BIRDING TO THE EDG

Nikon's February Facebook Quiz!

2012-02-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

With the invention of the new Nikon EDG VR Fieldscope, digiscoping has been the latest craze on the Nikon side. The VR has the ability to allow steady shooting at lower shutter speeds which creates a much more versatile situation for digiscoping. The Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival is home to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge which is literally a photographer's dream. The birds are

Killer Digiscoping with the Nikon EDG VR Fieldscope

2012-01-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

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

Nikon January Facebook Quiz!

2012-01-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

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

Hooded Merganser x Common Goldeneye in Colorado

2011-12-13T15:57:00.000-05:00

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

One Colorado Rarity Makes Way For Another

2011-12-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

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

Nikon's December Facebook Quiz

2011-12-02T13:20:00.000-05:00

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

Could this be the Year of the Snowies?

2011-11-29T12:07:00.000-05:00

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

Digiscoping the Rio Grande Valley Again

2011-11-16T17:32:00.000-05:00

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

Nikon Digiscoping at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

2011-11-09T22:56:00.004-05:00

The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival just launched today with hundreds of birders from all over the nation pouring into this mega-hot birding destination. Names like Kenn Kaufman, Kevin Karlson, Michael O'Brien, Shawneen Finnegan and more are amongst the leaders in what many consider to be the all-star line-up of tour leaders for any given festival. It is like this every year and makes for some

Nikon November Facebook Quiz

2011-11-03T13:36:00.000-04:00

Give Many of you are probably thinking, well this is obviously a Willet, but my experience tells me that in the field this may not be as easy for some. We know this is a shorebird from long-wading legs and long, thin bill. However, with no other bird in the picture to make the comparative size distinction this becomes a little bit harder. The only birds that fit in the relative description as we

The New Nikon Monarch 3

2011-11-01T12:27:00.000-04:00

Many birders all around the world recognize the Nikon Monarch as a staple amongst birding binoculars. Nikon has complimented their line with a new Monarch 3 that offers the same great view through wonderfully-engineered glass without the dielectric coatings of the Monarch 5. You might ask, well, that will make the binocular less effective at gathering light, right? You would be correct, but a the

A Common But Beautiful Thing!

2011-10-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

I often will dump my photos into Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4 to store and fix up my catalog. However, for well over a year I should have been using the upgraded Lightroom 3. Since I was using a Nikon D200 at the time of the above photo, the old version was good for my purposes, so I was lazy about it. I continued to use the vintage Lightroom 1.4, naturally. Furthermore, in April at the

Nikon and Cabela's Unite with the Future Stars of Tomorrow!

2011-10-19T17:37:00.000-04:00

This last weekend was without a doubt the most exciting event I have ever worked for Nikon. The stage was the Hamburg, PA Cabela's which owns the status of being the largest Cabela's in the country. The store has every piece of outdoor gear imaginable, a restaurant, an aquarium and more dioramas than one can shake a stick at. Nikon invited Richard Crossley, The Raptor Project and Nikon's Birding

Nikon EDG VR Fieldscopes

2011-10-12T10:08:00.000-04:00

Nikon introduces 85mm EDG scope with Vibration Reduction Technology Nikon just announced an 85mm EDG scope containing the VR technology they use in their camera lenses. For further details see here: http://www.nikon.com/news/2011/1006_edg_01.htm Nikon Vision Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, is pleased to announce the release of its EDG Fieldscopes 85 VR and 85-A VR, new

Nikon's October Facebook Quiz

2011-10-11T14:07:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone! We certainly hope this quiz provided a great challenge for you. If you are a regular reader to this blog you may have seen some similar recent posts about some of the species in this photo. We asked you to identify all the species in this photo for this month's quiz. I like these kinds of quizzes, because it portrays a much more accurate setting for how we view these birds. Photos

Nikon's Extreme Raptor Weekend

2011-09-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

On the weekend of October 15th-16th, 2011 Nikon will be teaming up with Cabela's and Hawk Mountain to put on an EPIC Raptor show in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. The event will include guests such as Richard Crossley (author of The Crossley ID Guide) and James Currie (host of Nikon's Birding Adventures TV) who will be filming live on set all weekend. Jonathon Wood and The Raptor Project will headline

The Nikon ProStaff 7 Binocular

2011-09-28T17:29:00.000-04:00

Nikon has introduced a new binocular that will rival all of it's competitors in this price range.Those birders out there that know of the Monarch should check out this piece. While the Prostaff 7 does perform on a different level, the glass is superb and the image is bright even without dielectric coatings. The longer barrels make for easy handling for larger hands, but the barrels are thinner

Nikon Birding at the Hummer Bird Celebration

2011-09-15T22:32:00.000-04:00

Today proved to be another exciting day with excellent weather at the Hummer Bird Celebration. The humidity dropped and the sun was-a-blazin'. In a great way, though. I went right for Port Aransas to Paradise Pond to catch some glimpses of warblers I rarely see. And I was lucky! A male Canada Warbler and a male Kentucky Warbler were certainly the highlights of the day for me. Of course, my camera

There is a Bully Amongst us!

2011-09-14T22:38:00.000-04:00

So, just before I left for the Hummer Bird Celebration in Rockport-Fulton, TX an adult Long-tailed Jaeger showed up at Cherry Creek State Park on the southeast side of Denver. In turn, instead of rushing off to watch Sunday football with some buddies I went chasing some bird down, much to their dismay. They had no idea of how cool this was for me and it being only the second of it's kind I have

Nikon's September Facebook Bird Quiz!

2011-09-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

So, what are we looking at here? Most of us can assume this is a waterbird, because well.....you know! The real question here is what type, right? With the fat-bodied nature of this bird we can further assume this is a duck. Given how relaxed this bird looks while feeding, this seems to be a dabbling duck. Divers most often lift their body up while flicking their wings before entering the water

14,000 Foot Surprise!

2011-08-31T17:16:00.000-04:00

For this kid, very few things are greater than summiting a 14,000 foot mountain or as we call them here in Colorado, 14ers! This past weekend I had the privilege of climbing Colorado's most dangerous standard route on a 14er called Little Bear Peak which rises into the atmosphere at 14,037 feet. The solitude up there leaves you with vast vistas and maybe visits from a Common Raven or flyover

Little Brown Birds!

2011-08-24T15:42:00.000-04:00

That time of year again! Soon, if not already, the grassy fields, mudflats and shorelines will be abuzz with those little brown birds also known as shorebirds. Like these two beauties below! Can you pick out the Least Sandpiper from the Semipalmated Sandpiper? If so, what are the main differences? Whether you’re someone who likes to spend countless hours scanning through flocks large and

A Sandpiper That Shows Up Anywhere!

2011-08-17T14:37:00.000-04:00

This is definitely the season where shorebirds are moving in full force. Even though I think of shorebirds as constant migrators if you count the unmated birds that essentially do the full migrational loop just to strengthen their wings. However, one shorebird that always grabs my full attention is the Solitary Sandpiper. This species can be found literally anywhere in this country in migration.

Nikon's August Facebook Quiz

2011-08-02T17:02:00.000-04:00

This photo, provided by Nikon Birding ProStaff member, Bill Schmoker, shows an interesting angle of a bird that most people do not see often. I am sure many of you may have noted the large talons, bulky body and sharp beak that immediately put this bird into the raptor category. Furthermore, in my experience any raptor that is is streaked all over is sure to be a juvenile. Of course, calling

Little Hummers on the Move!

2011-08-01T12:33:00.000-04:00

So, naturally we are at the point of the summer where some species of birds are moving through already in Colorado commencing migration. Things are drying up a bit from the super moist spring and early summer we had and reports are filtering in with small amounts of shorebirds. Shorebirds can be erratic migrators in this season, but the hummingbird movement in Colorado is well documented. This is

The "New" American Birding Association

2011-07-27T12:39:00.005-04:00

I think one thing that is relatively hard for us birders in the United States to admit is that while we are strong in overall numbers; our impact is minimal. We want an organized birding community without the work it takes to achieve this level. We want free access to our birding venues. We want to see younger generations get involved in birding. We want a lot. Well, we need to put more work in

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV in Jamaica!

2011-07-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

With over 10,000 species of birds in the world it can be difficult to grasp some knowledge about every little corner of the world where some of these birds exist. James Currie, host of Nikon's BATV, travels far and wide to chase down some of these rare species. This includes of the most beautiful hummingbirds in the world known as the Black-billed Streamertail of Jamaica. Just the name alone

Influencing Future Stars

2011-07-07T16:25:00.000-04:00

Growing up in a sport dominated by middle-aged people in this country certainly is not an easy task for a young person. However, as a kid, once you find those groups of adults that accept you as a student of birding it is at that point you will want to hold on for dear life. My life would have been drastically different if I didn't have the men in my family (all birders), Kevin Karlson, Bill

Nikon's July Facebook Quiz

2011-07-05T19:00:00.000-04:00

Our Nikon faithful have been answering the quizzes almost too quickly so I had to up the ante here. Thus, hopefully this keeps many of you guessing, but not for too long. What is your first thought within 3 seconds of seeing this photo? Well, obviously there isn't much contrast on this bird and it seems rather dull all over. I think though, given the shape and size of the bird it is fairly easy

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV in Ecuador

2011-07-05T13:38:00.007-04:00

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV was recently in Ecuador filming the plethora of endemic species the country has to offer. Check out some of the footage at the Tandayapa Lodge and beyond in this short clip. For more information visit the BATV website. James Currie (host and founder of the show) visits areas where birders NEED to go. These areas usually include rare endemics and in some cases,

Panama BATV Adventures

2011-06-28T13:17:00.001-04:00

One of the greatest aspects of the Nikon Birding program is the relationship we have with James Currie and Nikon's Birding Adventures TV. James Currie(host and founder) is a remarkable front-man and professional for this show. His extensive knowledge of natural history in general stems from his childhood days in South Africa figuratively tackling the flora and fauna of one of the most diverse

LARBs on the Grasslands

2011-06-23T12:36:00.000-04:00

LARBs are one of the most contrastingly beautiful birds on the western prairies yet they are declining at record numbers. These LARBs I speak of are also known as Lark Buntings (LARB is the four-letter band code). The male of the species is solid jet black in appearance with large white wing patches. Sounds like an easy ID, huh? Well, the adult male certainly is. The recent Colorado Field

A First State Record for Colorado

2011-06-21T11:56:00.000-04:00

I often hear the chatter of birders discussing some species and why it appeared wherever it did. Not only do I often hear this kind of discussion, but it appears in all corners of our country. We can speculate, but we are left with just that in many of the cases. Speculation! Some birds vagrant movements can be mapped out and thus predicted in some way, shape, or form. Western Gull, a gull that

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

2011-06-16T12:27:00.000-04:00

I often find myself pondering how specialty species can be common in their habitat. I mean, what about them makes them special in the first place? That is to say, when comparing them amongst a host of other species that might breed near them. If a bird is common in a certain area, then why wouldn't it continue to expand it's range? Well, there are always a ton of factors to think about such as

More Glacial Thoughts

2011-06-09T17:21:00.000-04:00

While most people love the family Strigidae which encompasses our owls (except Barn Owl), it is very evident to me that most do not want to put forth the extensive effort it takes to understand them fully. I used to be one of them. It takes long hours, sometimes at night and often in blistering cold weather. One such man who has made the effort is Denver Holt of the Owl Research Institute (ORI)

Glacial Events!

2011-06-06T15:09:00.000-04:00

Glacier National Park is undoubtedly on most every wildlife enthusiast's "Bucket List," for good reason. But, why is it that this park is often one of the few parks left that tenured travelers have left to visit? Well, for one thing, it is way up there. The border of Canada is no joke and it is a haul. Nevertheless, once there an outdoors person is likely to experience one of the most diverse

Nikon's June Facebook Quiz

2011-06-01T15:59:00.000-04:00

Many of our quizzes have been birds in your face, but I think we can all agree that that is rarely the kind of view we get in the field with most birds. Your objective on this one was to find the bird and then ID it using the artistic approach of size and shape. What we are looking at here is a burned forest and the bird in question is in the upper right-hand corner. The setting is the area in

High Desert Birding!

2011-05-24T15:45:00.000-04:00

Not surprising to me, but this last weekend's Colorado Field Ornithologists Convention was yet another wonderful spectacle of the Colorado birding community. Well over 200 people gathered in Grand Junction, Colorado to explore the deep Pinyon-Juniper canyons and well dispersed cottonwood groves of western Colorado. The recently found Black-chinned Sparrows of the Colorado National Monument really

Nikon Takes A Look Into The Southwest!

2011-05-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

I am so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful states in the nation in Colorado. Colorado has a host of exciting birding events, but usually on the smaller side. However, smaller events are typically a bit more intimate and that allows the participants to really grasp what the area is like. Cortez, Colorado is the home to the Ute Mountain-Mesa Verde Birding Festival which provides some great

A Different World in Southeast Colorado

2011-05-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

Often enough, the place for migration birding is in southeast Colorado. An area of vast, expansive grasslands also is characterized by deep canyons and intermittent water holes. Migrants can be few and far between, but this area of Colorado if the key spot. This last weekend I was working some point counts for Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory in the area. I had run into some Colorado birding

Winter Is Alive In Summit County

2011-05-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

This last weekend was an interesting weekend for me in Colorado. My good friend Christian Nunes and his British amigo were out and about doing some twitching for our friend from across the "pond." Out targets were purely montane with White-tailed Ptarmigan on top of the list. Of course, our first point of action was to drive up to the Loveland Pass summit to look for the chickens. This is a

Nikon's May Facebook Quiz!

2011-05-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

Shorebirds always present difficult challenges even for the experienced shorebirder. Spring can tend to be a bit less daunting of a task since many shorebirds begin molting either on their wintering grounds or en route to their breeding grounds. My theory has always been that shorebirds molt early in the process because many of their breeding grounds experience short summers and thus the birds

Stilts on the Prowl

2011-04-28T17:40:00.000-04:00

You know, its funny sometimes being a bird photographer. Since that is not my primary role with Nikon I often will take a couple thousand photos in a month and many of them I will not look at. Sometimes, I go back into my catalog to see what I missed and I find cool stuff like this. 8 mile Road which is a popular destination during the Galveston Featherfest yielded these Black-necked Stilts

Digiscoping Gadwall in Colorado

2011-04-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

Nikon's newest digiscoping system has made it infinitely easier for the birder to capture images he/she dreams of, but from long distances. Cherry Creek Reservoir in southeast Denver, Colorado has been turning up good birds for weeks, but the real influx of migrants will start arriving now. A small pond that is disjunct from the main body of water often produces good birds from time to time. Now

Lekking Lesser Prairie-Chickens in Kansas

2011-04-19T15:27:00.000-04:00

Lesser Prairie-Chickens are one of the more sought-after species in the Unites States for good reason. The smaller cousin of the Greater Prairie-Chicken resides is a minute range in the southern Great Plains. Small parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas are the only areas that harbor breeding populations of Lesser Prairie-Chickens. They are resident in shrubby short-grass

American Golden-Plovers in Texas

2011-04-12T15:36:00.000-04:00

The 12 years I spent in the Midwest offered some great birding, but since moving to Colorado I found out how much I took certain species for granted. One such species is the American Golden-Plover (AMGP) which migrates through the central United States in the spring while making their journey back from the grasslands of southern South America. My good friend, Iain Campbell (Tropical Birding

Nikon's April Facebook Quiz

2011-04-01T13:34:00.000-04:00

Is everyone game for another quiz bird? Now, I can tell you right off the bat that this bird was digiscoped with a Nikon 65mm EDG Fieldscope, FSA-L2 bracket, and a Nikon D200. I have better shots of the bird but a clear photo wouldn't make for a good quiz, right? Also, this bird was photographed at Red Rocks Park in Morrison, CO. Although this species breeds in southeast Colorado it usually

A Cool, Small Colorado Mountain Owl!

2011-03-28T14:01:00.003-04:00

Last week I made it a point to get more involved with searching for owls in Colorado. We have so much to offer in this state and there are not enough birders out there who have the dedication and energy to get out when it counts. I, was previously in that category, but I vow to make a change. I have always had the opportunity to go out with good friend and owl expert, Scott Rashid, who lives in

A Season for Northern Hawk Owls at the Owl Research Institute

2011-03-22T16:56:00.012-04:00

The Northern Hawk Owl ranges from Alaska to Newfoundland, and from Scandinavia to Siberia. It lives in the boreal forest south of the treeless tundra. Boreal forest, characterized by bogs and conifers, is known for its cold winters and short summers. The species is also nomadic, wandering into southern Canada and the northern United States. Sometimes, Northern Hawk Owls will breed as far

A Certain Shade of Blue!

