The Swarovski Digital Guide

I got to play with a prototype of a Digital Guide that Swarovski Optik is working on with Merlin from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The video above gives you an idea of how it works. We demoed the guide with some birds like a mourning dove—mostly because the bird was super chill and not moving and it made a great show. I also tested it on green jays and pauraques.

But I also took it out on some of my field trips in the Rio Grande Valley to really put it through its paces. Here are some screen shots:

Here’s a picture of a female vermilion flycatcher on an overcast day.

Here I zoom in on the image I got with the Digital Guide prototype in the Merlin app.

Merlin nailed the id.

You can take great photos with this, it’s basically an 8x30 monocular with a camera built in. And though it can take great pictures, I was more interested in what it could do if conditions weren’t great for photography, but you still wanted a bird ID. It works great. Scary great.

It’s a wifi hotspot so it can send the images to either Merlin or the Swarovski app. If you have good cell service, Merlin will ID it right away.

I can tell that it works well in warm weather, but I was curious about some cold weather and I mean some serious Minnesota cold. I took it to Sax Zim Bog on a -15 degree Fahrenheit day to see what would happen. The device worked well, but the lack of cell service from Verizon meant that Merlin didn’t work so great up there. On the upside, I was able to store photos and use Merlin when I had a reliable connection.

Here’s a black-backed woodpecker taken with the Swarovski Digital Guide.

The Digital Guide saved the date, time and location of where the image was taken. So even though I had lack of service in the field, all the information was saved for when I could use Merlin. And all of it was stored in a separate album in Photos.

The black-backed woodpecker was Merlin’s first ID.

Now, I know some people are going to gnash their teeth over this—”THIS IS GOING TO RUIN BIRDING! WHY CAN’T PEOPLE USE A BOOK!”

This is not going to ruin birding. This is a tool to help you get started. And there will always be people interested in artisanal bird identification. It’s fascinating to watch where technology can take us. And to have a device with Swarovski quality glass that works with Cornell’s Merlin app is amazing. There are plans that the device will also work to identify other things like mammals and butterflies as well.

The future is now.

Changing Binoculars

This summer I had the heartbreak many of us experience with our binoculars...moisture inside the lenses. Who knows when I did it--park service canoe program or on a plane coming home from Hungary. Considering they had been used almost daily since 2005 and I'm rough on equipment that was a hell of a good run. Fortunately, being Swarovskis they have a great warranty and something like this can be repaired with only shipping from my house as the cost. 

My first truly great pair of binoculars. I love you old ELs, dings, scratches, sunscreen and bugspray stains and all. 

I contacted the repair office to get a tracking number and sent them in for treatment. Swarovskis have a lifetime warranty. I've sent my old ELs in for what I thought was a realignment about 9 years ago. That's when I learned I had a minor astigmatism and hello, glasses! Even though they didn't need to be repaired, the team completely refurbished and cleaned them. When they were returned to me it was like having a brand new EL. I could tell they were still mine though by the dings along the hinges. Oh the times those bins have been tossed in a backpack for last minute birding runs, dropped on the floor, dragged across mud when I wriggled under electric fences or fell along with me when I slid down mountainsides or volcanoes. The lifers they brought to me, both expected and unexpected...that time a dear, sweet Brit named Mike Watson ran into me early one morning on the boardwalk at Biggest Week and said, "Hey, Shaz, fancy a male Kirtland's? It's just right here." 

"Get the F*CK out of here!"

His face and the lifer were priceless. 

Swarovskis are a tough piece of equipment. I have put these binoculars to the test on many continents. There was even a point at a meeting at Swarovski Headquarters in Austria a couple of years ago after the new versions of the ELs were out and a staff person noticed the state of my old ELs--good, but well worn and well loved. He said, "I'd really love to see you with a fresher pair. We've upgraded them since that model."

I politely declined the offer for an upgrade. I know it's an inanimate object but those 8x32 ELs was been with me almost every day in any sort of weather condition, every sort of mood. They've known temperatures from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to -32 degrees Fahrenheit. They've known the thrill of a sociable lapwing in Kazakhstan and the agony of missing resplendent quetzal in Honduras and Guatemala. They gave me my first glimpse of a Zapata wren in Cuba and my lifer Syrian woodpecker on the border of Israel and Syria. They have helped me enjoy waxwings and purple finches chowing down on crabapples in my yard and give me a crisp view of woodcocks illuminated by flashlights. We've seen some serious shit together. 

Because of my relationship with Swarovski, I knew when my old ones were sent in for repair they'd be noticed. They were...as was all of the equipment I've been loaned over the years. "LOOK HOW OLD YOUR STUFF IS, LET'S UPGRADE!" If you've ever seen the movie Moonstruck, it's kind of like when Cher's character stops into the salon to take out a few grays in her hair and the stylist goes nuts and they give her a complete makeover. 

One of my favorite things on the Swarovski 8x32 ELs was how perfectly they fit my right hand. The first time I held one, they felt like they were modeled just for my hand. I loved being able to use them one handed.

I dug out all of my Swarovski boxes from storage and found my old EL box from years ago. I poured a glass of Talisker Storm, put in some Harry Nilsson and toasted them and all the adventures they gave me. They grew with me as I grew my blog which led to my writing and speaking career. I carefully packed them in to the box. I had hoped that maybe I hadn't trashed them too badly and maybe we could turn them into a contest like we did years ago and I gave away my old scope. Despite asking, I have not heard. I suspect that the scratches on lenses and worn hinges have deemed them recyclable. 

Hello, gorgeous.

And then my new 8x32 ELs arrived. And let me tell you that was a painful two weeks. I have a back up pair of bins--which are not bad. They are a great mid price binoculars but once you've gotten used to using a pair like this on the regular, it's hard to go back. They arrived just in time for me to go to an event with the Lorain County Bird Club in Ohio.

One of the first birds that I tested my new Swarovski 8x32 ELs on was an immature red-shouldered hawk. 

I got to take the on a trial run on a cloudy and misty day which is where you can really see the difference between mid-price binoculars and Swarovskis. Holy cow. My old ELs were fantastic...but the new edge to edge clarity and they way these worked with my glasses was stunning. This new pair fits in my hands perfectly. I need to dirty her up a little bit, give her that fantastic field-worn look, but I think we'll get along fine. In the meantime I'll enjoy that new binocular smell and christen her with some fantastic winter specialties. Maybe in January I'll take her on her first trip to Sax Zim Bog. 

For those who are into the whole unboxing trend, Non Birding Bill made an unboxing video of the ELs.

Birdchick Podcast #34 Warbler Fallout, Swarovski Sale and Beach Volunteers

Non Birding Bill took a photo of an oriole today.

Link to Swarovski Optik sale on spotting scopes.

MUST SEEwarbler fall out photos from Gulf of Maine.

Cool volunteer program thru Mississippi Audubon to help protect beach nesting birds.

Birding by voyageur canoe with Wilderness Inquiry.

Eagles Fighting Over Carp

I spent the weekend at The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN as a Swarovski Field Tek for a new company called Big River Optics who sells binoculars and spotting scopes through the Center.  I'll be there next Saturday and the following weekend (when we have a Birds and Beers) answering questions about digiscoping, binoculars and scopes.  Also, if you have Swarovski binoculars or a scope and would like a pro cleaning (similar to what they would do at the Swarovski headquarters) or if you need a minor eye cup adjustment, I'll be there to do that too.  Stop in and say, "Hi!"  It's not a bad way to spend the weekend--along the Upper Mississippi River watching bald eagles (like the above immature) float by.

We did get to watch some eagles squabble over a carp, right across the river from the Eagle Center.  An immature bald eagle got a huge carp and an adult came in to take over.  Other immatures came in to see if they could snatch a few morsels or the fish.

The adult was very intimidating to the younger birds.  As it would chase off one immature eagle, another would try to sneak in to claim the fish.

The immature eagle on the right almost had the fish when the adult charged it.

I love the eagle on the gound on the left.  It's as if the bird is say, "Oh crap, this just got real, I'm gettin' out of the way!"

The adult appears to have won the stand off with that particular immature.

Alas, the adult's charge was full on and it tried too late to put on the brakes.  It slid right off the ice and into the water.  Above, it's just about to go in.

It managed to turn around and get out quickly.  I missed that shot and this picture of it getting out is blurry.  Still, not a bad behavior capture for something on the other side of a river from where I was standing.

The adult was the overall winner of the carp.  A few of the immature were able to sneak in and get a few tidbits, but the adult ate the most.  It didn't have an easy time of it.  Below is a video and in the first part, an immature slams it from above.  You'll know when it's about to happen because the birds on the right look up and see it coming.  And watch how the eagles run around on the ice...it's hard to take them as majestic when they run like that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1FTyksKEJE[/youtube]

Digiscoping Duel Results

The results are in from the first ever Twitter Digiscoping Duel:

My buddy, Clay Taylor of Swarovski Optik digiscoped from his yard in Texas and he posted photos of 31 species.

I set myself up at Mr. Neil's yard with the above digiscoping setup--lots of birds and easy Internet access.  Alas, my final total was 28 birds.  Cornell was kind enough to say, "But should there be a correction for higher diversity in TX," but I think that weather and internet connection can help even out the competition--there were 3 very common birds that I expected to get and did not: blue jay, pileated woodpecker and turkey vulture.  I won't post all 28 photos, but I'll post some highlights below:

My first shot of the day was a red-tailed hawk flying away.  I found another red-tail perfectly perched in great light later in the day, but I really liked the way you can see the rusty red tail on this guy.  Besides, Clay and I weren't going for art, we were going for identifiable photos and well, it doesn't get more identifiable than that with a red-tailed hawk.

Early in the morning, things were going swimmingly.  The showy mountain ash tree around the feeders was ripe and attracted loads of waxwings.  I expected warblers and vireos would soon follow (the tree eventually did follow this pattern...after the contest was over).

As I loaded up photos here and there on Twitter, I even got a little cocky and added some captions.  The above caption with the tree swallow was for Non Birding Bill and a nod to Jack Lemon from the movie The Great Race.  I really enjoyed being able to interact with people throughout the contest.  It was like being sequestered during a bird-a-thon or at the World Series of Birding.  I could see what Clay was up to and see comments on photos...and even answer a couple of bird questions.

I did find the flocks of white-throated sparrows a bit sobering.  A week ago today it was 92 degrees F.  When I started today, it was blustery and in the 40s.  And these sparrows are a sure sign of fall.  Sigh.

I did see some crazy stuff going on, like the above immature goldfinches stripping off bark from a dead tree and eating it.  I checked Cornell's Birds of North America Online and bark stripping is one of the many things goldfinches will eat.

When it came to the common feeder birds, I tried to get interesting shots--like the above black-capped chickadee.  It's as if it's stalking me...and perhaps plotting my demise.

Not all of my photos were worth writing home about.  I'm pretty sure that this is the worst shot of a black and white warbler in recorded history.  I posted it as a joke and Clay let it go through, he said he could kind of see a black and white warbler...he was too kind.

Here's a candidate for Awkward Family Photos.  What is that nuthatch doing--sneezing?  Flipping seeds? Swearing?  Either way, the rose-breasted grosbeak appears uninterested.

All in all it was a great time and I hope we can do something like this again.

Some of my favorite shots that Clay got are his zone-tailed hawk, yellow-breasted chat, purple martin, royal tern and his winning final bird Mississippi kite. He's got mad skills with birds in flight and digiscoping not to mention a crazy bird yard in Texas.

To see more photos from the day of the Digiscoping Duel visit the Flickr Album.