The term bird watching was first used by Edmund Selous in 1901. His aptly titled book, “Bird Watching,” was one of the first accounts of birds being sought after for aesthetic reasons rather than merely a source of food. Since then, bird watching, or birding, has spawned communities of people equipped with high-powered optics, handheld cameras and backyard bird feeders.

Victorian Era

During the Victorian era, bird watching was practiced in the interest of collecting eggs and the skins of exotic breeds. At the time, well-to-do collectors in Britain were known to utilize contacts in the colonies to gain access to rare breeds from around the world. It wasn’t until the 19^th century that the cries for conservation rang and the first Audubon Society was established in America. Designed to combat the bird trade, Audubon Societies, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Britain, paved the way for bird watching as a recreational activity and furthermore the preservation of countless bird species.

• Bird watching began in the interest of collecting eggs and skins of exotic breeds of birds.
• It wasn’t until the 19^th century that Audubon Societies were formed to conserve birds.
• These societies in America and Britain paved the way for bird watching as a recreational activity.

20^th Century

With the onset of advanced optics and field guides, bird watching exploded on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. As communities continued to form, so did protests against the American Ornithologists’ Union (AOU), as well as the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Rather than studying birds from a strictly observational viewpoint, the AOU and BTO were more concerned with the capture, invasive study and inevitable killing of birds. Eventually, traveling ornithologist, Tom Harrison took over the RSPB in 1936 and pioneered several surveys of the Great Crested Grebe, the largest of the Grebe family found across Europe and Asia.

• With the onset of advanced optics, bird watching exploded on the Eastern seaboard of the United States.
• As birding communities began to form, so did protests against the AOU and BTO.
• It wasn’t until Tom Harrison took over the RSPB that conservation dominated public opinion.

Present Day

As bird enthusiasts took to the sky, so did possibilities for bird watching in lesser traveled parts of the world. Air travel became affordable in the 1960s thus lending to international bird watching. By 1965 the first bird touring company in Britain, Ornitholidays, opened its doors to a community of devoted bird watchers armed with binoculars and camcorders. Once opened, Ornitholidays solidified transnational bird watching as a popular tourist attraction. This led to the further classification of birds around the world and paramount literature such as the Handbook of the Birds of the World, the first multi-volume account of every living species of bird. Written in Spain in the 1990s by Josep del Hoyo, Jordi Sargatal and Andy Elliott, the Handbook is the first and only instance where an entire class of animal is detailed in a single piece of work.

• Affordable air travel in the 1960s lent to international bird watching.
• By 1965, Ornitholidays, solidified transnational birding as a tourist attraction.
• This led to the paramount Handbook of the Birds of the World, the first account of every living species of bird, as well as an increased interest in bird watching around the world.

Ernie Allison has been an advocate for bird conversation since he was a child. He’s a nature writer by trade and has spent the greater part of his life studying birds.

Phone Skope C-1 iPhone 4s Case. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I use Phone Skope’s C-3 Custom Optic Adapter to attach the C-1 iPhone 4s Case to my Celestron Regal 80 F-ED Spotting Scope (review to come). The C-3 is designed to fit specific spotting scopes or binoculars.

Phone Skope C-3 Adapter. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

The C-3 locks into the C-1 case giving you a complete iPhone digiscoping setup. The C-3/C-1 connection is snug, allowing no play in the adapter. Here’s the complete setup:

A complete Phone Skope iPhone Digiscoping Setup. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I really like the Phone Skope setup. It makes digiscoping easy, fun, and more enjoyable. Prior to my acquisition of the Phone Skope case, I held my phone up to the scope (hand-held), which resulted in blurry photos at awkward angles. Now, I can take high quality videos and photos without even touching the screen. My iPhone sets nicely on the scope and vignetting is minimal, which seems to be a problem with some digiscoping adapters. After reading the iPhone Digiscoping Pro Tip from Drew at NemesisBird.com and the Digiscoping with an iPhone Tip from Sharon at Birdchick.com, I have been able to slam quite a few birds with my iPhonescoping setup. Check out those Pro Tips and you will not be disappointed.

