The Bird Conservation Blog
After spending an evening hiking and chasing a storm with Bella, I discovered a slight problem. The trusty Canon Rebel XTi that had taken a TON of shots was unresponsive. I have no idea what happened and will be taking it into a camera store this weekend but this Dickcissel could well be one of the last shots fired by a wonderful camera.
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Digiscoping1 requires a lot of practice to get the hang of. Some amazing photographers have mastered this technique and can produce some unbelievable shots of birds that are normally beyond the range of traditional digital cameras.
However, the concept and execution of digiscoping is rather easy once you get a little practice in. I took Dakota birding with the sole purpose of letting him have full control of the digiscoping rig. Manipulating the scope/tripod into position required a little assistance but once we found a good place to scope out, Dakota began to shoot. As an 11-year old, it is often difficult to keep Dakota from fidgeting or getting impatient. But, by allowing him (and other kids) the opportunity to use expensive (and durable) equipment gives him the sense of responsibility and helps to teach patience, a trait missing in many children (and adults).
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any birds that would light long enough to be photographed, but Dakota had a great time being his Uncle’s helper. Remember, not only can you teach kids to digiscope, they make excellent Sherpas when you don’t feel like carrying your gear.
1digiscoping is the combining of a spotting scope and a digital camera to take a long-range photograph
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Seth Godin is regarded as one of the best marketing thinkers of our day and has produced several best-selling, easy-to-read (and understand) books on the subject. Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable
The concept and real world examples are perfect for the birding and bird blogging community. Essentially, when faced with all the other available activities (video games for example) how can conservation marketers, bird clubs, etc. grab attention? We need purple cows.
There’s not much special about a cow. But wouldn’t it be truly remarkable if that cow was purple? That is the underlying principle of Godin’s 130+ page book. For those wanting to promote birding, we suggest adapting this concept in a slightly different way. Instead of cows, we can refer to them as purple gulls. Wouldn’t it be pretty remarkable to see a purple gull?
With his real-world examples and conceptionally spot on treatments, Seth Godin’s Purple Cow is well worth the read for anyone wanting to promote birds, birding, and conservation.
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Federal Duck Stamps are the single best way to conserve habitat for birds and other wildlife. 98% of the $15.00 cost goes directly to improving and purchasing habitat. This is land that is not just for ducks or duck hunters.
Purchase your stamp (get two!) here.
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Jennie’s internship led her to the MWCC Environmental Conference in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. This is a view from her elegant hotel room overlooking the gorgeous scenery.
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We have been bitten by the digiscoping bug and plan to share everything we learn about digiscoping. See our Digiscoping Setup
We shoot a lot of birds... with two Canons: Canon EOS Rebel XTi and Canon EOS 50D. All of our photos are licensed under Creative Commons so you are welcome to use them. Please link back to birdfreak.com and help spread the word about bird conservation.
Some of our photos have been used in the following:
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