The Binocular Journal (1 Viewer)

[Pileatus]

It's that homemaking season. Yesterday I heard then saw a flicker at work about 20 ft above the path I was on, far enough along to be leaning well into the hole to finish the interior. Now that's a lot of work. Wouldn't want to do it more than once a year, if that. (Pro forma bino credit: my usual 10x32 UV. I'm so used to that format it's second nature.)

The interior is a lot bigger than one might think...
https://wdfw.wa.gov/living/woodpeckers.html

 

[black crow]

At dinner tonight I got to watch a crow in a tree in my friends back yard about thirty feet from me in the Zeiss SF 10x. I watched him preen for about 20 minutes and I felt like I could reach out and pet him. It's hard to imagine a better binocular than the Zeiss Victory but I guess they are out there. That crow could turn it's head around an underneath it's wing like a snake. I really was transfixed and found it more fascinating than watching that Pileated Woodpecker earlier. Crows are totally beautiful animals. When I walk in my neighborhood I use a crow call and now most of the crows in our territory know me well and talk to me every morning. I've called in flocks flying overhead of 30 to 50 crows to see the guy who can speak Black Crow. They are very amazing birds indeed.

 

[bluespiderweb]

Well, I finally escaped to the woods, (my small woods where I grew up) and boy was it ever great! It's where I belong, I've concluded! Finally, I had the car, and the weather was very nice-no rain, no snow, and not frigid! I chose to take my Sightron Blue Sky II 8x30's, as a no fuss, do it all in a light package bin. Since the leaves are not on the trees as yet-just beginning, I could still see to the farmed fields beyond, a cornfield usually, but not plowed as yet, with the 8x, all the way to the treeline, and anything else closer too. They worked out great for this early Spring walk. A nice slow walk of 1&1/2 hours, observing, taking pictures, and once in a while resting and observing when the chance came about. It was a perfect day, sun and clouds, high of 50, 10 mph wind, and I wished I hadn't left my light nylon jacket in the car! It was a bit cool for a slow walk, but that's my speed, and what I prefer anyway. I had a wide brim hat, a polo shirt, and long pants, and my trusty Leki Wanderfreund trekking pole. That way my back lasts longer, and the support is great for any hills or off the path wanderings with more challenging terrain. I wouldn't last half as long without it, I'm sure.

As I entered the Plains Mennonite church "park", I was looking for the Black (Grey) Squirrel I saw last Fall, but even though I was patient and listened and looked, he was not showing himself, not today anyway. The birds were slow to show themselves, but I took some pictures of the flowers in bloom (planted, and wild), and kept going. I saw Robins (should be our state bird, I think), one solitary Blue Jay, heard Cardinals, but could not locate even one! And of course, the other songbirds you can never find in the treetops as close as the sun as you can get! I don't even try now, I just look for movement without the bins, but those singers probably are in one place for a while, and just are difficult to find!

There was another quiet, grey bird with a darker head, that looked similar to an Eastern Wood Pewee, that also came to view, but I had no idea what he was.

Then I made a friend apparently, of a smaller bird, orange buff colored mainly, with a lighter belly, looking like a Carolina Wren, though it might be another easily-it was quiet, naturally, within my view, as is often the case! No matter, a nice companion on my walk! I saw it on and off, among a Blue Jay (one of my favorite sights), a Turkey Vulture (great to view with sunlight lighting his wings), and finally a Red Tail Hawk who perched quickly in a treetop. I lost sight of him when I changed positions to get a better view-and he probably didn't wait around for me to get set again-don't know why, but many birds just seem to be unsociable (like me)! I don't hold it against them, but it often is a problem beteen us and my birdwatching! It seems, hides are a great idea, or at least remaining somewhere without movement to discourage their interaction.

Before I left, a Downy Woodpecker appeared too, briefly, and I was glad of the sight of him too. It seems they (the birds) might like saying goodbye better than hello! That's OK, as I to think man is still too beastly in most regards.