Complete Phone Skope setup on a Celestron Regal 80 F-ED Spotting Scope. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I also have the setup for my binoculars. The setup works well, but is somewhat difficult to hold steady. I find that using the video option on the iPhone works best when using the binocular setup.

Phone Skope iPhone 4s setup on Celestron Granite 8×42 Binoculars. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

With the iPhone setup, I have been able to document rare birds, nesting behavior, and just downright cool sightings. Be sure to check out www.phoneskope.com if you’re interested in digiscoping with your smart phone. They can make an adapter for most smart phone/optics combinations.

Here’s a little taste of a recent trip to southeast Arizona with my Phone Skope setup:

Rock Wren at Pena Blanca Lake on 2 June 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Good iPhonescoping,

Tim

Tropical Kingbird at Ahakhav Tribal Preserve, La Paz Co, AZ on 5 June 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I didn’t have a chance to search for a nest, but I suspect there are two birds nesting in a “chosen” Fremont Cottonwood. I will continue my investigation next Wednesday and report my findings then.

Ahakhav Tribal Preserve, La Paz, US-AZ
Jun 5, 2013 7:03 AM – 8:47 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.5 mile(s)
Comments: Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.3
20 species

Gambel’s Quail  2
White-winged Dove  7
Mourning Dove  3
Anna’s Hummingbird  1
Ladder-backed Woodpecker  3
Vermilion Flycatcher  2
Ash-throated Flycatcher  1
Tropical Kingbird  1
Western Kingbird  4
Northern Rough-winged Swallow  1
Cliff Swallow  3
Verdin  4
Northern Mockingbird  3
Lucy’s Warbler  3
Abert’s Towhee  4
Summer Tanager  1
Great-tailed Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
Bullock’s Oriole  1
House Finch  10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S14342946

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Good birding,

Tim

Wing-tagged American White Pelican at Hart Mine Marsh on 11 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I’m always interested in seeing where the tagged birds were originally banded. Reporting sightings of tagged birds is crucial in understanding complex migration patterns. Report sightings to http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/bblretrv/.

The pelican was banded in July 2008 at Minidoka NWR in Cassia Count, Idaho as a fledgling that was too young to fly. More details below:

I spotted the bird approximately 650 miles (as the bird flies) from the original banding location.

Distance between banding and resighting locations. Credit – Google Earth.

The bird was not present my next time birding the marsh, so I wonder where it will end up next!

Good birding,

Tim

This guide is very slick and allows the user to scroll through the “common” birds of North America, with more than 800 species accounted for, with ease. My favorite part about this app is that the user can listen to the sounds of similar species while staying on the same plate. The app facilitates the process of distinguishing between different, hard to identify, species.

The app provides a bunch of other features as well including the following:

• Keep tracking of life, state, or county lists
• Bird songs from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library
• Range maps and species details just like the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
• Much, much more!

The Peterson Birds Pocket Edition is packed with essential information for any level of birder. For $0.99, you really cannot beat it. You can upgrade to the Peterson Birds of North America for $14.99 if you wish.

The kind folks from Peterson Guides kindly provided us with a review copy of this app.

Primates of the World: An Illustrated Guide by Jean-Jacques Petter & François Desbordes and Translated by Robert Martin – September 2013

This stunningly illustrated guide to the world’s primates  covers nearly 300 species, from the feather-light and solitary pygmy mouse lemurs of Madagascar—among the  smallest primates known to exist—to the regal mountain gorillas of Africa. Organized by region and spanning  every family of primates on Earth, the book features 72 splendid color plates, facing-page descriptions of key  features of each family, and 86 color distribution maps. Primates of the World also includes concise introductory chapters that discuss the latest findings on primate origins and evolution, behavior and adaptations,  and classification, making it the most comprehensive  and up-to-date primate guide available.

