But Winter continues and bird watching opportunities have not gone away completely! I hope they never do!

One way many birders appreciate this season is by participating in the annual and International Project FeederWatch. It is a great way for the everyday citizen to be directly involved with real science research.  Partnering with Cornell University Ornithology Labs and Bird Studies- Canada, you can be a part of this year’s data collection until early April. I enjoy watching the birds that frequent our backyard feeder too when I cannot get out into the field, forest or swamp.

In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln established a national holiday for Americans to take time to express their gratitude for the many freedoms and gifts and blessings that we have.

That has become our Thanksgiving holiday. Pilgrims in 1620 celebrated a harvest feast even after a year of exceedingly difficult colonization and settling. Turkeys and other game birds were believed to be part of the feast, along with fish and venison and a wide variety of vegetables from the harvest- which actually was quite paltry due to a drought.

Nonetheless. This weekend we celebrate Thanksgiving. I with you and your families all the best and I am thankful for your friendship and support through this year of many challenges.

Birds seems to fly by challenges. Yet that is an illusion. They are predator and prey. And their hardships are more than most of us could imagine in our everyday lives.  So be thankful for what is.

Today came close to being absolutely heavenly! Magnificent weather. Muted yet soft leaf color giving the hills an amber-rust overall appearance.  Just enough gentle gusts of wind to send waves of colorful leaves across my path.

At the Azalea Cascades path in Desoto State Park the brittle brigades paraded across the boardwalk before me. I caught  a white oak leaf in flight, then a chestnut oak leaf and later a red maple leaf and picked up a sweet gum leaf with its vibrant red sheen.

You might think I had forgotten to absorb the cascades and birds along the way. But no. Because of all the recent rains the water level was high at all of the waterfalls.

I was blessed with some up close and personal visits from several of my favorite confusing fall warblers! I heard and then saw hairy woodpeckers, a yellow-shafted flicker and a yellow-bellied sapsucker all right along the trail as I simply stood still. I think the warblers came close to investigate me.

It was the first time I hiked in this area, I wore my hearing aids and it was refreshing and rewarding. My ability to locate the bird sounds was skewed by the location of my microphones. However, without the aids I heard neither the birds nor the waterfalls.

The crisp clear blue sky coupled with the intensely varied forest reminded me how much the mixed mesophytic forest of the Appalachian Mountains speaks the language of home to me.

Just as I realized that, I turned toward  a nearby chirp sound and saw a Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) too close to use my compact Bushnell binoculars! I could almost touch it. It perched on the branch of a blooming witch hazel shrub.

Of course! Insects were coming in to feed or drink at these tiny spidery yellow flowers and this saavy little bird was just perched and waiting for them. I froze in place for several minutes and established eye contact with the warbler once or twice before it flittered away to a different feeding area.  I felt privileged to be there at its buffet table.  This little charmer is often mistaken for a warbler and the “hanging around” behavior is typical for this species.

At about 6 months of age this Condor Chick has reached almost the same size as the adult condors but with a lot less muscle and power.  It still lingers near the nest and must be cared for by the adoptive adult parents.  These giant birds normally have long lives so it is quite reasonable to see a long 6 month stretch before the single hatchling takes its first flight.

All of the activities of these Condors have been observed by wildlife biologists and this sighting was rather exciting.  More on this story see this article. You will find several posts related to Condors at this site, listed below.

As some of you know I am an avid Condor enthusiast and feel their plight quite personally. As a consequence, I celebrate moments like this with great delight. You may enjoy the tiny Condor-Mania Outlet I prepared to accompany this update.

And it seemed for a while that THIS young Falcon was still able to fly.  Much to everyone’s concern! The Nation Watched and Followed the Balloon Boy named Falcon.

Today it seems this Falcon never left the ground. Instead of fledging he hid in the attic.

I trust Falcons with feathers more.

Observed with my compact Bushnell binoculars.

AWESOME. Yellowstone National Park Lifetime Moment!

Who even knew that Bull Elks and Grizzly Bears could swim so well?

Let me tell you. The Bull Elk outswam that hungry Grizz and ended up grazing on the far side of the lake. Observed in a stunning moment at Riddle Lake late one September afternoon.

Imagine just sitting there eating your lunch on a log and watching this REAL LIFE adventure play out before you.

