It’s that special time of year when National Audubon rallies birders all over North America to track winter bird populations with the Christmas Bird Count. These events are so popular with local Audubon chapters. The end of the day is usually capped off with a celebratory gathering at a bar or pot luck. If you’ve never participated in one, it’s … Read More
Big Sit For Birds
Warblers in the Fall Fall migration is in full swing in October all over North America. As the leaves change color, they make for a colorful background for warblers in the dark autumn plumage as well as the brown bird brigade of native sparrows. Hosting a Big Birding Party I usually host a big birding party for my park called … Read More
Big Fall Food Plots – Little Equipment Needed
You can have the big fancy equipment and that’s great for planting corn, beans and larger seeds in the spring but the most effective food plots we have on our farms are our fall green food plots which require little to no equipment at all. Here’s what you need to plant an effective fall food plot.Step 1 -MowThis can be … Read More
Birdchick – Castle Birding
A White Stork with a nest on a church in Trujillo photographed with Swarovski ATX 65mm scope, iPhone 7 and PhoneSkope adapter. When birders get together and talk about their favorite places to go see birds you usually hear Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador…but me? I like Europe. Don’t get me wrong, going south of the Equator has lots to offer … Read More
The Birdchick – Digiscoping Tips for Beginners
Digiscoping Tips Sharon Stiteler One of the big complaints I hear from people about digiscoping is how awful their photos look. My first question is always, “How many photos have you taken?” “Oh, maybe sixteen or twenty,” is the usual answer. That’s not nearly enough. For every great photo you see online or in print, there are anywhere from 20 … Read More
Phone Skope Digiscoping Tips – Digiscoping with Binoculars Part 1
Folks often think that digiscoping can only be done with a spotting scope, but you can also digiscope with binoculars! I like to call this “digibinning.” Digibinning is super easy to do with your smartphone using a Phone Skope Adapter. All of our kits are two-piece, a phone-specific case and a optic adapter, which is either optic-specific or universal. In … Read More
The Birdchick – The Fun of Gator Farms
The Fun of Gator Farms Sharon Stiteler The best way to hone your smart phone photography skills is to find cooperative subjects. I know what you’re thinking, “Sharon, give me a break, birds are about as cooperative as a two year old.” However, you can find situations where birds somewhat stationary or mildly predictable. One of those is a feeding station. Another … Read More
Phone Skope Digiscoping Tips – Using Autofocus for Sharper Photos and Video
The ProblemUsing your smartphone for digiscoping can be fun and rewarding, but also challenging. One of the the more challenging aspects is locking the exposure and focus in on the subject you’re photographing. If your subject is not in focus, the resulting video or picture can be undesirable. Therefore, figuring out a way to optimize your settings is essential for producing … Read More
Phone Skope Digiscoping Tips – What should you do with your optic adapter?
We get asked this question frequently. “What should I do with my optic adapter?” The Phone Skope is a two-piece system, a phone case and a optic adapter. The phone case is always on your phone and the optic adapter locks into the phone case. For spotting scopes, the optic adapters are bigger, so they do not always fit in … Read More
Warbler Guide App for Android Devices
I have used the Warbler Guide App for iOS for over a year now and am in love with the function and content of the app, so I was excited to see that the app is now available to Android users! Here’s more from Princeton University Press: Introduction to the Warbler Guide App (Version 1.1) from Princeton University Press on … Read More