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

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  1. hollis_f

    Need lightweight bins

    I've been away from birding for five years due to ill health. I've been building my stamina up and I can now manage a reasonable walk - 3 or 4 km. But not with my binoculars around my neck. I still have my Swarovski 8.5 x 42 EL binoculars, but they're just too heavy. I get severe pain in my...
  2. hollis_f

    Spider ID

    I'm the official spider-removal-operative for our household. Normally I have no problem grabbing them and dumping them outside. But this one just exuded evil. Any clues as to its ID? It was about 15mm long. Thanks
  3. hollis_f

    Interpretation of Frequency Division sonograms.

    Hi All, I went out last night on a Bat Walk at WWT Arundel. I was using my new Ciel CDB-305 detector in FD mode, recording the output and running it through BatScan. No Problem. The problem I'm having is interpreting the sonograms. I've not been able to find example images to compare my own...
  4. hollis_f

    ID help please

    I'm terrible at moth/butterfly ID, but I do notice them and I do recognise something new when I see it. This was in the kitchen sink this morning and I don't recall ever seeing something similar before. Any suggestions as to what it may be?
  5. hollis_f

    Excess Nyger seed.

    In a fit of stupidity I ordered 25kg of niger seed (hey, it was cheap). However, at the current rate it'll take about 10 years for the Goldfinches to eat it all and I suspect it may go mouldy before then (although it's stored in a big plastic dustbin). Anybody got any ideas what I could do with...
  6. hollis_f

    Redpoll

    I've been quite pleased to have Redpolls visiting the garden feeders for the first time this winter. I've not seen them for a week or so, and then one came along on its own for two days. When I first saw it I thought it looked a bit grey - and I finally got a semi-decent image of it. Is this a...
  7. hollis_f

    Canon 100-400 + 1.4x TC. The birders favourite.

    On another forum some people have come up with the following quotes about using the 100-400 with a 1.4x TC - " Birders love this combo" and " Birders choice". Now my experiences using this combination on a 40D, 50D and 7D are that this combination is usable for birds that don't move and are in...
  8. hollis_f

    Save Salgados

    Many of the threads in this forum recommend the birdwatching at Salgados. Well, not for much longer. Sign this petition and it might survive - LINK
  9. hollis_f

    60D and the lack of MFA.

    I just bought myself a 60D - mainly because the articulated LCD should be great for Astro and Macro shots. Plus I prefer to have a backup body that shares battery type. So I thought I'd try some bird photos this afternoon - between the showers. One thing that people say has put them off the 60D...
  10. hollis_f

    Kenya, Lake Nakuru

    Didi and I were in Kenya last month. At Lake Nakuru there were lots of Northern Anteater-Chats. They're fairly obvious in flight because they're all-black with white wing patches. When we first saw this bird (image 1) we thought it was another Chat, but Didi pointed out that it had a yellow...
  11. hollis_f

    Bird-friendly small tree for damp soil.

    We have an open patch at the back of the pond that would really suit a small (about 4m) tree. But the area gets very damp (standing water) when we have lots of rain. I know that winter is a good time to plant, but I've no idea what would be suitable. A rowan would have been my top choice, but...
  12. hollis_f

    Guide to E. African bats??

    Help! I'm off to Kenya tomorrow and Didi has decided she wants to take her new (heterodyne) bat detector with her. I've been given the job of trying to find a list of species and their charactersitic frequencies - with no joy. I've found info on some South African species, is there much overlap...
  13. hollis_f

    Fly ID

    Saw these two getting it on and took a quick shot. But just what are they?
  14. hollis_f

    Great Spotted Woodpecker - Lawn feeding?

    Our local GS Woodpecker first brought her youngster to the garden a few weeks ago, to show it our feeders. Since then the juvenile has been a daily visitor - indeed, it seems to spend most of the day here. We also have a pair of Green Woodpeckers that are regular visitors. Over the last few...
  15. hollis_f

    Purple Herons at Dunge

    Damn! I've hust seen that today is the last day they've got the special viewpoint open - and I was planning on visiting this coming week! Does anybody know if they're planning to open it again before the birds disappear? Or should I just try from the normal hides?
  16. hollis_f

    Lightroom 3 released

    It's out - [URL="http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/photoshoplightroom/"]Link[/URL. Initial reports are that it's even better than expected. And, what was really cool for me, if you buy CS5 (full or upgrade) there's 30% off LR3 (full or upgrade). I knew I was right to wait a few weeks - just saved...
  17. hollis_f

    Blue Tit with deformed beak and adaptive behaviour.

    One of our Blue Tits has a deformed beak (see pic) which makes it impossible for it to feed normally from the hanging feeders. I was watching it this afternnon and realised that it had adopted a rather amazing way of feeding. It sits on the feeder (seed or fat ball) and flips either a seed or...
  18. hollis_f

    Creating your own LR Profile

    After seeing some examples on PotN, I decided to try creating my own profile for my 7D for Lightroom processing. So I splurged out £75 for the ColourChecker Passport. This is a small plastic box that folds out to reveal two colour charts and a white balance target. Also included in the software...
  19. hollis_f

    Lightroom 3 Beta 2 announced.

    Well, it looks like we'll have to wait a while longer for the release of LR3 as Adobe has just announced the second beta. Watching the 'What's New?' video is quite drool-inducing. Highlights are: Luminance noise-reduction Tethered shooting Video support Plus loads of supposed improvements...
  20. hollis_f

    Some facts about CF cards

    There's a lot of guff talked about CF cards and speed. Here are some facts regarding CF cards and the Canon 7D. The same principles will apply to much of the rest of the EOS range, I've no idea about Nikon, perhaps somebody can do the same experiments as I've done. First off - how does CF speed...
  21. hollis_f

    70-200 f4 L IS Bargain from Amazon

    Somebody found this on Amazon - the 70-200 f4 L IS USM for just £636 which is an amazing bargain. Delivery is somewhat long - 1 to 2 months - but I'm sure that there are some people reading this who would put up with such a wait for the chance to get one of Canon's best at such a low price.
  22. hollis_f

    Samburu, Kenya, Stumped?

    I've just been going through photos from my trip to Kenya to post onto my website. I thought I'd got all the IDs sorted but I've found one that hasn't been labelled and I can't find it in my Sasol guide. At first I'd assumed it was a Southern Red Bishop male in transitionary plumage, but looking...
  23. hollis_f

    Monopod. Feisol vs Gitzo

    My friend has just bought a new monopod, the Gitzo GM2541, and I'm quite impressed with its weight and size, but not too impressed by the £150 price tag. So I checked out Feisol and they have something that looks pretty similar, the CM-1401. Maximum load is only 7kg vs the 12 kg of the Gitzo...
  24. hollis_f

    Strangest bird I've ever seen at the feeders.

    Well, I know the weathers cold, and that can bring these birds out into the open. But I never expected to see a Water Rail trying to get at the feeders!
  25. hollis_f

    Barn Owl hunting like Sparrowhawk

    One of our resident pair or Barn Owls was doing its regular patrol of the fields beyond the garden this afternoon. The garden birds are quite used to it and tend to ignore it - perhaps unwisely. It suddenly appeared over one of the hedges and made a dive at the tits on one of the feeders. It...
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