Tuesday, February 13, 2007

More Larkies.





If only the Shorelark was as obliging as these boys...
Top two - Skylark
Bottom - Stonechat. ( Is this the easiest of all small birds to digiscope?)

9 comments:

nicola said...

the stonechat is particulary lovely....oh and thanks for cheering me up!

Gone said...

Stewart,

Do you mind me asking what equipment you are using? Your shots are very crisp and clear.

Northumbrian Birding said...

Looks like I was totally in the wrong place, at least you got some shots of it,will try again this week.

Stewart said...

Ta Nicola and Grocer (? bizarre!)

I have no special gear, just my birding scope plus an ordinary digicam. I use a Leica APO 77 scope with a 32x eyepiece and a Sony DSC-W1 5.1 MP camera. It is attached to the scope using a Sony filter collar and one of those scope adapter collars. I always use a cable release now, a Jessops universal cable release adapter and manual 12" cable do the job. I didn't set out to get the camera for digiscoping so it was a bit of luck that it all came together really. The key to sharp shots with this stuff is - 1. Try to be reasonably close. 2.You need a nice sunny day and a fast shutter speed and 3. No wind shake and be able to let the scope settle for a second before taking the shot. ( Thats why for every reasonable picture I publish, there are loads of dodgy blurry shaky record shots!)

Cheers S...

Anonymous said...

you mentioned east chevington area
I have managed to record an amazing 84 species in just 16 visits to this sight + 1 S/S I wish this was my local patch, funny enough I used to live in widdrington as a none birder just a few miles a way
by the way I include the country park + offshore as one site.
This site must have improved in the last few years if there are any species you are after i can offer you advice on the area not that a know a great deal myself.
have included email address

Stewart said...

Yes Chris, Chev is an excellent patch. Dave Elliott is the man to speak to, has has covered it intensively for several years now. His list is well in excess of 200 species adn gets about 175+ per year! My totals mentioned are based on a single two hour visit during the first two weeks of Feb each year since 1997. My own highlights at Chev include - Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Great White Egret, Pectoral, White rumped, Broad billed and Buff breasted Sandpipers, Kentish Plover, Long billed Dowitcher, White winged Black Tern, Subalpine and Humes Warblers. Including DBCP I could add Ferruginous Duck, Ring necked Duck, Grey Phalarope, Red breasted Flycatcher, Woodchat Shrike...Not a bad list considering I dont go there too often!
S...

Stewart said...

Sorry Chris, I don't know how to find your email address? Nigel has mine if you ask him. I dont want to stick mine on the blog in case I get spammed.

S...

Anonymous said...

Hi Boulmer birder.
Excellent blog.
I'm ex Bamburgh and ex Newbiggin so I'll be visiting your blog in the future.

I'd like to contact you regarding a few things (waders etc). Pain in the ar** not being able to put e-mail addresses out. Please contact me via the obvious on:
http://www.naturalbornbirder.com/contact/contact.html then destroy this comment by eating / burning / whatever

Stewart said...

Hi Julian,
I bet that suprised you! I'll send you my contact details via you site no probs.

S...