Subject: Re: Shy birds
Date: Feb 13 22:44:39 1998
From: "Ed Schulz" - eschulz at gte.net


With regard to viewing shy birds, I have had better luck in putting
my eye to the eyepiece of the scope before pointing it at the bird
and then rotating the scope to bring the bird into view. If you
point the scope toward the bird first, most likely the bird sees a
big bright light across the diameter of the front lens of the scope
(or camera) from the sky illuminating the eyepiece, then when you
bring your eye to the eyepiece it suddenly goes dark. The sudden
flashing on and off of the light is not going to work to your
advantage. Of course, some birds are more sensitive than others to
being observed and time of year and age all play a role. It is
easy to see just what being looked at looks like from the front of
a scope if you have a cooperative birding friend and do a little
experimenting. This technique was recommended by one of the
birding photographers. (Sorry, don't remember if it was Art Wolfe,
Moose Peterson, John Shaw or one of the others.) The image visible
from the front is a bit different if the optical device is a
camera, as the lens of the eyepiece focuses an image of the view to
the rear of the camera onto the groundglass and this little
upside-down image is what is seen from the front of the lens.

Of course, we don't really know what is going on in the mind of the
birds, but they don't see an enormous, magnified eyeball staring at
them when looking at a birder observing them with scope or binos as
some have been led to believe, as the eye is not sufficiently
illuminated.

Ed Schulz
email: eschulz at gte.net
Phone: (425) 259-6877
Everett, WA

----------
> From: Michael Price <mprice at mindlink.bc.ca>
> To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: Shy birds
> Date: Friday, February 13, 1998 12:49 AM
>
> Hi Tweets,
>
> Chris Maack writes:
>
> >One experience of that which sticks in my mind was doing
> >the CBC at Narrow Cape on Kodiak Island, where we walked
> >along a high bluff overlooking the ocean, counting eiders
> >and other sea ducks. Although we were so far away that I
> >could hardly detect the colors on the head of a male King
> >Eider, whenever we swung a big spotting scope towards
> >a flock, they all dove. The scopes must have looked like
> >big cannons to them.
>
> Heh! I can be looking at ten thousand shorebirds and I've noticed
it's the
> one bird in the flock that has unusual features which decides
it's gotta go
> visit a relative in Chicago the instant it feels the touch of my
scope on it.
>
> Actually, the above behavior of your eiders suggests these birds
have been
> shot at before and aren't taking chances with those crazy
creatures who try
> to kill them by pointing things at them. Birds that are
hunter-naive--ie,
> returned waterfowl here before hunting season opens--are wary but
not that wary.
>
> Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
> Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and
change;
> mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
> Aphra Behn
(1640-1689)