Next time I think I'll hit Frick's Trail, another Mennonite park for wild space being preserved. Then there is a nature preserve (Gwynedd) not far, that I haven't been to-and I was going to go there this week, until I learned of a controlled burning scheduled for last Wednesday, which just makes me mad! It may be good for native plant species to keep control over foreign introductions, but it sure messes with the balance of nature in Spring, I think. I don't even want to see burned meadows, or consider how much they might have destroyed from this decision. Why can't man just leave some things be, as they evolve-and it happens eventually, without our interference? I'm not very scientific, so even if I know why they do something, it doesn't mean I concur.

Anyway, a great day out for me finally, and I will say that I could have used a wider field of view than the Sightron SII's, more like the Nikon EII, would have been great I think too, but I've never haltered them, and they don't know how to be on a tether yet. Got to go to the binocular wisperer for his help on that! ; ) Maybe Black Crow can help me?!

PS, just before I left, I found the large Cherry tree that I saw last Fall there, which is unusual for our locality-mostly all Maples, Walnuts, Hickories, etc, with a mix of occasionaly Red Cedars, and other scrub type Pines, though not much of the evergreens here. I found a small nodule of Cherry sap (saw a large one last Fall on the same tree-now gone), and I decided to taste the sap-so I dug a little piece of sap off and chewed it-pretty good! Not harsh tasting in any way-and I don't know why I wanted to, other than maybe Creek Stewart's influence of survival in the woods and his teachings, and I guess I was just curious. I'm still alive, darn!

 

[black crow]

Great to hear you got out. I can tell that's where your heart is. I wish you many more such days. Gotta love that little Sightron. It's really a great bino. If I remember it's got a 420 fov or something. Isn't that right? That's not bad.

 

[bluespiderweb]

At dinner tonight I got to watch a crow in a tree in my friends back yard about thirty feet from me in the Zeiss SF 10x. I watched him preen for about 20 minutes and I felt like I could reach out and pet him. It's hard to imagine a better binocular than the Zeiss Victory but I guess they are out there. That crow could turn it's head around an underneath it's wing like a snake. I really was transfixed and found it more fascinating than watching that Pileated Woodpecker earlier. Crows are totally beautiful animals. When I walk in my neighborhood I use a crow call and now most of the crows in our territory know me well and talk to me every morning. I've called in flocks flying overhead of 30 to 50 crows to see the guy who can speak Black Crow. They are very amazing birds indeed.

Ya kill me, BC! I would never have thought to do it, but they are very intelligent animals, from what I have heard. Why not talk to them! Good for you, BC! Just so they don't start gathering like in Alfred Hitcock's "The Birds" movie!

 

[black crow]

Ya kill me, BC! I would never have thought to do it, but they are very intelligent animals, from what I have heard. Why not talk to them! Good for you, BC! Just so they don't start gathering like in Alfred Hitcock's "The Birds" movie!

I took care of a wounded crow at a rehab center for wounded Michigan wildlife long ago. His name was Cromwell and he could talk. He's walk up to you and cock his head and say "Hello" and then untie your shoelace.

 

[bluespiderweb]

Great to hear you got out. I can tell that's where your heart is. I wish you many more such days. Gotta love that little Sightron. It's really a great bino. If I remember it's got a 420 fov or something. Isn't that right? That's not bad.

No, I think it's more like 394 ft, which still is pretty good. Though it's no EII @ 462 ft, if that is correct?

 

[bluespiderweb]

I took care of a wounded crow at a rehab center for wounded Michigan wildlife long ago. His name was Cromwell and he could talk. He's walk up to you and cock his head and say "Hello" and then untie your shoelace.

Pretty neat, BC! Must have been great to work there!

 

[black crow]

Pretty neat, BC! Must have been great to work there!

Yeah I was a kid and it was a work study job for college. I got to go to the creek and set traps for small rough fish to feed the wounded green heron we had there. I got to be a hunter gatherer for all these animals which was right up my alley. The only residents were animals that couldn't be mended and then released back into the wild. Cromwell was one.

