Monday 19 August 2013

Return to work..

The penalty for two weeks off work is the return, and it was with great dismay when the 04:30 alarm call went off today. More on today later.

The weekend consisted of light birding - Saturday was spent with Mark, visiting Arcot (Garganey still present) and then up the coast - no sign of any whinchat at Hadston, but a decent 3 spoonbill at Hauxley along with a wood sandpiper, common sandpiper and two greenshank. At Newbiggin, a minimum of 7 mediterranean gull mixed with the bhs'.

Sunday was meant to be spent out on the bike, but the cycle to a barren West Hartford was suffice to curtail efforts. 3 buzzard at Boghouses poor conciliation.

Monday morning and I'm back at work, and news of the delivery of a new Swarovski scope was sufficient to keep motivation levels up...

First trip out was to Arcot - again the garganey was present, along with water rail and common sandpiper. I didn't have any joy with shoveler, nor digi-scoping.

In the house, garden birds were a doddle with a compact camera hand-held against the scope... out in the field? nightmare! Perhaps the target was a little ambitious? Drap duck, distant, dull and windy (the weather, not me)... and uncertainties of camera settings to use. I eventually opted for manual focussing, and the first image is appended here... "could do better" perhaps is the comment to mark this shot!



Anyhoo, I'm not intending to digiscope with any real interest...

...but the option to do so would be nice

... any practical tips?

Digi-scoping aside, the scope is great - I've been scope-less since May and I dare say I've missed it...


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