26 January 2012 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 8:46 PM - 0 comments

Killer Digiscoping with the Nikon EDG VR Fieldscope

The Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival in Titusville, FL has drawn a record number of registrants already this year and will surely attract more though out the weekend. This isn't too surprising since this festival seems to get bigger every year. With the multitude of field trips, seminars, workshops, vendors, etc. this place is buzzing all the time. Not to mention the world-class birding all over central Florida. None more impressive, however, than the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This is Titusville's claim to fame. The birder friendly Black Point Wildlife Drive is usually the first stop on the list. It is certainly a must see for anyone traveling to the area.

Fellow Nikon Birding Prostaffer, Tom Dunkerton, had tipped me off to some productive spots locally and I went out this morning to churn some more images out of my new Nikon 85mm EDG VR Fieldscope. Check out some of these.....


While we were there our group had spotted two American Bitterns within 10 feet of the road. Truly amazing given the secretive nature this species exhibits.


Although, I am technically around this species often, I rarely actually see it. Thus, I took about 15 minutes to hang out, photograph and observe this marvel. Their methodical way of fishing shows more patience then I have ever witnessed in the animal kingdom. Truly a stalker, this species can hold a dead-still pose for  hours if necessary. I know I can't do that. 


A little bit of minor pishing brought a Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow above grass height. These skulkers are very cryptic but can be brought up to the surface with some prompting. Even though the angle is tough it was the extremely large bill and darker auriculars that helped separate this species from it's cousin, the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow which was also present in the marsh. Nelson's are far more secretive and fled to the mangroves every time I got a quick eyeball on one. 


This is more of a typical view of a Sharp-tailed Sparrow, but they are gorgeous once out in the open.


This deep-water diver was relaxing in the relatively shallow pools of the refuge actively fishing. Notice the ripples in the water behind it? Female Red-breasted Mergansers usually would show a shaggy crest (males too), but this chica was water-logged which certainly changed her shape. The only other merganser present in a Florida winter would be the Hooded Merganser. Those birds have much shorter, darker bills and a steeper forehead slope. 

Birds like the American Bittern and Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow were very unique for me as I don't see them often, however, if all the birds I saw were regular for me it would have still been a treat. This is mainly because central Florida offers ridiculously close encounters with these birds making this place an avian wonderland. I hope you all can get to Brevard Co. soon for some of this crazy birding. See some birds everyone!

04 January 2012 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 4:09 PM - 0 comments

Nikon January Facebook Quiz!


I know, I know, your first thought is probably cursing me for putting a bird in here with water streaming all over it. Yes, natural elements like water and wind can certainly change the perception of how a bird looks and make the ID even more confusing. Nevertheless, some key characteristics in the photo can drastically narrow down the field of options.

First off, this photo was digiscoped with a Nikon 85mm EDG Fieldscope at Estero Llano Grande State Park in the Rio Grande Valley, TX. Good friend and Nikon ProStaffer, Shawneen Finnegan, was standing next to me as we watched a host of birds come in and out of the water drip. This bird is actually a common wintering resident in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The smaller body and long tail with a cleft tells us that this bird is mostly likely in the warbler/finch category when talking about size. Finches tend to have tails with sharp clefts, but the tails are often not so long. This tail looks long to me, given the photograph has been taken from a head-on perspective. As always, the bill is vital for ID with any winged creature we are looking at. This bird has a rather long, thin and pointed bill. Finches of all kinds have thicker, conical bills. I think with those few attributes alone we can safely call this bird a warbler.


This bird photographed above is not the same bird and most likely a different race, but certainly the same species in question. Orange-crowned Warblers are all over Texas in winter and these birds can be found foraging for insects in variety of habitats. Females and juveniles are grayer in appearance which puts this bottom photo in that category. The actual quiz bird is probably a male because he was bright green throughout his body and the ventral streaking was faint.