I think the EII is 466 ft but I've read it 464 at another site. The Sightron site lists the 8x32 at 420 ft fov.

 

[Troubador]

I took the Opticron Traveller 8x32 for a walk up an old sunken drovers track in our neughbourhood. This old track looks across pastures so is nearest to open countryside we have and I have seen a fox from it and rabbits. But this time there were crows, and with a bright sun at an oblique angle and the light glancing off their plumage there were fleeting moments when these black crows were white. If I remember correctly, one of our most famous bird artists called Tunnicliffe painted a picture of white crows on ploughed ground to illustrate this phenomenon. The little Opticrons captured this nicely for me and a little later made me smile when two lambs decided to bounce across 3-4 yards near their ma in perfect synchronicity on stiff legs and wearing what appeared to be 'trousers' one size too large as they had creases around their ankles.:-O

Lee

 

[bluespiderweb]

That's pretty wild there Lee, white Crows! I believe, just haven't seen it. So, this bright sun was at a low angle near sunset? And how were you positioned to see it? Was the sun behind you? I remember once seeing a whole tree being lit up by the bright setting sun with it behind me, and the leaves were just glowing orange, and it wasn't their color-don't remember if they had turned brown though yet, but it was such a glow, I won't forget it! I was transfixed just looking at it, and no camera or binoculars either!

 

[bluespiderweb]

Yeah I was a kid and it was a work study job for college. I got to go to the creek and set traps for small rough fish to feed the wounded green heron we had there. I got to be a hunter gatherer for all these animals which was right up my alley. The only residents were animals that couldn't be mended and then released back into the wild. Cromwell was one.

I think the EII is 466 ft but I've read it 464 at another site. The Sightron site lists the 8x32 at 420 ft fov.

That's the thing, BC-it seems we have to suspect even manufacturer's websites for wrong specs nowadays. It happens all the time. I found the other (true) specs by searching Google, and it gave me a post on Birdforum about it earlier last year-

BruceH
Monday 24th April 2017, 17:12
Larry,

Here is a link to the Sightron Blue Sky II 8X32 web page.

https://sightronusa.com/index.php/product/siibl32/

Sightron has had the specs wrong for years and seem to have no desire to fix it.

Weight without strap is 17 oz.
FOV is 7.5 degrees (as shown on the focus knob cap), which is 394 ft at a 1,000 yards.

If you just go by the stated angle of view, the SII is 7.5 deg, and the EII is 8.8 deg, so that should give you an idea of the difference between them too. I noticed it when I put them up to my eyes today in the woods, because I had been using the EII's at home! Big difference. But, that's when panning can help, and the Sightrons are good for that. I didn't think I was limited by them, but I had to adjust to them in the beginning today.

 

[dries1]

It would be interesting what the difference is between the Fujinon KF 8X32 and the Sightron Blue sky 8X32. I have the Sightron KF 8X32 and it is in compliance with the info from Barrys Link, the two appear to have the same case, focus wheel eye-cups,and both are made in the Philippines, but different armor (shape styling and color).

The KF appears to be biased toward the red end of the spectrum, not sure of the Sightron. So what are the differences, the coating? or perhaps they are the identical glass just different branding.

The KF is a nice glass, with good optical attributes, sharpness, and contrast, the color tends to favor to the red with some glare observed by me in light through trees from varying paths of light.

I think they are on Amazon US for $139, a good deal for a 8X32 glass

Andy W.

 

[Troubador]

That's pretty wild there Lee, white Crows! I believe, just haven't seen it. So, this bright sun was at a low angle near sunset? And how were you positioned to see it? Was the sun behind you? I remember once seeing a whole tree being lit up by the bright setting sun with it behind me, and the leaves were just glowing orange, and it wasn't their color-don't remember if they had turned brown though yet, but it was such a glow, I won't forget it! I was transfixed just looking at it, and no camera or binoculars either!

Barry the sun was off to one side, almost behind me but not quite and what made the crows white was as they turned around on the ground there was a position where very briefly the light reflected off them and the glint of sunlight made them appear white.