• Covers nearly 300 species and every family of primates worldwide
• Features 72 color plates—the finest illustrations of primates ever produced
• Includes facing-page descriptions for each family and 86 color distribution maps
• The most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to the world’s primates

Tracks and Signs of the Animals and Birds of Britain and Europe by Lars-Henrik Olsen - September 2013

This beautifully illustrated field guide enables you to easily identify the tracks and signs left by a wide variety of mammal and bird species found in Britain and Europe, covering behaviors ranging from hunting, foraging, and feeding to courtship, breeding, and nesting. Introductory chapters offer detailed drawings of footprints and tracks of large and small mammals, which are followed by sections on mammal scat, bird droppings, and the feeding signs of animals on food sources such as nuts, cones, and rose hips. The book then describes specific mammal species, providing information on size, distribution, behavior, habitat, and similar species, as well as more specific detail on tracks and scat. Distribution maps are also included. This indispensable field guide covers 175 species of mammals and birds, and features a wealth of stunning color photos  and artwork throughout.

• Helps you easily identify the tracks and signs of a variety of mammals and birds
• Covers 175 species
• Illustrated throughout with photos, drawings, and artwork
• Includes informative descriptions of mammal species along with distribution maps

Bugs Rule!: An Introduction to the World of Insects by Whitney Cranshaw & Richard Redak – October 2013

Bugs Rule! provides a lively introduction to the biology and natural history of insects and their noninsect cousins, such as spiders, scorpions, and centipedes. This richly illustrated textbook features more than 830 color photos, a concise overview of the basics of entomology, and numerous sidebars that highlight and explain key points. Detailed chapters cover each of the major insect groups, describing their physiology, behaviors, feeding habits, reproduction, human interactions, and more.ideal for nonscience majors and anyone seeking to learn more about insects and their arthropod relatives, Bugs Rule! offers a one-of-a-kind gateway into the world of these amazing creatures.

• Places a greater emphasis on natural history than standard textbooks on the subject
• Covers the biology and natural history of all the insect orders
• Provides a thorough review of the noninsect arthropods, such as spiders, scorpions, centipedes, millipedes, and crustaceans
• Features more than 830 color photos
• Highlights the importance of insects and other arthropods, including their impact on human society
• An online illustration package is available to professors

The Crossley ID Guide: Britain and Ireland by Richard Crossley & Dominic Couzens – November 2013

Aimed at beginner and intermediate birders, yet suitable for all levels, this new volume in the groundbreaking Crossley ID Guide series is the most user-friendly field guide to the birds of Britain and Ireland. Based on The Crossley ID Guide’s awardwinning design, this guide looks at all regularly occurring species of Britain and Ireland, and shows readers how to identify birds using size, structure, shape, probability, and behavior—just like the experts do! Stunning images are accompanied by the accurate and concise text of Dominic Couzens, one of Britain’s leading nature writers.

This unique book treats over 310 species—those birds most likely to be encountered by observers—and the guide’s attractive pages provide a real-life approach to bird identification. Beautiful, in-focus scenes present birds in various plumages, in lifelike poses set in identifiable British and Irish habitats, and plates also illustrate how a bird’s appearance changes with distance. Organizing images in cohesive, easyto-understand plates rather than as separate photographs, this book also sets itself apart by containing more images that demonstrate flight, behavior, habitat, and plumages than any other volume available. Not only is this field guide a reference book, it is also a spectacular teaching resource that makes it easy for nature enthusiasts to see and appreciate the big picture of bird identification.

• The most user-friendly guide to the birds of Britain and Ireland
• A close look at over 310 species
• Award-winning Crossley ID Guide design
• Lifelike images of birds from near and far
• Stunning depictions of British and Irish scenes
• A field, reference, and teaching guide
• Concise and interesting text by Dominic Couzens

Rare Birds of North America by Steve N. G. Howell, Ian Lewington & Will Russell – December 2013

Rare Birds of North America is the first comprehensive illustrated guide to the vagrant birds that occur throughout the United States and Canada. Featuring 275 stunning color plates, this book covers 262 species originating from three very different regions—the Old World, the New World tropics, and the world’s oceans. It explains the causes of avian vagrancy and breaks down patterns of occurrence by region and season, enabling readers to see where, when, and why each species occurs in North America. Detailed species accounts describe key identification features, taxonomy, age, sex, distribution, and status.

