Boring NDG bird notes, March 29-April 12

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia

Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens

-->March 29

-Song Sparrows are back at my ‘quiet spot in NDG.’

-Still some snow around, the winter doesn’t want to surrender.

-Merlins and Turkey Vultures are back in town, spotted earlier in the week in and over NDG.

-11 species in 90 minutes.

Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus
(taken with the Lumix Fz200…with the auto white balance way out of whack)

'Featherweight birding bag'
(My back will thank me)

-->April 5

-9 species in 90 minutes

-0 degrees

Finally saved enough pennies (remember those?) to complete a project I’ve had in the works for a long while – putting together a small, ‘travel birding bag.’ For my next few birding excursions, I will be putting the new gear through its paces, to get used to it. The resulting bag is shockingly small and light. My back will thank me...

The camera is a Lumix Fz200. Released in 2012, you can find them at a reasonable price on the used market.

The bins are Nikon Travelites. They worked a treat, after some calibrating of the separate barrels - they really punch above their weight...a lot of bang for the buck. They almost felt too light and tiny in my hands, after a decade of lugging around Swaros.

This ‘go bag’ is not intended to replace my old birding rig. But it will certainly come in handy when traveling, climbing mountains, going on long walks, and for being prepared for bird-mergencies on ‘non-birding’ excursions.

My first field trial with the new setup was fun, if a bit disorienting – I kept reaching for optics that were not hanging in their usual spots.

The Lumix was working fairly well until the old battery died in a hurry. Got some new ones in the mail since, but the camera sure lives up to its reputation as a battery hog.

Before setting out, I had only done a preliminary muck-through of the settings, and I clearly need to do a little studying! The pics I did take were all blued out...an issue with the auto white balance. Also, the focus is gonna take some practice.

Cooper’s Hawk Accipiter cooperii
(taken with the Lumix Fz200)

Song Sparrow Melospiza melodia
(taken with the Lumix Fz200)

Woodchuck/Groundhog/Siffleur Marmota monax
(taken with the Lumix Fz200)

The very last bit of snow

-->April 12

-4 degrees and cloudy.

-12 species in 90 minutes.

-About 6 Song Sparrows now, all quite vocal.

-A last blast of snow on April 8 - snow all but gone on the 12th, and it’s baseball cap weather.

-A pair of Cooper’s Hawks was seen nest-building.

-Got more used to the Lumix settings. The auto white balance is under control (sort of, ha ha), but I still need to tweak my focus skills. Been doing some research on that front. The resolution is obviously not as rich as the old ‘hand Canon,’ but again, this is only meant for backup situations and for getting record shots, and it is proving to be quite a competent tool for that.