen loads of different birds, where we are in the outskirts of Brisbane I have seen brush turkeys, parrots cockatoos kookaburras we saw Pelicans yesterday on Stradbroke Island I will try an put pics on but I not very good at posting photos I will have ask swmbo

Stayed on a campsite at Cania gorge in Queensland loved feeding all the colourful parrots, used to put seed on top of hat for them to feed off. Kookaburras sitting on verrandah rails. Pelicans swimming in the bay at Caloundra.

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[roadster55]

My old camera finally gave up the ghost this week after threatening to do so for many months. So down the local camera shop and picked up one in a sale - reduced by £90 and an upgrade too with a proper zoom. As luck would have it on today's trip to the coast I came across this Kestrel seemingly rock pooling. What a perfectly behaved bird for my first max telephoto picture - like it was saying "cheese"!

 

[jumartoo]

Lucky you. The Kestrels here have never been seen to hover!

 

[roadster55]

Lucky you. The Kestrels here have never been seen to hover!

Could have done with a tripod though what with the wind, lucky start!

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[jumartoo]

My brother has a pair of Zeiss 8*20 or they might be 10 * 22, can't remember, but they are superb. They fold up very compactly, he carries them in a little pouch on his belt when cycling and their optical performance is as good as the larger Zeiss glasses. Of course their field of view is less than full sized binoculars and performance in low light is reduced but on a sunny day you can't tell the difference. Downsize is the price of course!

I've just looked at the Nature-trek website and they don't seem to make that model any more - this is their smallest which looks good for the price http://www.hawkeoptics.co.uk/nature-trek-10x32-binocular.html.

Just to report that we bought the Hawke binoculars yesterday and so far as very impressed with them. Thanks.

 

[Tincataylor]

On our last trip to Spain we were lucky enough to see a Teat Owl, but it flew off before we could get a photo,

The Tincas

 

[DBK]

Just to report that we bought the Hawke binoculars yesterday and so far as very impressed with them. Thanks.

Is that the 10 * 32?

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