Shrike, while the iron is hot!

Still running around trying to find all the rarer ticks in our locality while they are with us.

The Upper Longdon Shrike was next on my list, and I set out early for Cannock Chase to try and get it. This was an easy tick. This was the first time i had used the free "Outside" ordinance survey app for iPhone. Once I arrived at Upper Longdon, I entered coordinates provided by a previous report of the bird into the app, and it guided me exactly to the last spot the Shrike had been seen. I then found myself a good high viewpoint and waited for it to get light and hopefully, the Shrike to show. As light intensity slowly improved, two Ravens flew overhead. Bonus year tick.

Forty minutes later, a scan with the binoculars picked up what I was looking for. About 120 yards out, on the highest twigs of the tallest tree in the clearing was the Shrike. Light was still poor, but I went for a record shot through the scope with the iPhone.



Great Grey Shrike.

A bit grainy when enlarged, but not bad at all.

It soon moved to what I presume is a favoured viewing post, I managed to get a little closer and get a few shots with the camera. Light still poor.

Very pleased, as I didn't manage a Shrike tick last year.

From here, I set off in search of a reported Firecrest at Hams Hall.

Quite a few birders at Hams Hall on my arrival. Firecrest had been sighted twenty minutes before my arrival. It didn't show again while I was there. Inevitably, it was reported just before dark.

 

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Getting the local Stars.

After yesterday's visit to Slimbridge, I had to decide what to do today. It's the last week of my holiday, so I want to make the most of it before returning to work. After a quick look at the blogs, forums and birdguides, I thought it would be nice to get the local Long Tailed Duck and the Great Northern Divers. Yes, I have already seen them, but not in 2013!

I picked up Pete and we headed for Shustoke first. The Great Northern Divers were very obliging, with both of them showing well. They were distant, light was poor and it started to drizzle as we arrived. Two consecutive days of sunshine is asking a bit much I suppose.

Views through the scope were great, but couldn't use scope for pictures as both birds were diving too frequently, and I couldn't get the scope on them, focused, and then hand hold the phone to the eyepiece fast enough. The limitations of digiscoping, basically anything that won't keep still!

So, I resorted to the camera, which handheld is much faster to get on the subject. Full digital zoom in poor light, it was never going to be good. It wasn't good. A record shot I suppose. Distance was easily over 170 yards.



We then headed off to Dosthill. After negotiating the mud we arrived at the lakeside and within five minutes the Long Tailed Duck was located. It was taking a rest from feeding and was very obliging, spending a good few minutes on the surface preening.

Long Tailed Duck (female) Phonescoped at a distance of about 110 yards in poor light.

 

A very enjoyable morning. Good birds, good company and the 2013 year list is off to a very good start.

 

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The year list 2013

Great start to new year. New Year's Day found me pulling up at Slimbridge WWT just before it opened. I like Slimbridge, and it provided I nice start to my year list. Enjoyed some good views of Peregrines from the Holden Tower, as well as a large dog fox trying unsuccessfully to creep up on some of the geese flocks. Every hide provided something of interest. Obviously this estuary of the river Seven produced some nice waterfowl ticks to start the year.

 

I also stumbled across a few opportunities for decent pictures, both from my Camera, and digiscoping with the iPhone handheld.

This Pintail is one of my favourite pictures of the day (Canon SX40)

Again (Canon SX40) Long Tailed Tit.

As usual, I couldn't resist holding the phone up to the scope eyepiece to try and get a record snap of what I was looking at.

Distant Spotted Redshank. (iPhone) 70 yards. The guy sat next to me in the hide with all manner of DSLR equipment couldn't believe the images my Canon SX40 bridge camera was capturing at easily 70 yard with admittedly decent light, but subject not ideally placed. This Spotted Redshank was taken using digital zoom. The consequence of digital zoom is a significant reduction in picture quality. I didn't get chance to try the scope and iPhone on this one. Lost track of it when it spooked due to wheeling Lapwings.

Bewick's (iPhone)

There were in excess of 5000 Lapwing on site, maybe it was the three Peregrines on site, but something had them spooked. Every so often, they would take to the air simultaneously. The sight of this alone was amazing, but the combined sound of many thousand pairs of wings moving low and at speed was breathtaking.

I will definitely be visiting Slimbridge again, and soon. I have spoken to birders that don't like the commercial aspect of Slimbridge because of the crowds it draws. This is in part true. The place can get seriously busy. Me, I tend to avoid the park and head straight for the hides. The only main hide that you have to go through the park for is the Zeiss hide, I visit that dependent on crowds.

Again, the phone scoping surprised me with some decent record shots. Light was,good for photography today.

I am now looking forward to my local birding and patching. My main patch is still in a poor state due to flooding and difficult to get around. Conditions improving fast though.

 

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Testing, Testing!

At last some bright conditions that coincide with me having some free time. I took advantage of the situation and decided to run a few tests with the iPhone and scope. And also to compare the results to pictures taken through my Canon SX40. The results surprised me.

All pictures are cropped only, apart from that, they are as the camera used took them.

A lot of pictures were taken. These are the best ones.

This was taken at about 30 yards, using the SRB Griturn adapter to hold the iPhone in place.



 

Same bird, same distance, phone hand held against eyepiece.

