60-Second Birding
In keeping with the title of this post, here's a quick thought on backyard birding... I took the pic below in the middle of a noon rush...
We've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating... Backyard birding is the hobby for the rest of us. We're the folks whose first passion may not be birding, but still enjoy the beauty of it all. I snagged that image using the rig below (photographed later...)
That's a 10 year old Olympus C-2100 camera (apx. $100 used) perched on top of a $5 tripod. It took less that 60 seconds from the time I spotted the turkey to the time the pic was mine and the schnozzola was back on the grindstone. I keep thinking that this kind of recreation is a good fit for the harried city dweller who might be on a break, or the homemaker who needs a sanity check. Grab the photo and go... Later on you can download your catch into the appropriate folder, and maybe spend some time sharing your collection over the weekend. It really is a pleasant way to wind down.
You know what would make for an interesting competitive event? Speed Birding! Just think... It would be some sort of a Web-based birding forum where people could post shots and indicate the time required to capture the image. Informal judging could center on such things as picture quality, time spent, bird rarity... It could happen...
See you by the feeders,
CapeCodAlan
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding
