Stuart MacKay asks for opinions about video camera birding,
especially so that he can video tape sanderling feeding.

Aye, a video camera should do the job just fine. I started
videotaping birds this last July with a Sony 12x camcorder.
(It's a TR-83, a middle-priced Sony, that can zoom up to
12x optically and 24x digitally, but the digital image isn't
all that good.)

The video camera needs much less light than does a 35 mm, so
light just isn't much of a problem even on heavily overcast
days. And the 12x will easily record the feeding images that
Stuart wants.

The video camera is terrific for recording bird behavior.
I'm planning even now to videotape the pair of downtown Tacoma
peregrines as soon as they give me the opportunity.

--cheers, Jim Lyles
Tacoma, WA 98403 <jrlyles at usgs.gov> or <jrlyles at eskimo.com>