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What did you see in your binoculars today? (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter NDhunter
- Start date
Thotmosis
Well-known member
Cool place, i would love to live in a house on the beach again.
tenex
reality-based
Fortunately humans have organized this well enough that we can go around with bins watching other animals trying to eat. Nice Burrowing Owl.
Davide_Videvitt
Active member
If I may, where do you live? Anyway, they are, but fortunately for us, the house is a perfect vantage point for watching birds in flight, being a few hundred feet above sea level. There is a sedentary kestrel pair that we have been seeing regularly for a couple of years now, they often fly and hover in front of our house and we are able to observe them from inside in the house without even going out on the balcony. Sometimes they are above us, more often they are under us, but seeing them hovering and hunting is always spectacular.
In the pictures you can see the view from the house, i.e. landscape often flown over by kestrels
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I am in interior CT, and the Kestrels are in Ellington. I knew where there were some in South Windsor, but they disappeared a few years ago.
When they look right into your binoculars, you know that they know that you are looking at them, and they dislike it. They have what is called "a,riveting gaze".
Under 100 yards is a challenge, and 50 is even more difficult, when they are perched on wires at the side of the road.
When they look right into your binoculars, you know that they know that you are looking at them, and they dislike it. They have what is called "a,riveting gaze".
Under 100 yards is a challenge, and 50 is even more difficult, when they are perched on wires at the side of the road.
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Elkhornsun
Well-known member
Today sitting on my deck this afternoon I spotted a spotted towhee, red shouldered hawk, chestnut backed chickadee, dark-eyed junco, band tail pigeons, American crow, Ann's hummingbird, black headed grosbeaks, red finch, pine siskin, oak titmouse, Steller's jays, scrub jays, and acorn woodpeckers. I have a wifi camera near a hummer feeder at the opposite end of the house and it is recording periodic visits by two hooded orioles.
I have put a lot of effort into planting native shrubs and trees on the property and is has paid off.
I have put a lot of effort into planting native shrubs and trees on the property and is has paid off.
For the third time in a week or so, a Great Blue Heron has flown by here, at a closest approach of about 100 yards.
An impressive sight, even with bare eyeballs, but even more so with 8X worth of optical "help".
Addendum: For the first time ever, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk dive. It was high and remaining stationary without flapping, as they can do if it isn’t calm, and it just suddenly folded in its wings, rolled about 90° and dropped like a stone.
I’m sure many here have seen this, and to them it is no big deal. I was thrilled and the real big deal is that I never would have even seen the hawk had I not been using my 8X30 W Habicht to follow and watch it. It was too far for just my eyeballs. I have no clue to how far away it actually was. It appeared to be hunting with another one, presumably its mate. I got lucky and was watching the right one of the two.
Anyone have any idea how far away a soaring Red-tail is visible to a human?
An impressive sight, even with bare eyeballs, but even more so with 8X worth of optical "help".
Addendum: For the first time ever, I saw a Red-tailed Hawk dive. It was high and remaining stationary without flapping, as they can do if it isn’t calm, and it just suddenly folded in its wings, rolled about 90° and dropped like a stone.
I’m sure many here have seen this, and to them it is no big deal. I was thrilled and the real big deal is that I never would have even seen the hawk had I not been using my 8X30 W Habicht to follow and watch it. It was too far for just my eyeballs. I have no clue to how far away it actually was. It appeared to be hunting with another one, presumably its mate. I got lucky and was watching the right one of the two.
Anyone have any idea how far away a soaring Red-tail is visible to a human?
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Davide_Videvitt
Active member
Amazing experience yesterday. Unfortunately I was not able to take pictures in time, I preferred to enjoy the moment only through the binoculars. We were having dinner with a couple of friends on the small terrace by the sea of the house I mentioned in the post above. It was about 9 pm and it was starting to get dark. I had the view behind me. At one point I heard strange, sinister calls, similar to those that seagulls sometimes make in agitated and nervous situations, so I turned to look at what was happening behind me. I noticed a large, dark, brown-looking silhouette perching on the telephone tower. I thought it might be one of the kestrels that live in the area or perhaps a black crow, instinctive thoughts that rationally I realised made no sense because the dimensions were quite different and it was late. Anyway, I immediately got up to get my binoculars and check what it was. When I brought the monarchs to my eyes, I couldn't believe it: earwigs, huge and majestic size, just a few dozen metres away from me I had a large, stupendous and terrific eurasian eagle-owl. Perhaps the bird I most wanted to see but did not think I would meet so soon. The owl stood still for about a minute and, enchanted, I managed to get a good look at it, then just as I was about to take a photo it flew away. An unforgettable experience, perhaps the most exciting animal encounter I have ever had.
Do you think there is any chance of seeing him perched on the same spot again?
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tenex
reality-based
Maybe. Raptors can have favorite perches, as some Great Horned Owls in my neighborhood do, but you'll just have to find out whether this is or becomes one of his. Thanks for sharing this beautiful story.
Last month I saw a Northern Saw-Whet only because it came to perch on the railing on our front porch at dusk when I just happened to be looking out. That seems quite unlikely to repeat, but a tall tower sounds more promising.
Binocollector
Well-known member
A skylark singing over a field and a deer about 200 m away were the nicest views of a small walk I took with the wife today. She spotted the deer. I noticed a second one just at the edge of the woods covered by some bushes through my Meopta.
I just watched a Mocking Bird hawking insects.
I was unaware that they did that, and I don't see much written about this behavior.
Habicht 8X30 W at ~165 yards.
Addendum: I also got a good look at a Coopers Hawk who gave us a quick mouse check. (negative results)
I was unaware that they did that, and I don't see much written about this behavior.
Habicht 8X30 W at ~165 yards.
Addendum: I also got a good look at a Coopers Hawk who gave us a quick mouse check. (negative results)
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Got out to a nearby nature preserve before breakfast in an attempt to beat the heat...three highlights:
1. Saw brown wings moving in the trees ahead and thought it was a hawk. Scanning in the area with my bins revealed a barred owl peering back at me! I've seen them before but was excited to finally see one in this preserve as my wife has reported seeing owls here many times but this was my first!
2. Did get a hawk in not that much farther along in our walk - a very pretty red shouldered perched over a pond doing some grooming.
3. Saw a male scarlet tanager in very dashing breeding plumage. We see them with some frequency and it's always a treat.
Could hear a cuckoo but couldn't find it. One day!
1. Saw brown wings moving in the trees ahead and thought it was a hawk. Scanning in the area with my bins revealed a barred owl peering back at me! I've seen them before but was excited to finally see one in this preserve as my wife has reported seeing owls here many times but this was my first!
2. Did get a hawk in not that much farther along in our walk - a very pretty red shouldered perched over a pond doing some grooming.
3. Saw a male scarlet tanager in very dashing breeding plumage. We see them with some frequency and it's always a treat.
Could hear a cuckoo but couldn't find it. One day!
Thotmosis
Well-known member
Beautifull, somewhat sad / melancholic expression on it’s face. Sweet.
On reflection it was probably a mistake to tell it an Andre Van Duin joke.
It was smiling seconds before.😅
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