Often enough, Tennessee Warblers can look near identical for those who are not accustomed to both species. One easy trick will help you separate these species. The largest key is that Orange-crowned Warblers have a green/yellow vent and Tennessee Warblers have a white vent area. This holds true for both sexes and all ages for both species.

Tennessee Warblers migrate heavily through the middle part of the United States and Orange-crowneds can be found all over the US in migration. Best of luck out there and be safe as the new year turns over. Good Birding!

13 December 2011 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 3:57 PM - 1 comments

Hooded Merganser x Common Goldeneye in Colorado


Fellow Nikon Birding ProStaffer, Bill Schmoker, sent this my way of a bird he photographed a few days ago. This Hooded Merganser and Common Goldeneye cross is a real interesting mix. Can you see which one it is? The steep forehead of the Hooded Merganser stands out on the middle bird when compared to the two Common Goldeneyes on either side.


When one looks at the head of this bird it superficially looks like a smooth Goldeneye head minus the large white spot in the supraloral area. The bill however, is tapered and shaped perfect for a male Hooded Merganser. What else can you notice about the head?

The shaggy crest of the Hooded Merganser is very noticeable on the nape of the head. See it? Once we get away from the head the one other attribute that is prominent the most is the finely checkered flanks that are present on Hoodies. On a Common Goldeneye those flanks would be pure white. Hybrids are really not that uncommon throughout the waterfowl world but are not detected as prominently as one would think. This hybrid in itself has been well documented before, but still very interesting. Check out a link at EcoBirder to see another example.

Most of the waterfowl across the Midwest United States have settled in so keep checking local ponds for interesting birds like this.

Thanks to Bill Schmoker for sending over his shots of this fine mixed bird using his Nikon EDG Fieldscope. All the best while birding out there!


05 December 2011 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 3:59 PM - 2 comments

One Colorado Rarity Makes Way For Another

This last Sunday was a great day in the field for Colorado birders. Birds were being found left and right and it was evident that most of Colorado's mainstay birding crowd was out in the field. The Front Range had just seen a couple of small snow dumps and with the temperature dropping, much of the water nearby began to freeze. This of course, helps concentrate the birds a bit more and makes them a bit easier to find. Bill Schmoker, Nikon Birding ProStaff, and I spent much of the morning in the area of Longmont, CO. A body of water known as Union Reservoir had two Little Gulls (a great Colorado bird) present including a first-winter and a basic adult. There were a few Bonaparte's Gulls to sift through, but the Little Gull never appeared for us. However, it may have if we didn't decide to ditch that bird for another one. Later on in the morning Bill got a call from friend and fellow gonzo-birder, Steve Mlodinow who called to tell us he had just found a Tufted Duck. The better news, it was only ten minutes from our location at that time, so we burned rubber to go get it.


This Tufted Duck (right) was conveniently placed next to a Lesser Scaup in this photo. As per Steve Mlodinow, the whitish area of the vent is a decent clue to use when identifying a Tufted Duck. Of course, the tuft protruding from the back of the nape will not always be seen.


That mention of the white vent which is visible here applies to females, which this bird was. The murky coloration is similar to that of female Scaups and female Ring-necked Ducks, but Tufted Ducks are much darker. Female Tufted Ducks show less white on the face when comparing Ring-necks and have far less white on the bill. This species is abundant throughout most of it's regular range across Europe and Asia, but occurs in the US often enough to keep it on your radar.


Note the bold yellow eye in this photo above. How would you describe the bill? Can you see the white vent? In the photo we notice how dark the face is. A female Ring-necked Duck would show white around the bill, a white eye-ring and a white spur post-ocular line. Of course, as we were standing there trying to get good shots something came in and scared the multitude of Scaups, Ring-necked Ducks, Canvasbacks, Buffleheads, Goldeneye and Redheads there and they all flew off. This means that we have a Tufted Duck in the area and it is up to other birders to try to find it again.