 

The first thing I noticed is that the colours are so much more vibrant hand holding the phone. I estimate that the adapter holds the phone about half an inch from the eyepiece, and the eyepiece adjustable eyecup has to be fully wound down to minimise vignetting.

Handheld is the opposite. The adjustable eyecup has to be fully extended to minimise vignetting. The phone is simply held against the rubber eyecup. Lining up is a little tricky at first, but youngest better with practice.

It is my opinion that the better pictures I took today with the phone were all with the phone handheld.

That particular Gull decided it had had enough and left me to pick a new model.

This one was about 40 yards away. Same bird, same distance, different cameras. To compare quality of pictures. Again, pictures cropped only.

iPhone handheld.

Canon SX40 full optical zoom with 1.5x tele-convertor enabled.



The Canon SX40 had slightly more reach with the 1.5X tele-Convertor. It was easier to get on the subject with, and the picture is sharper.

What have I learnt? Still not sure. So many variables to consider in different situations. Bottom line is smartphones can capture a very acceptable picture through the scope. So, if its in your pocket and your scope is focused on a stationary target, take some pictures. I do believe hand holding is the way to go.

For more mobile subjects, the dedicated camera is a better option. I suppose though as photographers say, "the best camera is the one you have with you."

 

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Worth the effort!

Felt much better this morning. Not 100%, far from it, but a definite improvement. Thought I would take a chance and visit Dosthill Lake to see if the Long Tailed Duck that had been there all week was still in residence?

As is usual with my luck in these situations, it would probably have left yesterday after "showing well" to all and sundry. I really wanted this tick. The fact I was about to tackle cardiac hill while still not back at full fitness shows my enthusiasm to see this bird.

Wellies on, scope packed, trusty Plummer Terrier by my side and we set off from the car.

Taz - My Birding Companion (Plummer Terrier)

Cardiac hill is deceiving. It looks and feels like nothing special on the way down. It's coming back you feel the burn.

Anyway, in the twilight as we strolled toward the lakes, we were treated to some spectacular views of a Barn Owl hunting and then taking some time out to perch not more than 50 yards away. I felt it was still too dark to attempt a picture, so we just watched for a while. Eventually, it resumed the hunt and disappeared from sight. So Taz and I resumed our own duck hunt.

We made straight for the nature reserve pits and I set the scope up and started scanning. No luck! We moved to several different vantage points, still no luck! I scanned the reed line for a bonus Bittern (clutching at straws) no luck there either. What I did notice were a couple of anglers hiding in the far bank reeds, no self respecting Bittern would be in there with them.

Anglers hiding in the reeds. This was taken through scope hand holding iPhone to eyepiece.

I scanned the whole lake, no joy.



John texted me to ask if I had found it. I phoned him to tell him no, it was looking like a big fail.

During the call, John informed me the Long Tailed Duck was actually not on the lakes I was looking at, but the Jet Ski lake. He told me where he had twice seen it earlier in the week, and we were off again. Cheers John!

After a hour of scanning the Ski lake I was about to give it up as a bad job. Suddenly, something caught my eye in the distance through the scope and promptly disappeared from sight. I could be in here? I lifted the scope and headed off for a better and closer vantage point. Again, it took a bit of finding, spending more time submerged than on the surface. Eventually, it stayed on top for about two minutes preening. Again, light was too poor to try for decent pictures. The best I got was this rubbish one, and it's terrible.

Poor light, distant, iPhone.

Anyway, result!

Cardiac hill didn't seem as daunting as usual as Taz and I tackled it at a leisurely pace. A very worthwhile morning. I will sleep well tonight. Taz has been asleep all day.

 

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Man Flu and Exposure Compensation

Been ill most of the week with a particularly virulent strain of Man Flu. Felt pretty crap, so after work each day I have just curled up on the settee and done a bit of reading. I have noticed that some of the best photographs I have seen published on the Internet, taken with the same camera I have (Canon SX40), all have one thing in common! The people using them are experienced photographers and all when questioned on the quality of their pictures state the importance of exposure compensation. So, this week while fighting the good fight against whatever bloody pathogen is reeking havoc with my body, and seemingly losing for a while, I swatted up on exposure compensation for novices.

So, the arrival of Saturday morning, and even with a pounding headache I still wanted to put into practice what I had been reading about. I still have a lot to learn about when and how much exposure compensation to dial into each individual situation, but here are a couple of results from today I am quite pleased with.

 

 

These I feel are much more representative of what my eye could see.

I will definitely be persevering with the nuances of exposure compensation.

 

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Success at Weekend

Well, the Great Northern Diver hung around at Shustoke reservoir. Not only that, its mate turned up too.

Pete, Dan and I set off on Saturday morning and located one of the Great Northern Divers within 10 mins of our arrival. Result! Love it when it's that easy.

We did eventually see both Great Northern Divers and they happily swan around together showing very well to the birders that had turned out to see them.

Also, on the plus side, a single Common Scoter was located and provided a nice bonus bird.

I am now hoping for some very local Waxwings. Dan had a flock of about 20 today near CO-OP Superstore, Wilnecote. Nice find.

Birdguides have reported some seen briefly in Glascote, I want more.

Waxwings were in this area. You gotta love them. You scour the countryside for them and they turn up in a superstore car park, or on a housing estate.

 

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