My Digiscoping Focus Technique

Here is a step-by-step process of my two-handed approach to achieving sharp images when digiscoping birds that just won’t sit still! This technique also demonstrates why I prefer helical over knob-type focusers on spotting scopes. In the above image my right hand is on the camera and left on the spotting scope. My right index finger controls the shutter, which can perform two important things:

• Establish/release focus-lock.
• Take an exposure.

My left index finger can still control the scope's focuser, while the other fingers maintain a grip on part of the scope body and tripod head. With a Bogen micro-fluid head set to the appropriate tension, both hands can quickly maneuver the spotting scope to follow a moving bird. Some digital cameras have an auto focus mode called AREA MODE that can set to manual (Nikon Coolpix 990, 995 and 4500 have this). When enabled it activates a user-selectable five area display that looks something like this:



Ignoring the vignetting in this example image, it shows how I’ve selected the auto focus area to apply to the bird’s face (red bracket).

Here’s what do to next:

Use your left index finger to focus the scope (you can use your right thumb to change the area focus bracket to the bird's face). Establish focus-lock with your right index finger by pressing the shutter button halfway down. Check the focus on LCD monitor again and if it looks good then press the shutter button the rest of the way to take the exposure. If the focus on the LCD monitor still appears soft on the bird's face with the focus-lock on, release the lock and repeat this entire step.

This method has given me a lot of focusing control as well as tracking/digiscoping birds that are on the move.

Diagram images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Wing-drying? Thermoregulating?

(click for larger version)

At Nine Springs a few days ago, this Great Blue Heron was standing with its wings open for several minutes at a time. It would close them for a short while but then repeat this display. I don't recall seeing this behavior before and given the hot weather, I'm wondering if the bird was simply regulating its body temperature?

Here are explanations I received from various members of the Wisconsin Birding Network:

"I've also seen this behavior and was puzzled about it. It was so strange that I made a small sketch (which I do VERY rarely) in my field book. We saw the heron just after completing our canoe breeding bird survey at Red Cedar Lake near Cambridge one year, so it would have been mid-morning in June sometime. I don't recall that there was anything extraordinary about the weather, either really hot or really cold. The bird was standing on a branch facing the sun."

"I believe when birds do this it's called 'sunning'. Mostly I've seen song birds doing this. They usually spread all their wing feathers out and puff all their body feathers out and then stare up at the sun. Biologist don't really know the reason other than maybe it helps kill parasites that bother the birds. I have a photo of a chickadee in my back yard doing this in late June. It looks very bizarre, like the birds hypnotized."

"I saw a Great Blue Heron exhibit a very similar pose (his wings held more in a 'basket' like in the picture submitted by Jeff Bahls) in Florida two years ago during the Space Coast Birding Festival. I also thought that he may be thermoregulating, but wasn't sure. We were able to capture it on video - very interesting!"

"Of interest to me is that the only time I have observed this behavior in Great Blue Herons is when I have previously seen them wading deeper into the water than they typically do - which makes me lean toward thinking that it has to do with wing-drying."

"According to Sibley, Studies of Cormorants who do this frequently have revealed no correlation between the spread-wing posture and air temperature. The article goes on to suggest they spread their wings just to dry them and a study of flightless Cormorants showed no significant change in body temperature as a result of this posture."

Link: All about the Great Blue Heron from Cornell Labs

Great Blue Heron image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell

Bird Emits Mosquito Repellent

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - A bird species found in some parts of Western Alaska is believed to emit a natural mosquito repellent with properties similar to DEET, the key ingredient in many commercial repellents.

Link: Full Story from Yahoo News

Crested Auklet image courtesy of US Fish & Wildlife Service

Jason Starfire

The digiscoping and birding community is saddened at the tragic and unexpected loss of Jason Starfire, digiscoper and birder extraordinaire. Jason was recently hired by Nikon as their North American avian equipment representative traveling around the country promoting Nikon products at birding festivals and trade shows. Jason was 24 years old.

Link: Article about Jason Starfire’s birding career.

Herons of Nine Springs

(click for larger version)

By the look of reports so far, the best habitat for fall shorebird migration isn’t going to be in Dane County, but I don’t feel like driving very far to see them. No matter! There are still plenty of digiscoping opportunities closer to home with common birds. Nine Springs is teaming with GREEN HERONS and GREAT BLUE HERONS right now and they can make great photography subjects in evening light.


(click for larger version)

On a related note, presently there is a very unusual heron sighting at Bong State Recreational Area. As many as 14 LITTLE BLUE HERONS are being seen there. It is very uncommon to have this species in Wisconsin, let alone so many of them at one location. I probably won’t make the trip to see them, plus they are too far from an observation area to get good pictures of them.

More sightings of BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS are being reported in northern Wisconsin. A few of my colleagues at Eagle Optics are determined to add this species to their life lists this year. There are a few good spots around Dane County that I’ll be checking periodically for them. We'll see!

Link: All about the Green Heron from Cornell Labs

Link: All about the Great Blue Heron from Cornell Labs

Heron images © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell