h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

SS,

A night vision scope allows you to see in the dark and magnifies a bit so you can see better, up to about 100ft. (I think) but I would have to heck the specs. The one I have is expensive. I don't normally 'do' expensive but we use it every night from March to December, and we don't take it out of the house so there is little risk of damp, damage etc.

It gives you a pale greeny picture but very clear. We struggled for ages with the naked eye and Bins

I also bought from a specialist company that does such equipment specifically for wildlife enthusiasts, amateur and professional. I didn't want to go to a general dealer as I felt they would sell me what they wanted me to have!

Put Alana Ecology in to Google and you will get the site up. I am sure you will find it interesting and informative. You could always go somewhere cheaper, but armed with good information.

Websailor

Particularly now the trees are getting their full set of leaves I am finding the DVDs/CDs with bird sounds on very usufull. CDs and DVDs are good in differant ways. DVDs are great as you can learn what a bird is from sight but also the sound of it, however CDs tend to make you think of bird sounds more as no distracted by sight of bird.
If asked I would say get a DVD of general UK birds first to get to know them by sight and buy a bird sound CD later. Learning bird songs by whatever method, I have found, greatly adds to the enjoyemnt of my garden as cuts confussion and lets me know what is in garden without looking.

Prof, You reckon

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Nigel, you are right of course, you being an expert on these things

Websailor

I should know WebbieI trained myself

SS, I have DVD, video, CD and tape being . I will just have to persevere

Websailor

Nowt wrong with video tapes, I suspect one of my DVDs is a direct copy of a video tape as has a tracking line fault for a second or so on it!

nowt wrong! oooo! Northern accentbeing nosey, where abouts roughly SS

Sorry Prof, I am from outer London, I was born here!

SS Re. Post 4077

To get an idea what night vision looks like, click here:

http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect9/originals/Fig9_56.jpg

Mine doesn't look so green, but it probably depends what other light is around. We get a lot of additional lighting at odd times, and of course moonlight affects it too.

Websailor

That's SS, I am sure Prof. will forgive you, after all he puts up with me and I am not tike, just married to one There's nowt as queer as folk outside of Yorkshire

Websailor

Now come on you lot, behave .

First thing first. SS, don't believe the rubbish Websailer told you about a specialist company she had the scope from . It came from Aldi, honestly it did, cross my .

As for being house trained Prof. I am fully house trained, neat and tidy, ready for a beautiful lady to take me under her wing .

Any offers...............

Off now before I get told off by Websailer for giving her secrets away .

Nigel

no worries SSmy friend

Nige'find out if she has got a sister, when you get one

Aldi? Blimey Nigel, WS will be after you!
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I think a night scope might not be worth it for me as don't have badgers here and the foxes always set the security lights in garden off so get a good view! The one thing I might use one for is to see if there are any Owls in a wooded park near me, there are Owl boxes, but in general I don't think the expense would be justified. They are selling some around a few hundred pounds in a magazine but that would be a lot towards a really good pair of binos.
The recorder at £40 has turned out good value as use it a lot, infact every time I go to nature reserve so may stick to just that for moment.
I did a recording of something really loud yesterday and still can't work out if it is a recording of birds or frogs, I understand there are giant Bullfrogs there up to 6 inches so could be their call. There is a Lapwings nest in place noise come from and they make famtastically weird noises at best of times so could be that. I will wait until I can get a more experienced water birder's opinion. I suspect it could be a birds alarm call and frogs! I am not over keen on water birds but some are really nice looking, like Lapwings, and they make some really strange noises. Things like Snipe and others at reserve have fantastic long beaks too so nice to see them probing sand on egdges of reserve. One great advantage of water birds is they are easier to see as generally don't hide in trees!

Too right SS, I am after Nigel, but the whippersnapper has gone out for the day. I wonder why He really needs to concentrate on something else besides *birds*

Now, let's get this straight. The night vision scope *was* from the expensive place, it cost £200. What SuperNigel is thinking of is the Spotting Scope, which is for day time use and magnifies hugely, and that was from Aldi and cost £25 including a tripod. It is brilliant if I see anything out of range of the Bins.


