Phonescoping Begins

I've just a new mobile phone which, as planned, has a 2 megapixel camera and a digital zoom which means I'm finally going to start phonescoping. Phonescoping is simply holding your camera phone against your scope eyepiece and clicking... a poor mans digiscoping? Well not really, I believe it's all about the moment, taking a record of a new tick and always having your camera to hand. The results will never be as good as the latetst digiscoping equipment but it's not the point. Holding the phone against the eyepiece by hand and snapping a souveneir, that's the point.

I'm off to Old Moor on Friday to try out my new tripod which converts into a hide clamp and inevitably I'll be snapping a few shots with my new phone so I'll post my first efforts up when I get back.

I'm so fascinated by the phonescoping concept I've already bought the co.uk domain name and plan to put a site together dedicated to the cause... so watch this space!

Kestrel ON the Sky

I've just taken Laddie for a walk and as I came off our drive a bird swooped past me and landed on a satallite dish on the house opposite... a Kestrel! I've never seen one on the patch before let along in the street... a nice treat! It sat there looking at me for a minute before flying off on his way.

New Garden Resident

There have been a few changes in the garden birds recently. Gone are the larger flocks of Greenfinches and the like, the pair of Bull Finches are back after a few months off and the Nuthatch and Great Spot are still regular. But there's a new kid on the block, rarely seen until now, and no doubt the coming winter is driving him into the garden to stock up his winter supply. There's a Jay to be regularly seen, desperately hanging off the peanut feeder that's only as big as he is and grabing peanuts from the hole at the bottom (courtesy of the local squirrels).