2011-03-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

My version of spring fever is the hiking trails melting off the ice patches to get into some major hiking territory. As always, the species diversity certainly drops as you move up in elevation in the mountains, but the Colorado foothills offer great diversity in the small stream watersheds. This is exactly the time of year we start to see some movement with breeders coming back to set up

Spring in San Diego

2011-03-10T17:51:00.000-05:00

With spring on the horizon it seems that everyone including the birds are getting spring fever. This does include the wildlife in San Diego, however, I wonder if any of these birds even know what winter really is. Being a Colorado boy, these last few days of 65 degrees have really been a blessing. The frozen ponds are melting and some shrubs are actually starting to bud, barely! This last

Nikon's March Facebook Quiz by Richard Crossley

2011-03-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

Picking a photo for all you expert birders was a nightmare. As a result, I had to give you an out of focus portion of a photo because I knew otherwise you’d get it too quickly! In the photo above, many of you will quickly be able to work out that there are two species involved. All except one bird seem to be the same size, the same shape and have a general

A Loon of the Common Variety

2011-03-04T11:40:00.000-05:00

A favorite species of mine is one that is really only seen south of northern tier of the country during migration, but has a migration that spans throughout much of the United States. Common Loons are northern breeders that really echo the thought of serenity. Anyone who has seen these beauties on their breeding grounds know what I'm talking about. You may find yourself in the north woods of

Florida Red-Shouldered Hawks

2011-02-18T16:41:00.000-05:00

I love being surprised in nature. Undoubtedly, nature in general is so variable that I expect to be surprised on any given outing, but nobody knows when exactly it will be. In Titusville, FL I stopped by a traditional Oak hammock spot in search of some wintering warblers and maybe even a Caribbean surprise while at the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival. You probably noticed I have been

Space Coast Digiscoping with the Nikon EDG Fieldscope

2011-02-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

At the end of January, during the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival, I was able to get out and do some digiscoping with the Nikon EDG 85mm Fieldscope with the straight body. Some of these areas in the close vicinity of Titusville, FL provide some of the best digiscoping in the country. The shorebirds can be accessed very easily at some sites such as Biolab Rd. where this Long-billed

Nikon's Birding Adventures TV February Quiz

2011-02-07T14:16:00.000-05:00

This is a tough one because its a pretty wide shot. Judging by the shape of the bird, most people will get that this is a corvid or jay of sorts. Most might also suggest that it is a species of Scrub-Jay. Now here is where it gets seriously challenging. The scene for this particular shot was Santa Cruz Island off the coast of California. The Nikon's Birding Adventures TV crew filmed these

Space Coast Hoodies

2011-01-31T11:28:00.000-05:00

We have officially finished the Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival yesterday and the show was a great success once again. With over 1000 registrants you could really feel the energy on the field trips as well as in the exhibitor area. This show is a model representative of what birding shows in the USA should look like. The demographics display all age ranges as well as all levels of

Space Coast Birding!

2011-01-26T22:06:00.003-05:00

I must admit that Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival is always a blast especially since I get to see and work with some great field birders and artists. Names like Kevin Karlson, Michael O'Brien, Paul Lehman, Chuck Hagner and Louise Zemaitis show up and provide the participants with excellent chances to learn from the best. Of course, the Nikon team is always present with Tom Dunkerton,

Valmont Reservoir Gullapalooza!

2011-01-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

This last weekend was quite an exciting one here on the Front Range. Well over 227 birders congregated at Valmont Reservoir outside of Boulder, CO to enjoy a once-a-year event. Xcel Energy plant engineer, Dave Madonna (friend of the Colorado birding community), allows us crazed birders to reach the cooling ponds once each year. These ponds are the only water sources that will stay open through

January Facebook Quiz!

2011-01-05T13:27:00.000-05:00

Birds in flight aren't necessarily the easiest out there to identify especially when they are silhouetted against a cloudy sky. However, photos like this tend to activate a different part of our brain while forcing us to take most plumage characteristics out of play. What is the first thing you notice about this bird? It is usually that first instinct that leads us into the rest of the

More Harlan's Hawks (light-phased)

2011-01-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend Nikon Birding ProStaff, Bill Schmoker, was kind enough to send some more photos of the "Light," Harlan's Hawk that has been hanging around Hygiene, CO. This bird was found a couple of years ago by Bill Schmoker and then consequently, re-found and photographed by hawk mastermind, Jerry Ligouri, in Alaska where these birds breed. Pretty neat stuff all around since this bird has

Oceanic Species!

