Mediterranean Gull? Frampton Marsh (1 Viewer)

[Georgebirds]

Yeah, I don't have two or three hundred in spare cash, and likely never will. No matter how much use I'd get out of it, or how long it'd last me, all the perfectly logical reasons to invest in kit are meaningless when I just don't have anywhere near that level of disposable income to use. It's made me smile at the massive difference in what we'd consider inexpensive, my budget would be pathetically and uselessly small - honestly, around £30-ish would be a maximum I could spare and not feel terrible about losing on something non-essential, and I'm sure you'd agree that it's not worth buying anything that cheap! Birding's great cos it's a hobby you can just about manage with no financial input at all - you can be dirt poor and still enjoy birds without needing expensive trips and club memberships and lots of equipment, the limit of what I'm able to spend is paying the occasional RSPB carpark fee for the person who drives me there!

Anyway, thanks to all who've helped with the ID too, it's been interesting reading about the gulls at this reserve and likelyhood of seeing more, and discussing the intricacies of seen/not, a very thought-provoking topic in several ways.

 

[Derbyfella]

the only point I sort of disagree with there is…..some bins are better than no bins, so £30 is infinitely better than a£0 spend.
I have a scope, but I used to bird without it, but for me it’s better to take it with me when I specifically go birding a cos it’s big and cumbersome to carry everywhere but conversely when in a hide it’s great for looking at things more carefully. That’s me anyway everyone’s different and I think really what’s important is enjoying what you are doing.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello George,

my thoughts: in Germany there are sometimes very cheap binoculars on sale at supermarkets. Old style, but trustee porro design (easier to get high resolution) , fully coated and if you get a well collimated example (yes you surely know which words I dont write in a public forum, try before you buy) that fits you budget:

Yes, one classic came into my mind again, "ich bin mit der Schieblehre zu Lidl gegangen" , thats my humor. Detailed review in german from Lidl-Fernglas 10x50 von Meade (and advice, how to get the best possible binocular in the low budget price range (you didnt get that from me, but from Birdforum! Thanks!)

I hope the same in Britain? Or try to find a used fully coated porro prismn design binocular in your price range.

Yes, there are notable difference to the latest alpha binoculars (but (nearly) not in center resolution if you get a good sample), but with these you will find out that Butty is right, imo.

Anyway you know, its your day and go with the equipment that provides you with the most fun!

 

[Andy Adcock]

It’s an interesting take….is it a stretch from that to say if you saw something in the field but couldn’t identify it, then someone identified it for you….is that a tick?

My wife, once took a photo of something or other in a field in Russia, only on later inspection, did we see an adult, male Citrine Wagtail in the shot.

 

[KenM]

My wife, once took a photo of something or other in a field in Russia, only on later inspection, did we see an adult, male Citrine Wagtail in the shot.

……Did she tick it?😊

 

[RichieTwitchy]

Not necessarily, if your focus was not on something in the background of your intended subject.

No one has mentioned 'naked eye'. Plainly, seen is understood to include seen through optics.

My interpretation of the OP is not that it was a record shot of a bird seen & to be (hopefully)identified later, but a bird later found in the background of a photo of another bird. This last comment could be incorrect, as I may be misinterpreting the OP.

I was talking as if the OP (and any birder really) had seen it and then photographed it

Unnoticed background birds - well, it's up to the individual and their 'tick' philosophy I guess.

I always take a camera, a pair of bins, a paperback field guide, a phone to both act as a digital field guide, an audio device to record any audio from the bird on my phone if I get the opportunity (and for emergencies), and a flask and some butties to eat whilst sitting in a hide (no offence Butty).

So it's quite a heavy pack I lumber around with - but that's my choice.

 

[Andy Adcock]

……Did she tick it?😊

No

 

[KenM]

No

Not quite the same, but I recall rattling through the Hungarian plain on a steam train a few years back now.
With Sunflowers to infinity one side, harvested wheat tother side and espying within, two round dots amongst the cut crop.
With train doing about 50-60 mph and a tunnel of trees both sides of the track approaching fast (and noting a break in the tunnel ahead).

I crudely focused the camera to what might be the “subject” distance and fired into the gap (movie) as the train whizzed past, not unlike the paparazzi when a celebrity criminal is being driven out of Wandsworth.🤣

Proceeded with the journey back to Budapest, trying to image (without any success) passing BeeEaters, RFFalcon and Roller and completely forgetting about the “field movie”.
Later that evening at the hotel,
I was reviewing the rushes of the day from the camera, when I suddenly saw the “field movie”and in one of the frame grabs, the two dots had morphed into Great Bustard…a life tick and they are unashamedly on my life list.🤩

 

[dwatsonbirder]

@Georgebirds I would argue the opposite re. binoculars: any are better than none.
Although you have a tight budget, that shouldn't hinder your development in the hobby, here are a few options which would likely transform your birding, and for the money should deliver usable views which allow you to improve your identification skills:

Opticron Countryman 8X24 | 036900224988 | Cash Converters

Opticron Countryman 8x24 Binoculars Well used with a few scuffs and marks but the optics are clean and clear and working fine. Comes with the carry case but without lens caps.

