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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Recent content by wimvdam

  1. wimvdam

    First pelagic...which binos?

    You're not hiking so why not take both the 10x42 and 7x35 with you and see what works best? You'll have ample time to switch binos, and this way you'll be able to figure out for future trips where your sweet spot lies. (Most likely it will be with the lower 7x magnification.) Wim van Dam...
  2. wimvdam

    Bird ID from San Francisco, CA

    This is indeed a Brewer's Blackbird. See here for a reliable resource on this species: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Brewers_Blackbird/ Wim van Dam Solvang, CA
  3. wimvdam

    Hawk ID help; Northern CA, USA

    Agreed with Red-tailed Hawk based on body shape, bill size, and likelihood in California. The lack of red in the tail indicates that this is a juvenile. Wim van Dam Solvang, CA
  4. wimvdam

    New Zeiss binos 8x40 SFL and 10x40 SFL

    For me, the 1.5 m close focus distance is very attractive. Besides birds I'm also into butterflies and Odonata and there are only a few top bins that work both for bugs and birds. Currently I use an old Vortex Viper HD 8x32 and for a while I've been thinking about upgrading this to either a...
  5. wimvdam

    NocMig Recordings - Why Shotguns or Parabola Mics

    I think it depends on what you are aiming for with your NocMig/NFC recordings. If you want to record as many calls as possible, then, yes, the narrow focus of a shotgun or a parabola would be counterproductive. But, if your goal is to try to ID the calls using their spectrogram, then those...
  6. wimvdam

    ID confirm: Peregrine falcon

    One more vote for Northern Harrier based on owl-like facial features and its behavior of sitting on the ground like that. Wim
  7. wimvdam

    California December Suggestions!

    Don't look at the recommendations from non-birder newspapers and tv channels as they don't know what they are talking about. Instead you can have a look here: https://www.audubon.org/news/birding-california If you don't mind spending a few dollars, you can buy a used copy of Brad Schram's...
  8. wimvdam

    Super High Pitched Whistle at Night?

    Could it be the flight display of an early morning (Costa's) Hummingbird? Wim van Dam Solvang, CA
  9. wimvdam

    Bell's Sparrow

    You're right. I confused myself with this confusing split. Wim
  10. wimvdam

    Bell's Sparrow

    Do you mean A belli, or A belli belli? In 2013 Sage Sparrow (A belli) got split into Sagebrush Sparrow (A nevadensis) and Bell's Sparrow (A belli). So "belli subspecies" can mean at least two things: pre-split meaning: the belli subspecies of the old Sage Sparrow, which is now known as Bell's...
  11. wimvdam

    Where to watch birds in the Central Valley

    California is a big place and its birding organizes itself according to its 58 counties. I still think that this is the best site to start getting oriented: https://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/county.htm Regarding the Central Valley, this site seems to be a good resource: http://www.cvbirds.org Wim
  12. wimvdam

    Suggestions on birding hotspots in July in California

    In Santa Barbara the Condor Express has daily whale watching trips that I can recommend: https://condorexpress.com Island Packers near Ventura also has good whale watching trips, and on July 15 they have a dedicated pelagic birding trip as well: http://islandpackers.com...
  13. wimvdam

    Suggestions on birding hotspots in July in California

    What part of California are you thinking of visiting? San Francisco, LA, Yosemite? Wim
  14. wimvdam

    Bird clubs in San Bernardino area?

    The links at this site might be helpful: https://fog.ccsf.edu/~jmorlan/sbe.htm Especially the local Yahoo birding group should be able to help you: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/inlandcountybirds/info Wim van Dam Solvang, CA
  15. wimvdam

    Bird watching (and wildlife) Santa Barbara

    Not sure how I missed this post. This reply is likely too late, but here goes. A great source of information on all things birding in Santa Barbara County is here: http://www.sbcobirding.com From there you will find access to the pretty active local newsgroup and a guide to various locations...
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