Don't forget that there is a Birds and Beers this Saturday at 6pm (I'm going to miss it, I'm on my way to Vegas for a project). I'm a bit nervous about this Vegas project. Non Birding Bill is coming along with his mad film-making skills and he's going to meet WildBird on the Fly and my buddy Clay Taylor. I prepare for personal Armageddon, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria here as my birding and non birding worlds collide.
Meanwhile, my beloved Fuji FinePix E900 that I use for digiscoping died over the weekend while at the fair. The final photos were of some disapproving rabbits in the 4H area, I blame them. I met up with Curt Rawn and Kevin Smith at National Camera Exchange (the one in Golden Valley and the only one to visit in the Twin Cities) to see if they could help me out. They set me up with a new camera, but it's a digital SLR and not a point and shoot. I'm not sure I'm ready for this change over. I love using point and shoots like my old Fuji for digiscoping--they are small (and fit in most pockets) and they can do video. The Nikon D40 they set me up with is larger, does not do video...but takes really sweet photos. I have 30 days to decide if I like it.
Speaking of National Camera, this weekend is their big tent sale, be sure to stop in for some great deals.
I tried out the set up this morning on one of my ranger walks (I love days like today--this morning I'm in Minnesota in full ranger uniform, tonight I'll be in Las Vegas...wearing considerably less...because of the heat). I got a couple of shots on the fly of a green heron:
This was taken through some grasses so this image is kind of cloudy...my goodness is the camera responsive! I like that, I have to look through an actual view finder and not the viewing screen, I like that too. I think where I'm going to miss the point and shoot is going to be taking video. I can take a video camera with me, but it's always nice to have it in the same camera body...and yes, I know I can get a DSLR with a video camera included...but I don't have that kind of money at the moment.
Check it out, the green heron went from crouch to stretch--almost doesn't look like the same species of bird! Well, we'll give the camera a go this weekend and see if I like it. The awesome thing about National Camera is that I have 30 days to decide whether or not I like it. I think I'll know by the end of this weekend.