jeffrey mann
Featured, Gear Reviews, Main Feed, Reviews
iPhone 7/8/X and Samsung Galaxy Binocular Adapter Case for Digiscoping
With more and more people carrying cameras with them everywhere, ‘digiscoping’ has increased in popularity. Digiscoping is the practice of pointing a phone camera or digital camera through a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope to increase the zoom and take photos of birds that are really far away.
Trying to do this by holding your phone up to a scope or binoculars is very difficult and tedious. It often requires the cooperation of two people: one to hold the camera and position it properly, and the other to find…
Written by: Jeff Mann
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Education, Featured, Main Feed
Beginner Birding Mistakes
If you’re thinking about going on your first bird walk or bird outing here are 8 things you should avoid.
1. Wearing Bright Colors
Bright colors like white amplify movement and make you contrast with your surroundings. Subdued earth toned are best. Birds see more color than we do (even UV) so they’ll be sensitive to colors that far contrast what they are used to seeing.
2. Making Loud Noises
Remember to silence your cellphone (if you even have service!), and keep loud talking to a minimum when necessary. If you are trying to get a good shot or spot a bird that’s close-by, you don’t want to scare it away. You’ll eventually get shushed by other birders if you’re a jabber box. This is less important when viewing birds at far distances, like most water birds.
Written by: Jeff Mann
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Education, Featured, Main Feed
eBird: The Gamification of Birding?
Growing up in the ’90s you could definitely consider me a part of the “Pokémon Generation.” Throughout my childhood I played games like Sonic, Zelda, Mario, but the one that seemed to have the biggest impact on me and my friends was Pokémon. We spent countless hours battling, training, trading—but most of all collecting Pokémon.
I confess to still being a fan of the series and continue to play the newest games today (while gleefully passing on “adult” shooter and sports games).
What does this have to do with birds?
Written by: Jeff Mann
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Birding Summary, Featured, Main Feed, News
Participating in the Christmas Bird Count
December is coming to a close, and some of you may have participated in one or more “Christmas Bird Counts.” What is a Christmas Bird Count, you may ask? Well, it is an annual “bird census” that is performed by volunteers mainly in North America during the month of December. Over 100 years ago people used to go on what were known as “Side Hunts” where they shot and killed as many birds as possible, trying to kill more than their peers. They recklessly did this every year without regard for bird species or rarity. In the year 1900 Frank Chapman suggested to do a bird count rather than a hunting contest (go conservation!), thus the Christmas Bird Count was born.
Written by: Jeff Mann
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