What did you see in your binoculars today? (3 Viewers)

[GrampaTom]

I saw three Eared Grebes today. Amazing view with my new binoculairs.

Cool, mating colors showing?

 

[KeesJ]

Cool, mating colors showing?

Yes, in extremis. Sitting in a hide I had the sun in my back, the birds maybe 20 meter away, it was beautiful.

 

[CharleyBird]

Watching the entertaining acrobatics of long-tailed tits feeding on budding trees in our front garden.
Close up with Leica 10x32uv+

 

[Foss]

Watched about a half hour today as a pair of peregrine falcons swept down from their seashore cliff nesting site to attack passing pelicans. Mostly feather pulling and buzzing, no blood drawn. A delight to follow the action at Torrey Pines State Nature Preserve with my trusty Zeiss Victory T FL 8x32.

 

[Thotmosis]

A big black crow landed on my balcony and organized his feathers for 15 minutes. I observed him with Habicht 10x 40 and Leica Trinovid 7x42 BN from about 3 meters. At this short distance I slightly preferred the Leica today, it gave me a bit less detail but the contrast was better. Both bins would be perfect if you just had one of them.

 

[Belumat]

Today I spent all day in the garden because I had various jobs to do. Of course I always had my binoculars close by. Among the birds of prey I saw many buzzards a golden eagle a kestrel a quick pass of a goshawk and a swoop of a young peregrine.

 

[Harrier22]

A large group of night herons perched in a stand of trees just taking it easy. Some of last year’s nests have been reoccupied but they don’t appear to have any eggs yet.
Oddly enough, this stand of trees is above the wolf habitat in Lincoln Park zoo. Hope those chicks don’t fall out of their nest!

 

[jafritten]

A little owl in a spruce hiding behind a twig. Ultravid HD+ 10x42.

 

[Sebzwo]

I went to some hillside forrest and watched deer on a cloudy and rainy day with my EDF 7x40.

 

[Talster]

Not today, but two days ago I spotted a Greenfinch as I was walking along a little wooded path. I heard this bird twittering, and too be honest I've heard this twittering before and mistakenly thought it was coming from a Great Tit. I spotted it in the tree and managed to get a good look at it, and it was a Greenfinch, and it was the bird that was making the call as I could see it's beak moving as I could hear it. Something new learned, which is always good

 

[Ignatius]

Yesterday I saw a Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) on a hike in the Paklenica National Park. I'd already spotted it a few times from the house, making a short appearance over the mountains but always retreating again, so yesterday we decided to go for a hike, do some geocaching and keep an eye out for it.

 

[Patudo]

Watched about a half hour today as a pair of peregrine falcons swept down from their seashore cliff nesting site to attack passing pelicans. Mostly feather pulling and buzzing, no blood drawn. A delight to follow the action at Torrey Pines State Nature Preserve with my trusty Zeiss Victory T FL 8x32.

I can't complain, given the sensational display-flying I saw yesterday, but damn I'd like to see that sometime - have seen some brilliant footage/photos (link) from La Jolla, which I gather is not far from where you were. I can't imagine pelicans pose a genuine threat to their young, so can only imagine that either the flight pattern of large broad-winged birds triggers their aggression in some way, or they do it for the sheer hell of it. If I lived there I hate to think how many hours I'd spend.

 

[Foss]

If I lived there I love to think how many hours I'd spend.

There, fixed it for you.

 

[Ignatius]

Just now, as I was having breakfast on the balcony, a pod of four or five bottlenose dolphins, one of them a juvenile. The Velebit channel is like a mill pond this morning, the sun is shining from a blue sky and it will be a happy day - now that I have been able to watch those beautiful animals cruising by through my new Conquest HD 10x56s. Managed to take some pictures as well.

 

[Paultricounty]

Parents protecting the kids from the mean nasty Swan.

 

[Paultricounty]

Not through binoculars but I figured Id share. A south shore Bay Area of Long Island NY. To the right of the sun is the city of Manhattan 47 miles distant. If you closely you can see some lights going on in the city.

 

[Talster]

Seen three Kestrels within 40 minutes of each other while out walking (which is uncommon in my experience in my area). Seen one male first, and then seen a pair (male and female). Was having a seat to admire to view and I heard a bird that I don't get chance to see very much, I got the binoculars out of my pocket and spotted it, it was a male Linnet.

 

[Binocollector]

Having quite a few super wide angle binos, I never thought I'd enjoy my little skeleton bino so much with a measly 5° in an 8x20. I guess I understand now why some people like the "frame" that a narrow view offers.
For a 50 year old instrument with hazy prism they work pretty well.
Shots were taken without support so any bluriness is me shaking not the bino.

 

[Binocollector]

Probably the strangest thing I ever saw on the "Main-Donau-Kanal" in front of our house.
A fleet of amphibian cars swimming by.
Grabbed my nearest bino (an old 7x35 EWA) and shot a short clip.
Sorry for the low quality. It's a cheap phone and even cheaper bino. Still such a unique sight that I wanted to share with you.

 

[tenex]

VW Schwimmwagen... could this handful actually have survived from WWII? Article here. My interest in old Land Rovers pales in comparison.