I love being in the right place at the right time and feel totally lucky to have seen this bird yesterday. Bill Schmoker had digiscoped these photos using a Nikon 65mm EDG Fieldscope in bad lighting. We would like to thank Steve Mlodinow for the find and Bill Schmoker for documenting this rarely seen bird in Colorado.

02 December 2011 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 1:20 PM - 0 comments

Nikon's December Facebook Quiz


When Nikon Birding ProStaffer, Tom Dunkerton, sent me this shot and told me it would be a good quiz bird, I thought, "yeah right?" I immediately identified it as a House Sparrow and Tom indicated I was correct. However, after a little more thought I realized that this was the perfect quiz bird, because noboby and I mean, nobody looks at house sparrows unless your name is David Sibley. Everyone sees this bird, hears this bird and lives near this bird, but rarely studies this bird. The House Sparrow is native to Europe and Asia and has been introduced across much of the world including the entire mass of the lower 48 states. It's ability to adapt to rural and urban settings has allowed this species to prosper where others couldn't. The dark streaks on the mantle bordered with it's rufous coloration is what we expect in an adult male House Sparrow. This bird has a stocky body and block-shaped head and gives off a harsh "chep," as it's main call. We usually hear those calls in mass as these birds gather in large groups.


This adult is likely beginning it's prebasic molt indicated by the loss of the colored feathers in and around the face. Notice the large pale-colored bill? That is another indicator that fall is coming for this bird. The females are extremely drab with a bold, pale supercilium since they are responsible for all of the brood rearing. Introduced in the mid-1850s this species has expanded it's range much like we are seeing from the Eurasian Collarded-Dove. The dove was a bird that I once chased in Iowa in high school when there were relatively few breeding spots known. Now the species is a pest.

We hope this provided a bit of a brain stumble and shows the importance of knowing your common, local species including the introduced birds. Good birding everyone and thanks for participating.


29 November 2011 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 12:07 PM - 0 comments

Could this be the Year of the Snowies?

Thanksgiving break is always filled with over-stuffed bellies, families and laziness for most people but birders view it as a chance to get out and do some birding. I visited my family in Wisconsin over the weekend and spent one day in the field. Of course, I checked the listservs to see what was being seen around the area and to my surprise there were a ton of reports of Snowy Owls throughout the state. So much in fact, I wonder if this will be a strong year for northern owls? There were at least 12 Snowies being seen in Wisconsin over Thanksgiving and I have no doubt there were many more than that. I saw a report of 2 Snowies being seen at the famous Horicon Marsh NWR in south-central Wisconsin. This was only an hour drive from our house so we jumped on the opportunity to see this keystone species.

Snowy Owls are never really hard to see, but rather hard to locate pending the area and habitat type. Naturally, once we got there about three dozen birders had beaten us so looking for the hoards of birders on Dike Rd. was really the easiest way to go about it. And this is what we ended up seeing from the car:


Not the greatest ID challenge, right? Look how heavily vested this bird is. The amount of streaking tells me this is most certainly a female. Possible even a juvenile, but that is hard to differentiate since this could be a young female. Either way, this bird along with an adult male occupied the few mile stretch of Dike Rd. I took this shot with my Nikon EDG 85mm Fieldscope and a D3100 camera. Unfortunately, the whipping winds didn't help the digiscoping out, but I am always happy to get something on camera. Mom and Dad loved it too! That's one of the best things about birding is that most people can be cool with it even if they don't bird because you are in scenic places most of the time.


The above photo was also digiscoped as the female bird flew away from us. The marsh was completely open with water so there were plenty of birds like Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail and tons of Cackling and Canada Geese. Muskrats build these large houses out of the phragmites and cattails and the Snowies loved these perches to scan the field for potential food. This diurnal creature feeds mainly off of lemmings, but will take a host of other small prey items like hares and mice when the pickings are slim. The food up north must be scarce which usually forces these owls to seek greener pastures in the northern tier in the United States. Nevertheless, if these birds keep showing up in numbers people in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and nearby states should keep an eye out, because they have come that far south in the past.

The water birds are always the main attraction at Horicon Marsh is this is one of the most vital migration points in the United States. This marsh is over 34,000 acres large and holds claim to the largest of it's kind in this country. It takes forever to drive around it. I got so used to walking around most prairie potholes in Iowa within 15 minutes, but this marsh is a whole different animal.


The other main focus were the Tundra Swans being seen at the north end of the refuge. Trumpeter Swans would pose potential ID problems, but the shorter bill and neck of the Tundra Swan usually stands out, I think! The round crown and bent angle at the cere (forehead) are also diagnostic for these far northern breeders. Some of these swans even has the yellow teardrop at the base of the bill just below the eye. As long as open water remains these birds will stay. However, this being Wisconsin, they probably will be moving on soon. I hope all of your Thanksgiving bird outings were productive and good birding overall.

16 November 2011 Posted by Mike Freiberg | 5:32 PM - 1 comments

Digiscoping the Rio Grande Valley Again


The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival ended with a fantastic bang once again and the 500+ birders that showed up really made the buzz surrounding the festival a reality. There were a ton of birds and most of the oddities came from South Padre Island Convention Center as late migrants such as Chestnut-sided Warbler and "Red" Fox Sparrow dazzled the crowds. Usually we expect some crazy Mexican rarities, but this year hosted one in particular. The Black-vented Oriole that has been in the vicinity of Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park that a few participants had the privilege to see.

The host of wildlife that this region offers made for some portfolio-building digiscoping and allowed me to test out the Nikon EDG 85mm Fieldscope. I used an FSA-L2 adapter along with my new Nikon D3100 DSLR. This combination was somewhat new, but I knew what the glass of the EDG Fieldscope was capable of.


Yes yes, I know this is merely a Northern Mockingbird, but I couldn't resist shooting this guy at the water drip on Sheepshead Dr. on South Padre Island. This photo instilled a new found respect for this species. The smooth gray plumage, yellow eye and white, puffy underparts. This species is often knocked hard for dive bombing those close to nests and singing all day long. However, the way we could look at it is that this bird is of strong character who defends the nest with pride and has energy for days. That's a far off thought, huh? I bet some are thinking that right now. This bird was accompanied by a host of Red-winged Blackbirds, a Clay-colored Sparrow and a bunch of Inca Doves using the water to grab a drink.


This not so "Red" Fox Sparrow entertained hundreds of birders at the South Padre Island Convention Center while flipping through the Duff layer of the grass as expected. Of course, this bird has so much gray on the neck and face it looks more like the nominate species of the group iliaca. The Fox Sparrow is such a widely distributed species with many subspecies in between. Their contiguous range across the north makes for a clinal change in morphology thus meaning that birds never seem as they are in the guides. Think Red-tailed Hawk! Although, from living in Iowa for ten years I can tell you this does not look like a true "Red" Fox Sparrow. Nevermind the extensive gray but the red is usually much more bold. Either way it was cool to see this species overshoot it's historical wintering grounds by a few hundred miles. It was in the open enough to allow me to take a hundred digiscoped shots of it.


This area hosts most of the world's wintering Redhead and these birds were found with a few dozen others at the end of the boardwalk near our beloved Fox Sparrow. Not surprisingly, fellow prostaffer, Adrian Binns and I encountered a few dozen other birders taking advantage of these birds being so close to land. After viewing over 50,000 (I have no idea how underestimated that number is) at the Osprey Overlook in Laguna Atascosa NWR the day before it was hard to believe I would get this close. The birds at Laguna were distant and it would be near impossible to single a couple out since they were all jammed in together like livestock at a Midwest farm. Note the roundish head and bi-colored bill on these two. The Canvasback (most likely confusing species) has the flat forehead and an all black bill.


There were a few American Wigeon in with the group and this male preened nicely for the camera. If you haven't got to visit this festival yet I would highly suggest you get off your rear and make some plans. Rarities always show up and birds winter down here by the tens of thousands. Thanks for sharing this experience with me and good birding to all.

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