THAT is what WILDNESS is about.
THAT is why we carry our binoculars with us wherever we go.
THAT is why National Parks were created “for all to enjoy”.

Who knew that a grizzly bear would attempt to take down a bull elk for a meal?

But then, Who Else COULD? Maybe a pack of Wolves.

And to be there with my trusty compact Bushnell binoculars could be the only improvement. You see the last time I visited, we swapped binoculars for a day. And mine stayed behind for this adventure. Of course I still have binoculars, I simply was not with my Bushnells while they had this adventure! I simply listened as it was told.

Binoculars & Scopes

Food, Shelter, Water, TERRITORY.

Seem to be important themes. I thought of them when I saw this video.

I must get a camera.  And then of course be in the right place at the right time with my binoculars and digital video camera.

It made me think of the Red Tail Hawk and Eagle chase I saw last fall.

Honestly there is SO much happening in the natural world around us it is hard to imagine a DULL day!
Binoculars & Scopes

This is one of the topics in my K.I.S.S. Method of Better Birding ECourse which you can sign up for at this site. And I discuss it in more detail as part of those online lessons. The course is free online, though it can cost at least $67 to be presented at a local workshop.  So if you want to learn some of the prime tips for better birding experiences, you just might want to sign up for this course. (hint)

Participants in this ECourse will receive a free report on Birding Binoculars – My Guide to Selecting Bird Binoculars as part of the course. But I know many people do not have time to spend with going through an ECourse on birding when ALL they want to know is HOW do I Choose My Binoculars? What do I look for?

That is why I am sharing this brief introduction on Choosing Bird Binoculars with this video from the ExpertVillage at Massachusetts Audubon Society. Not only is it short, about 3 minutes but it is authoritative, coming from some of the finest birding experts in the world at Mass Audubon. Take a few minutes to review the video and then you just might want to take my Birding ECourse! (hint)



So what is a spotting scope?

Essentially a spotting scope is like a portable telescope for on the ground in the field use, mostly for wildlife observation. Though it functions more like binoculars than like a telescope in terms of its lenses and their function. It simply “sees” farther out, like 20x instead of 10x or higher.

Count on Swarovski to cut right through that and come out with a design that is not only excellent but suitable and lightweight enough to take with you on a backpacking trip.

Absolutely a  Swarovski Spotting Scope is next on my wishlist.
Take a CLOSER Look at the Magnesium alloy body here.
Go Ahead and BUY Yours today.

THEN YOU can Write a review on how well it works. It sounds ideal to me.

Recently I shared about my favored Leupold Katmai Compact Binoculars, so you know I have a preference for compacts.   These are 10X32.  So they are a little larger, weigh a little more and have more magnification and more field of vision than the compacts do.

Remember what the numbers mean? The 10X means you see the object 10 times the size it is. The 32 means the size of the lens opening,  32 mm. You can see more about what these numbers mean here.

Gold Ring Binoculars YES.

Made in America. That is nice. I have heard birders discussing how that is a genuine sales feature because so many binoculars are made in in Europe.  I guess there is a bit of pride in having good optics here too.

Who uses them?
Birders, hunters, outdoors enthusiasts, security people, and more.

What are their special features?

• All Leupold binoculars are Waterproof and Fogproof
• Second-generation argon/krypton waterproofing
• Extraordinary brightness in low-light
• Anti-reflective lens coatings – Plasma Coat
• Interpupilary distance lock enables fast one-hand use.
• Comfortable, twist-up eyecups with long eye relief.
• Lifetime guarantee like all Leupolds

What are users saying about them?

I will share some excerpts from a  other user reviews here because I do not own a pair myself.

• After my research, I was down to Leica, Swarovski or Leupold Gold Ring.
• These have excellent clear image and good range and depth of field
• These are cheaper than the others in terms of money not quality.
• I got great clarity, good contrast, easy focusing and low-light use.
• I got what I wanted and more. Leupold is mine now!

Shop the best selection of binoculars worldwide at Binoculars.com!

I believe these Leupolds are a good buy.  Actually any Leupold binoculars will be worth your cash and time. Smaller and lighter than the popular size  10×42 binoculars.  It becomes a matter of personal preference when it comes down to making this kind of choice between all excellent quality binoculars.  10×32 is a nice compromise size.

Shop the best selection of binoculars worldwide at Binoculars.com!