mountain man
Guest
On Monday I finally dragged my lazy carcass up to Scarborough to see the Alpine Swift.
After waiting a couple of hours on Oliver's Mount for it not to show we decided to go to the seafront to find the Med Gulls that had been there recently. From the clifftop we soon picked up 2 stunning full summer adults on the tidal rocks very distantly, but still had great views.
I then tried something new. I got Sarah to hold my 8x bins against my 18x scope eyepiece & then filmed on my 10x video camera. The result was actually not too bad! Managed to get some frame filling footage of its eye.
We then went back up to Oliver's Mount where about 15 people had assembled all scanning in vain. No sighting all day.
I had a gut feeling that I wasn't going to see it as it was the first good weather for a week & I figured this could be its opportunity to make a move. I also realised that I actually hadn't dipped so far this year - I really thought this was going to be the year's first!
As we chatted about how it probably left over night, I noticed a gap in the trees to my left, so I took a little wander just to see if the view was better. As I was walking it shot straight over the trees about 10metres from me.
"I'VE GOT IT" was the only thing I could scream causing everyone to run over and sure enough there it was "showing well" as the pager described it. So much for my gut feeling!
Birdnet had absolutely no idea what I was saying, I was far too excited when I phoned it in.
It did show superbly over the war memorial and then at eye level straight out in front of us over Scarborough town.
I got my video camera out and started filming it distantly. It then started to head straight towards us. It became bigger & bigger through the viewfinder. This was going to be some amazing footage. Closer & closer and then straight over my head.
It then went out of view behind the trees. I scanned back through the film & began showing everyone this really amazing footage I'd got. I was so impressed with myself.
Then it came back again so I started filming again, but this time it was too distant so after a minute or so I stopped and put the camera away.
As soon as I zipped the bag up I knew what I'd done. OH NO! I'd wiped off all the good stuff with this distant rubbish of basically a dot!
So I thought I'd try again. I got some reasonable film, but nothing like before, oh well that's life. It was a record at least.
Next we went to Scalby Mills and saw the Glaucous Gull, when Sarah started talking to a few guys who were just on their way to see the Swift. She got my camera to show them, but not knowing how to use it she set it to the record mode and wiped off all of the Swift other than one tiny portion of a dot disappearing behind a tree!
If you were those guys I apologise for my language and I admit that yes it was incredibly childish when I kicked my scope over.
Still, you look back on those things and laugh...don't you?
After waiting a couple of hours on Oliver's Mount for it not to show we decided to go to the seafront to find the Med Gulls that had been there recently. From the clifftop we soon picked up 2 stunning full summer adults on the tidal rocks very distantly, but still had great views.
I then tried something new. I got Sarah to hold my 8x bins against my 18x scope eyepiece & then filmed on my 10x video camera. The result was actually not too bad! Managed to get some frame filling footage of its eye.
We then went back up to Oliver's Mount where about 15 people had assembled all scanning in vain. No sighting all day.
I had a gut feeling that I wasn't going to see it as it was the first good weather for a week & I figured this could be its opportunity to make a move. I also realised that I actually hadn't dipped so far this year - I really thought this was going to be the year's first!
As we chatted about how it probably left over night, I noticed a gap in the trees to my left, so I took a little wander just to see if the view was better. As I was walking it shot straight over the trees about 10metres from me.
"I'VE GOT IT" was the only thing I could scream causing everyone to run over and sure enough there it was "showing well" as the pager described it. So much for my gut feeling!
Birdnet had absolutely no idea what I was saying, I was far too excited when I phoned it in.
It did show superbly over the war memorial and then at eye level straight out in front of us over Scarborough town.
I got my video camera out and started filming it distantly. It then started to head straight towards us. It became bigger & bigger through the viewfinder. This was going to be some amazing footage. Closer & closer and then straight over my head.
It then went out of view behind the trees. I scanned back through the film & began showing everyone this really amazing footage I'd got. I was so impressed with myself.
Then it came back again so I started filming again, but this time it was too distant so after a minute or so I stopped and put the camera away.
As soon as I zipped the bag up I knew what I'd done. OH NO! I'd wiped off all the good stuff with this distant rubbish of basically a dot!
So I thought I'd try again. I got some reasonable film, but nothing like before, oh well that's life. It was a record at least.
Next we went to Scalby Mills and saw the Glaucous Gull, when Sarah started talking to a few guys who were just on their way to see the Swift. She got my camera to show them, but not knowing how to use it she set it to the record mode and wiped off all of the Swift other than one tiny portion of a dot disappearing behind a tree!
If you were those guys I apologise for my language and I admit that yes it was incredibly childish when I kicked my scope over.
Still, you look back on those things and laugh...don't you?