www.cashconverters.co.uk

Svbony Sa202 10X42 Prism Binoculars Black | 020200191142 | Cash Converters

CONDITION: - In mint condition, like new - Boxed with manual KEY FEATURES: - 10X power magnification and large field of view, specially designed for outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, driving, watching wildlife and scenery. - Bright sharp image; fully multi-coated ensures excellent...

www.cashconverters.co.uk

Olympus 10X50 Dps I | 049000156756 | Cash Converters

Olympus field binoculars 10x50 includes soft case Good condition

www.cashconverters.co.uk

 

[wheatearlp]

Not quite the same, but I recall rattling through the Hungarian plain on a steam train a few years back now.
With Sunflowers to infinity one side, harvested wheat tother side and espying within, two round dots amongst the cut crop.
With train doing about 50-60 mph and a tunnel of trees both sides of the track approaching fast (and noting a break in the tunnel ahead).

I crudely focused the camera to what might be the “subject” distance and fired into the gap (movie) as the train whizzed past, not unlike the paparazzi when a celebrity criminal is being driven out of Wandsworth.🤣

Proceeded with the journey back to Budapest, trying to image (without any success) passing BeeEaters, RFFalcon and Roller and completely forgetting about the “field movie”.
Later that evening at the hotel,
I was reviewing the rushes of the day from the camera, when I suddenly saw the “field movie”and in one of the frame grabs, the two dots had morphed into Great Bustard…a life tick and they are unashamedly on my life list.🤩

I wouldn't argue with that. You saw something, took photos/videos of the something & ID'd it later.

 

[Georgebirds]

@Georgebirds I would argue the opposite re. binoculars: any are better than none.
Although you have a tight budget, that shouldn't hinder your development in the hobby, here are a few options which would likely transform your birding, and for the money should deliver usable views which allow you to improve your identification skills:

Opticron Countryman 8X24 | 036900224988 | Cash Converters

Opticron Countryman 8x24 Binoculars Well used with a few scuffs and marks but the optics are clean and clear and working fine. Comes with the carry case but without lens caps.

www.cashconverters.co.uk

Svbony Sa202 10X42 Prism Binoculars Black | 020200191142 | Cash Converters

CONDITION: - In mint condition, like new - Boxed with manual KEY FEATURES: - 10X power magnification and large field of view, specially designed for outdoor activities such as climbing, hiking, driving, watching wildlife and scenery. - Bright sharp image; fully multi-coated ensures excellent...

www.cashconverters.co.uk

Olympus 10X50 Dps I | 049000156756 | Cash Converters

Olympus field binoculars 10x50 includes soft case Good condition

www.cashconverters.co.uk

Thanks for the advice (both the quoted poster, and those before), and I much appreciate the kind delivery and not being judged for not being able to invest in top - or even middling! - quality kit.

I'm convinced by the 'any binoculars are better than none' philosophy, and trusting the choices linked there to be much better than my pot-luck picking would've been when I know nothing about brands and types, so I signed up to the Cashconverters site to buy one of the exact pairs you singled out for me : the Olympus 10x50 DPS I, for those who know about this sort of thing and am curious what budget buy I did end up with!

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Most welcome, any kit that gets you out looking at birds and increasing your knowledge can only be a good thing, whether that is with a pair of bins that cost £10 or £2000 doesn't really matter. I hope you enjoy the Olympus, just check that they are correctly collimated (no double vision when viewing through both barrels). Seems to have good reviews online!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I was talking as if the OP (and any birder really) had seen it and then photographed it

Unnoticed background birds - well, it's up to the individual and their 'tick' philosophy I guess.

I always take a camera, a pair of bins, a paperback field guide, a phone to both act as a digital field guide, an audio device to record any audio from the bird on my phone if I get the opportunity (and for emergencies), and a flask and some butties to eat whilst sitting in a hide (no offence Butty).

So it's quite a heavy pack I lumber around with - but that's my choice.

You sound like inspector gadget.

 

[Harrybongo]

Hi, George. The Olympus, do have pretty good reviews, but as already mentioned, the collimatation is the key. If they don't work out, may I suggest another option. My most used bins cost me £40!! They're Soviet 8x30 porros, made by Komz, with superb optics! You can also get: 7x50's/10x50's Zomz/Tento also Soviet/Russian made. If you look on ebay, they come up quite alot, and there are some good, honest sellers, and if you do buy, you won't be sorry! 👍 All best!

 

[Georgebirds]

Just to come back to update those who helped with advice on this thread, now I've received the binos and taken them for their first day out. I got along really well with them - no problems, no damage the seller hadn't mentioned or collimation problems they hadn't checked for, just really good views whenever I wanted a closer look at something. Much better to see clearly right there and then, rather than relying on taking a bad zoomed photo then IDing later, I'm now in total agreement with everyone who said birding's better with binos, and that any is better than none.

And guess what, one of the things I saw through them was a Mediterranean Gull, so that brings the thread full circle, hahah!

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Top result George, enjoy in good health!