Lee

 

[black crow]

That's the thing, BC-it seems we have to suspect even manufacturer's websites for wrong specs nowadays. It happens all the time. I found the other (true) specs by searching Google, and it gave me a post on Birdforum about it earlier last year-



If you just go by the stated angle of view, the SII is 7.5 deg, and the EII is 8.8 deg, so that should give you an idea of the difference between them too. I noticed it when I put them up to my eyes today in the woods, because I had been using the EII's at home! Big difference. But, that's when panning can help, and the Sightrons are good for that. I didn't think I was limited by them, but I had to adjust to them in the beginning today.

I remember that now. Meopta has the same thing going on. I wrote them about it and they didn't even feel I was worth a reply. There is something very wrong with companies doing business in what can only be termed dishonestly. People buy these products based on these specs. It's a minefield out there. I'd rather trust BF than any of the actual sellers. It's so dumb you have to laugh.

 

[ceasar]

Companies that sell binoculars often have the specs on their FOVs wrong on their websites. Usually it is caused by an error in computing the website's FOV in yards and feet from the metric numbers given. They forget that a meter is longer than a yard. People aware of that can get the correct information themselves. Multiply the Real FOV in degrees by 52.5 to get the feet @ 1000 yards.

It seems to take companies who sell binoculars a while to get their websites corrected. :smoke:

Bob

 

[black crow]

Awhile is an understatement imo. So long in fact it begins to appear like they don't care. How many years does it take to change a number? They must be busy bees indeed.

 

[bluespiderweb]

Barry the sun was off to one side, almost behind me but not quite and what made the crows white was as they turned around on the ground there was a position where very briefly the light reflected off them and the glint of sunlight made them appear white.

Lee

Thanks Lee, yes, I didn't think they where actually white! ; ) But I can understand it, with the strong light-and their reflective coats (feathers)-I've seen that bright sheen they reflect in the sun at times, but just not the dramatic white-out. Must look a little surreal! Just like my glowing orange leaved tree, only different!

Well, I did ID one of the birds I saw yesterday, and it was the Carolina Wren that was keeping me company, and later I heard it's call, but couldn't see it higher up, and farther away.

In another world above, I also saw some airplanes yesterday too-a Piper Cub was buzzing the field about 4 times and headed headed East. Then not long after, 2 military choppers (HH-60 Pave Hawks) flew by low, looking ready for business, heading West!

Then before I left I was looking at a Red-tailed Hawk in the treetops, when a big glistening white jetliner with a blue tail flew over heading East this time-quite a bit bigger bird than I had seen all day! There may have been one or two others that I heard, but did not see too. I imagine it being a Friday might have something to do with the traffic in the air. It sounds like they were a bother, but not. There was plenty of peace to be had even so, other than some traffic noise off of the main drag.

 

[black crow]

If anyone wants to watch one of the trippiest Foreign movies I've ever seen and that has a albino/white crow and also Swarovski binoculars featured do watch "The Wall". You'll never be the same.

 

[tenex]

So, this bright sun was at a low angle near sunset? And how were you positioned to see it? Was the sun behind you? I remember once seeing a whole tree being lit up by the bright setting sun with it behind me, and the leaves were just glowing orange, and it wasn't their color-don't remember if they had turned brown though yet, but it was such a glow, I won't forget it!

Leaves do strange things with light. Even on a cloudy day in the fall, yellow aspen leaves can have a magical "glow" that I've never figured out.

On our walk to the pond yesterday we saw four Golden Eagles soaring overhead, close together for a while. Quite a sight. The 10x32 UVHD+ gave a good view, with no disturbing CA (at least not to us) although it does less well around the edges.

My birding skills are still mediocre. Along with Redheads and Scaups and Mallards, we saw a pair of ducks (at the far shore of course, not a good view) I couldn't ID. Overall dull light brownish, head possibly somewhat darker, white side patch near the tail on both sexes and black tail feathers on the male, duller brown on the female. White belly when dabbling. No other obvious color, though the light was getting poor. Any idea what they could have been?