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

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

NDhunter

NDhunter

Experienced observer
United States
I thought this was a good idea for a new thread on the binocular forum.

This was a surprise for me this morning, as I saw this cow and calf bedded
down in my back yard. I must admit, I did not need my binoculars to see this pair, and quickly got the camera out for a photograph. This is when they
got up and were headed out. We have had a hard winter lately, lots of snow
and wind, they like to find shelter.
Moose, are not common here, but we get them occasionally.

I think this thread could be interesting, with all kinds of birds and wildlife.
I think photos are great to add to the discussion.

Jerry
 

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Nice idea Jerry! Does yesterday count (28th Feb)?

It was a bit quiet on the bird front but this European Wildcat more than made up for that!

Chris
 

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Great Spotted Woodpecker male. All our local birds have responded to the unusually warm weather by singing and the Woody has been drumming on the remains of an old half split branch.

Lee
 
I may as well play.
Watched some White-cheeked honeyeaters and Little wattlebirds amongst others through my handy little 8x25's.
 
Urban fox that has learnt to jump up to the street rubbish bin opening and hang on searching for food in the early hours.

The cries coming from these animals at 2a.m. is alarming, but a couple of days ago I couldn't stop laughing as it just sounded very funny. It went on for ten minutes or so.
 
A group of stone-curlews has been hanging around over the last days in a nearby orchard of olive, orange and avocado trees. Yesterday evening, I was there right before sunset, I could see them standing still, snoozing as the sun went down. And, suddenly, as it became noticeably darker, they all started shouting as usual. Their "sweet and subtle" cry is the actual soundtrack of the nights in Ibiza ;)
This picture was phonescoped through an MM3 60 ED at x30, but they were so close that the view on a 7x was absolutely rewarding and you could notice fine detail on the feathers and the beak. I was looking straight at W direction, so I had a bit of glare, but that did not make the moment less magical.
 

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I was today at local dump, where is also a quarry. After intensive search with my newly bought ed50 I did found Eagle owl in it's day rest place. Pic was taken with my Nikon p900 with more than 5000 mm (digital)zoom. :t:
 

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Iltaa Royfinn,

Nice photo of eagle owl.

There is a nice YouTube of northern eagle owl in football match Belgium-Finland around 7 June 2007. (2mins.37 secs).
It stopped the match as it flew around and sat on the goal netting.
One was also in Mannerheimintie on the top of perhaps the Swedish language daily newspaper building.

Terveisin,
B.
 
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In between rainstorms at lunch, I'll often walk the grounds of the studio, which is a fairly manicured park-like environment in a relatively urban neighborhood. I've been carrying the Nikon MHG 8x30's on these walks. Yesterday I was rewarded with a view of a Black-throated Grey Warbler foraging across a small oak. The first time I've seen that warbler on the property, though The Yellow-rumps and the Townsend's warblers are common. Further on, I heard the small 'whinny' of a Hutton's Vireo, and was able to track it through the foliage, looking for telltale elements that separate it from its doppelgänger, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Bluish legs, white wing bar above the primaries, the 'spectacles' of whitish feathers forward of the eye, and the small hook of the bill. The call gave it away, but its always worth double checking, as Kinglets and Vireos will forage together, amongst the Bushtits, Chickadees, and Juncos.
Having binoculars in hand allows one brief and lovely flashes of detail, as well as that delightful otherworldly transport. Good lunchtime therapy at work!

-Bill
 
from 1 mile and 600' elevation looking at the ocean. Southern California.

Big commotion, maybe 20-25 seagulls flying, diving into the water, etc.

Checked it out with my 10x42 Olympus. There were somewhere between 10 and 14 dolphins doing some sort of coordinated fishing. It apparently drove fish to the surface where the seagulls were getting them. Must have been small fish. I wasn't sure they were all seagulls so I checked with my 20-60x80 scope and yes they were all seagulls.

Lasted 10 minutes or so, then the dolphins moved southward... two up front, another two about 20 meters behind, a group of four about 20 meters behind them, etc. all slowly moving south, no longer fishing.
 
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spring has sprung?

A Buzzard cruising around at 200ft but no Red Kites in the air today, and no Hedge Sparrow which has taken to hopping around my feet, nor the Pied Wagtail which has often appeared during the winter. Amongst the bare branches of a beech tree to the North over a couple of hours: Woodpigeon, Magpie, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tit.

Quite testing at that distance to see the identifying marks of small birds against the sky when it brightened up from time to time. Things like the split tail of chaffinch, and dipping flight of goldfinches in small groups, then served as some of the clues which I am learning, as well as their calls - surprisingly more audible when more attention is paid to them, and it's especially helpful when the odd beak can be seen to open at the same time!

It is amazing how much the constant variation of light affects the colours of everything and, even over a short spell, the changes are very often far greater than those sometimes noticed between different binoculars.

There has seemed to be so much going on out there which usually goes unnoticed and suppose it may be due to the warm spell. Hope it lasts.
 
Just South of Juno, AK

Thirteen adults and 7 juveniles in just half of the tree. :cat:

Bill
 

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Yellow-faced honeyeater, Grey fantail, Pied cormorant, Little black cormorant and others through my 7x42's.
 
I used mine today to read the drive through menu at Taco Bell�� Also a flock of Turkeys and as of late the Balds have been ubiquitous. Many other raptors as well including a dark phase red tail and plenty of rough legged hawks. Really like their masks and also many horned larks about.
 
Late yesterday a Carrion Crow landed in one of the big oaks at the bottom of our back garden. They used to nest in that oak but haven't for several years although they visit it regularly. The crow sat there quietly looking one direction then did a fancy hop skip and jump to turn around and face the other direction. As it did so what little light there was percolating through the clouds glanced off part of its mantle and for a split second it was a deep blue. Luckily my Victory Pockets were on my work station and I got a great view as this happened. The Crow then leaned forward and did a few raucous calls which were answered from another that was out of sight and then it glided away.

Lee
 
Nice Crow moment Lee, and to have had those interesting birds nesting nearby. Some years there has been a pair with a youngster hanging around, and one or another regularly softens bits of crust in our bird bath, which is on a pedestal.

Recently heard the distinctive croak and then spotted a raven flying straight over at height. Thought yesterday that I might have heard a cuckoo but suppose it's too early. My aunt used to hear choirs and church music playing in the town hall so perhaps it's me going cuckoo as well as deaf.

Several times thought I had spotted the odd cuckoo far away and had then gone for the binoculars, but it was always too late. It really must make sense for me to get a Pocket Victory, to go with Meopta 12x50 etc....
 

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