Equipment observations , what do others see. (1 Viewer)

[Nethero]

Back in the before times (before the pandemic), it was a sight to behold. Thousands of people cramming on the boardwalk and through the trails to try to get glimpses or rare migrants passing through. Birders and photographers alike.

Now? It’s still packed but a few things are different. The State is enforcing no vendors can sell on state property (which keeps them off of the boardwalk now), and people can only use monopods on the boardwalk during the big event. One of the biggest issues were people camping out with tripods on the boardwalk (spotting scopes and big lenses both, not picking on one camp or another).

Also, they have been redoing their nature center up there and hopefully it’ll be open in time for the big event. That should be a really nice attraction to see if the trails get too crazy.

Keep in mind there are a lot of parks, preserves, wildlife areas up around the area, all of which are birdy, so you can try to escape the crowds going where others aren’t, too. People just all go to the same place because it’s all they hear about/know.

 

[dries1]

Nethero
Good advice, avoid the crowds at all cost is my motto.

 

[Troubador]

Nethero
Good advice, avoid the crowds at all cost is my motto.

And ours, too

 

[Boogieshrew]

Nethero
Good advice, avoid the crowds at all cost is my motto.

I agree. I go birding to enjoy nature and landscape. It relaxes me and improves my mood hugely.
Standing in a crowd of people in a forest of tripods has the complete opposite effect. If I want crowds I can go to a shopping mall.

 

[chill6x6]

Has anyone been to Magee that can comment on the level of craziness? I understand the viewing is spectacular, but marching in long lines of people is not appealing.

So yeah, there will be a lot of other birders. Probably the most you've ever seen. Best way to manage this is to get there at sunup and stay late. I get to the Boardwalk parking lot really slightly before sunup. You'll have it almost to yourself for a while. Best spots are the Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Crane Creek Estuary Trail, Metzger Marsh Woodlot, and the Ottawa NWR Wildlife Drive. Bring a cooler with drinks and sandwiches/snacks. Not a lot of eating choices. I might go this year but planning on Dauphin Island/Ft Morgan on the Alabama Coast.

If you have any questions I'll be happy to help! Even with the crowd it's worth it!

Magee Marsh Beach west at sun-up

Estuary Trail- slightly after sun-up.

Parking lot before the crowd

After the crowd shows up..

 

[Paultricounty]

So yeah, there will be a lot of other birders. Probably the most you've ever seen. Best way to manage this is to get there at sunup and stay late. I get to the Boardwalk parking lot really slightly before sunup. You'll have it almost to yourself for a while. Best spots are the Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Crane Creek Estuary Trail, Metzger Marsh Woodlot, and the Ottawa NWR Wildlife Drive. Bring a cooler with drinks and sandwiches/snacks. Not a lot of eating choices. I might go this year but planning on Dauphin Island/Ft Morgan on the Alabama Coast.

If you have any questions I'll be happy to help! Even with the crowd it's worth it!

Magee Marsh Beach west at sun-up

Estuary Trail- slightly after sun-up.

Parking lot before the crowd

After the crowd shows up..

Wow, great sun shot. Heres a few I caught. Oswego NY sun set over Lake Ontario , jones beach NY and Wanatgh NY Bay sunset. Not great photography but nice captured moments.

 

[chill6x6]

Wow, great sun shot. Heres a few I caught. Oswego NY sun set over Lake Ontario , jones beach NY and Wanatgh NY Bay sunset. Not great photography but nice captured moments.

Thanks! Same to you! I hate to say it but some of my best pictures are on accident!

 

[Scott98]

I agree. I go birding to enjoy nature and landscape. It relaxes me and improves my mood hugely.
Standing in a crowd of people in a forest of tripods has the complete opposite effect. If I want crowds I can go to a shopping mall.

Wow! Some of the pictures have me appreciating the lack of crowds around here. Seems like birding is very popular in the upper midwest.

and don't get me started on the "cult of the snowy owl". At a few places near the beaches here you'll often see a crowd of 20 people, always with cameras & tripods and big telephoto lenses, and you instantly know there's a snowy owl sitting out there. They're not normal birders, it's something different. They literally spend all day camped out watching a single snowy owl sitting in the marsh or on a dune. They use the internet to call in the rest of the cult once the snowy is spotted.

I often wonder, they drove all this way, don't they want to see other birds? Apparently not. Personally, if I was a wild animal, I would NOT like a group of 20 gawkers staring at me all day. I like to respect the wild creatures more and leave them alone. In winter I typically see a snowy owl almost every time I take my dogs to the beach, it's hard to understand these peoples' obesession.

 

[Will K]

it's hard to understand these peoples' obesession

Is it not a Harry Potter thing?

I'd expect that many people fall in love with snowy owls thanks to those books and films.

 

[Scott98]

Is it not a Harry Potter thing?

I'd expect that many people fall in love with snowy owls thanks to those books and films.

whoa.....I think you're onto something there! That would explain the mindless hordes...I'm a little too old for Harry Potter.....I'm more Hardy Boys generation

 

[Will K]

whoa.....I think you're onto something there! That would explain the mindless hordes...I'm a little too old for Harry Potter.....I'm more Hardy Boys generation

My generation was the Harry Potter target audience, but I always preferred Tintin and Sherlock Holmes.

Back on topic: I saw a few Leicas this week at RSPB sites; Trinovids and Ultravids. One Zeiss, probably Conquest. And a Kowa scope or two. I've still not seen anyone besides myself with a Swarovski or Vortex.

 

[Paultricounty]

whoa.....I think you're onto something there! That would explain the mindless hordes...I'm a little too old for Harry Potter.....I'm more Hardy Boys generation

The Hardy boys 🤣, don’t you mean the east side kids and let’s not forget the Bowery boys…😜

 

[Nethero]

Wow! Some of the pictures have me appreciating the lack of crowds around here. Seems like birding is very popular in the upper midwest.

and don't get me started on the "cult of the snowy owl". At a few places near the beaches here you'll often see a crowd of 20 people, always with cameras & tripods and big telephoto lenses, and you instantly know there's a snowy owl sitting out there. They're not normal birders, it's something different. They literally spend all day camped out watching a single snowy owl sitting in the marsh or on a dune. They use the internet to call in the rest of the cult once the snowy is spotted.

I often wonder, they drove all this way, don't they want to see other birds? Apparently not. Personally, if I was a wild animal, I would NOT like a group of 20 gawkers staring at me all day. I like to respect the wild creatures more and leave them alone. In winter I typically see a snowy owl almost every time I take my dogs to the beach, it's hard to understand these peoples' obesession.

My favorite is the people that then try to feed the owl. I have seen them bring out fish they bought at the store or mice they bought from a pet shop. The lines get blurred from environmental/wildlife savvy to ignorant
REAL quick. Makes me wonder if they let their cat outside too 😅.

 

[murmeltier]

Where I do my cardio walk I don't see anyone with binoculars, except once a guy with a 7x42 Swarovski (roof) and his border collie. He explained to me where I can observe the ibex at very low altitudes. In fact, following his advice, I observed an ibex from the balcony of my mother-in-law's house, where I have been living since 2020.

 

[Zedster]

I went to a memorial on Saturday for David DeSante, an amazing friend and ground breaking ornithologist. At the memorial were a bunch of former coworkers and colleagues. I looked at the binoculars of the people who had them out (most of us of course) and they were a fairly even split between Zeiss and Swarovski with a few Leica thrown in as well. Almost nothing else. There was a pair of MHGs and a pair of Kowas. Interestingly the Swaros were almost exclusively 8x32 ELs whereas the Zeiss were more widely spread among Victory SF, Conquest, and a few others.