I think the night vision scope would be an expensive mistake unless you have cause to use it a lot. The batteries aren't cheap either, but they last a long time. It's funny, I feel the same about water birds, but I think that is more because I am only familiar with a very few. As you say though, at least they don't hide in trees.

I am in the middle of cutting a conifer down to a manageable size but needed a rest. Stepladders and me aren't good friends, conifers give me a rash, and the sun was too hot. I will give it another go when the sun has moved round and I've had some lunch

Now then, where's young Nigel hiding - I'll give it him letting out my bargain secrets! ......

Websailor

Baby birds, baby birds, baby birds!!!
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I have just seen my first baby birds of the year, well missing them would be dificult since they are 6 bright yellow large baby Canada Geese. There is a shallow pond area at end of my nature reserve and an adult has had a nest for around a month or so there. They are soooo sweet and when mum had a sleep all the young forced her wing out to sleep under. Dad meanwhile had eyes like a hawk and kept watch never lowering his head for a moment.
I also saw a wriggley creature under the water but it was very large and black so will have to look in my book to see what it was.
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I found out that the noise I wasn't sure about is indeed frogs but not giant ones but normal size ones. I couldn't find anyone to ask but the sounds were from near the small ponds and one noise was coming from path outside reserve where a path is with a small ditch where I saw frogs last summer and no room or reason for water birds to be there so frogs it is, but strewth the noise is so loud!
I saw a female Blackbird with a mass of nesting material so it is still going on. Although I saw a Green Woodpecker, Dunock,House Martin etc I didn't see loads today as apart from the main warden using the hides to show some kids around I have a cold and didn't go in to avoid giving it to everyone else. Also, to be honest, it was so nice just sitting in the lovely sunshine I wasn't watching that much!
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I see nothing wrong in using a £25 scope from Aldi as it does the job, I would go for a bargain myself if it was there. Although I am buying some more which should be here anyday my binos were only £40 from Argos and by Praktica. They have worked really well for a year and do the job. I was litterally just about to leave for a holiday so litterally went in and bought whatever they had so had some for holiday. It has been the best £40 I have ever spent as used just about every day from lounge window and other places.

I forgot to add, I saw a Heron, fortunately about 50 feet away and 50 feet up, have a bowel movement. It came out and kind of spread out like when they crop spray, yuk! Quite amusing and interesting in its own way though, sorry I like to see out of ordinary wildlife things.

Those strange creatures I saw earlier turned out to be Warty Newts. I have never seen a Newt before and the ones today were black which makes sense as Warty Newts can be black sometimes, according to my book. They were surprisingly large and nice to see for first time ever.
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The frogs I regularly see in ponds seem to be, bizzarley, Edible Frogs as like the book they are Green or brown and have strange yellow stripes on body and dark spots. They are also only found here in Southern England and as I said before VERY noisey acording to book.

SS, the spotting scope I bought for £25 is exactly the same as those costing £100. I raced up early on a Sunday morning as they don't carry large stocks of bargains and I knew they would go quickly. So long as I am sure the quality is the same I would never pay full price!

You sound as if you have some very interesting wildlife around you. If the weather stays like today (gorgeous) I might go and see if our pool has any youngsters. They should do by now.

Can't say a heron 'dump' is my idea of a thrill, but it takes all sorts I had enough with a seagull dumping on my best dress when I was fourteen. Spoilt my day

The garden has been very quiet today, though I have spent most of the day in the front garden, so I may have missed them.

Websailor

Al** have some excellent bargains and good quality stuff, most with a 3 year warranty which is .

Take care.

Nigel

Yep it is a good time for wildlife, I am lucky my sanctuary has small ponds for frogs, etc. To be honest most who go there ignor them and head for the hides to watch birds, but Dragonflies and other similar things make it more interesting and attract birds of course.
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It wasn't so much the Heron dumping but the way it dispersed in air like a plane dumping fuel to land, no doubht if I had been stod underneath the novelty would have worn off, lol.
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If I had my own backgarden a small shallow pond just for bugs and frogs, etc would be the first thing I put in. I would quite enjoy refilling it in summer too with water. I understand you shouldn't get frog spawn from other ponds due to carrying diseases across and allow frogs to find it naturally. I saw pond skaters today joined up so expect their to be more soon at reserve!