2010-12-30T15:01:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Almost that is! I was recently going through some old photos and I came across some photos from a pelagic trip I took off of Portland, Maine last year. I was accompanied by Richard Crossley and Derek and Jeanette Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply in Freeport, Maine. This photo above shows a good contrast of what a Sooty Shearwater looks like next to the larger Great

Longmont, Colorado CBC

2010-12-21T14:55:00.000-05:00

Raptors seemed to be the name of the game this last weekend during the Longmont, CO Christmas Bird Count. Bill Schmoker (Nikon Birding ProStaff), Dick Pratt, Christian Nunes, and I all were assigned the area surrounding Macintosh Lake for the day. Naturally, the coldest night of the year thus far on the Front Range was the night before the count, so the water froze up for the most part. However,

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk

2010-12-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

I just went out on a local hike over the weekend and found this bird above just hanging loose. I got to a field with a ton of space in between me and the horizon. I began scanning with my Nikon 65mm EDG Fieldscope when I caught my eyes on this cool bird. I was able to drive over to where the hawk was and it uncharacteristically let me walk up underneath it. After enjoying point-blank views I was

Pacific Loons!

2010-12-09T13:31:00.000-05:00

Pacific Loons are a high-arctic breeders that migrate along the Pacific coast of California, Washington, and Oregon sometimes in massive flights. However, because this species breeds as far east as Baffin Island and parts of the Hudson Bay in Canada we tend to see scattered reports of this bird all over the upper Midwest United States throughout the fall. It usually is starting to get to the

Nikon Monarch for Christmas

2010-12-07T11:24:00.000-05:00

With Christmas right around the corner it always feels like everyone is scrambling around for the right gifts. The Nikon Monarch III is the number one selling binocular at it's low price point. This makes for a lasting gift without pushing the limits of your budget too much. The Monarch is a rugged, all-terrain binocular that has excellent construction. The nitrogen-purging process is perfected

Nikon's December Quiz Bird!

2010-11-29T15:50:00.003-05:00

Welcome fellow birders and thanks to those who participated in this month's birding quiz. I hope this bird provided a bit of a challenge and forced you to use multiple aspects of thinking to gain the identification. Not an easy quiz by any stretch of the imagination, but the ID can be tapered into a few different families of birds a first glance. As always, I want each of you to look at

Ross's Gull in Colorado!

2010-11-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

Arguably the most sought after bird in the lower 48 states, the Ross's Gull shows up randomly in different parts of the country during the winter-time, primarily. Some might argue that the Ivory Gull is at the top of the rarity list, but with the onslaught of recent winter records for Ivory Gull it seems we may have more opportunities to see that bird down the road. However, the Ross's Gull of

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

2010-11-16T15:01:00.003-05:00

This past weekend brought huge excitement to the birding world as the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival kicked off. This festival is one of the top two shows in the country and my personal favorite. Combine the best leaders in the country, world class birding venues, great organization, and passionate visitors to the Rio Grande Valley and what you have is a blast of a time. The days were hectic

Nikon's November Facebook Quiz Bird!

2010-11-08T14:47:00.000-05:00

Okay so we have a fall sparrow. I can just imagine the enthusiasim coming from all of our participants this month. Yes, sparrows present multiple identification problems in the fall, but certain key attributes can still advance the process along. However, first, I want to present some questions to the reader. What kind of impression can you make of the size and shape of the bird? What does the

Nikon ProStaff Spotting Scope!

2010-11-03T11:40:00.000-04:00

Hello to all birders out there. One of the many questions I come in contact with is how to find an affordable spotting scope that will meet the desired views of birders in the United States. Spotting scopes offer an invaluable source of viewing in the field. One birder in particular might be convinced that they could stay with a binocular and that they won't really need the long distance viewing

California Gulls

2010-10-15T14:29:00.000-04:00

This last weekend I had the opportunity to visit some friends in the San Francisco Bay area. My friend, Tristan Mckee and I went around birding on some local beaches near Pescadero, CA. This town is a beautiful coastal beach town with lots of habitat for a variety of species. I am always happy to see any kind of avian life, but we tried very hard to find some Tricolored Blackbirds along some of

The Snowy Owl Project 2010 in Barrow, Alaska: Guest Post by Denver Holt

2010-10-07T12:29:00.000-04:00