Hi Everyone,
Exciting news! I bought a scope today. I've been thinking about getting one for ages and tried some out this afternoon at a local reserve. I have an Opticron ES80 ED, a 20-60 zoom HDF eyepiece, a tripod and a stay on case. All very smart and all I have to do now is learn to use it.
At the reserve, with my own eyes (and specs) I could see a distant island. With my trusty 8 x 32 binoculars I could see some greyish ducks on it and with the scope I could not only see that they were goosander but I actually saw one blink! How cool is that? Brilliant!
I took my precious purchase home and attempted to set it all up. Dealing with the tripod was like grappling with an octopus but I tamed it in the end. I trained the scope on the far distant skyline and in very poor light I saw a hare. An excellent start I thought. Watch this space to see how I get on with it.
Best wishes,
SB
There is something new to learn everyday...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skylark58/
Wow! SB good news on your new purchase It sounds as if you will have a whole new world to look at through that scope ,enjoy!
Littleowl
Hi SB
Well done with your purchase.
A good quality scope takes you to another level with bird watching.
Hey, for your information you can have a duel use of your camera and the scope if you are inclined to try this.
Enjoy ..... enjoy
Regards
Kathy and Dave
Have fun with your new toy.
If you do a lot of walking and will be carrying it about with you all day can recomend one of these :-
http://www.cleyspy.co.uk/the-mulepack-c41.html
I bought mine secondhand for half this price on ebay, and I don't think it had hardly been used, if at all. Tend to use this to carry it about on my back, although if you are walking round a reserve and using it every five minutes I extend the tripod and carry it over my shoulder.
Anyway, have fun.
ND
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag" Mary Poppins
Thank you little owl, Blackbird and ND :-)
Kathy - I need to get to grips with the scope first before I try anything clever with a camera. My current digital cameras aren't suitable anyway so I may not bother. We'll see!
ND - Thanks for the tip. My one concern was about carrying it around all day so I shall put one of these back packs on my birthday list as it seems like a good solution.
Hi SB, as you are finding out already, you really will enjoy using your scope. I find it most useful when trying to identify birds on the incoming tide when the water is still way out.
Hi Brenda,
Sounds like a trip to the coast is in order to test it out then. Problem is my birding buddy says she will disown me if I am all decked out with equipment and end up looking like a "twitcher" (Note to self - wear something bright and colourful and tie a scarf to scope) lol!
He He SB. At this time of the year, as you know, there are plenty of birders on the coast, with their equipment. Twitchers are usually identified by all their communication and camera equipment for when something rare is reported. They absolutely drive me mad. Just let me know where you will be and I will lookout for the well dressed scope.
Just look for the coloured ribbons. lol!
Hi SB that sounds like a fabulous purchase. Are you going to digiscope with it as well?
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Hi,
that's a great choice for a scope :) If you decide to digi scope you might want to get the x32 HDF eyepiece .
As to digi cameras compatible with it I should check with websites or warehouse express or someone similar- but I hear that the Samsung P1000 or a Nikon Coolpix 990 do work with it. BUT I have not tried either :)
btw- did you get a straight thru or an angled scope?
S
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