Rare Birds of North America provides unparalleled insights into vagrancy and avian migration, and will enrich the birding experience of anyone interested in finding and observing rare birds.

• Covers 262 species of vagrant birds found in the United States and Canada
• Features 275 stunning color plates that depict every species
• Explains patterns of occurrence by region and season
• Provides an invaluable overview of vagrancy patterns and migration
• Includes detailed species accounts and cutting-edge identification tips

Thanks to Princeton University Press for providing Thermal Birding with review copies of excellent books. We are pleased to share this information on behalf of PUP.

Sure enough the bird was still present. I put the binoculars up to my eyes and realized I was looking at a Red Phalarope. This was only the second Red Phalarope I have ever seen so I took my time looking at the bird and then eventually got closer for some pictures. Unfortunately the pictures didn’t come out great and the low light didn’t help but here is the best one.

Red Phalarope along Lycoming Creek in Williamsport, PA on 11 May 2013. Photo by Nate Fronk.

iPhone 4s + Celestron Regal 80 F-ED & iPhone 4s Phone Skope Adapter mounted on a Manfrotta MK394-H Aluminum Tripod with 3-Way Head.

The only thing I’m lacking is a decent tripod (review of this one coming soon). The rest of my setup is awesome. The combination of the image quality of the iPhone 4s and the stabilization from the Phone Skope Adapter definitely gives you an upper hand when it comes to iPhonescoping. Be sure to check out www.phoneskope.com for your all of your iPhonescoping needs! If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email (timschreckengost AT gmail DOT com) or ask me in the comments. Do you iPhonescope? If so, let us know your setup in the comments!

Good iPhonescoping,

Tim

President Theodore Roosevelt (Source: Wikipedia.org)

Teddy Roosevelt was one awesome dude. Not only was he an excellent soldier and statesmen, but the 26th President was also a devout naturalist. I happened across this article from Slate the other day highlighting the bird list that Roosevelt kept while bounding around Washington and solving all of the world’s problems. He even kept track of the birds seen only on the White House grounds. Frankly, he had some pretty good yard birds (Saw-whet Owl and Canada Warbler were my two favorites) during his presidency, and he even reserved a particular disdain for House Sparrows. Well, he’s got my vote! You can read the original article here or check out the .pdf of his list following this link.

White House bound Democrat Saw-whet and Republican Saw-whet. I wish politics was this cute

Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Editor’s note – thanks to Matt Brady for the ID correction to Lilac-crowned Parrot. I originally identified the parrots as Red-crowned.

Our first morning in San Diego, I walked around Shelter Island in search of waterfowl, gulls, and exotics while Kay slept in. I’ve always been fascinated with parrots whether they were introduced, escapees, or native. I’ll be honest with you, the only parrot I’ve seen up until this trip was the Rosy-faced Lovebird in Phoenix, AZ last year.

I strolled around the west side of the island for a little over half an hour. Western Gulls and American Crows were carrying food and nesting material, while House Sparrows, European Starlings, House Finches, and Northern Mockingbirds were singing away in every direction. I scoped two Eared Grebes and one Western Grebe as well. Sadly, no parrots.

Western Gull at Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

As I made my way back towards the motel, a parking lot gate-man directed my attention to the loud, green birds at the north end of the street. I hustled the 200 meters or so and found a small flock of Lilac-crowned Parrots. Sweet!

Lilac-crowned Parrot at Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

The birds were very active as they were flying back and forth between palm trees, tending to a nest, and just being parrots. I even caught one displaying, I think.

Lilac-crowned Parrot at Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I was getting weird looks from the folks stuck in traffic so I decided to pack up my scope and leave the area. I had a darn good time Phone Skoping these parrots and seeing my highest numbers of Western Gulls, yet. Here’s my best shot from the morning followed by my eBird checklist:

Lilac-crowned Parrot at Shelter Island in San Diego, CA. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Shelter Island–northeast basin, San Diego, US-CA
May 3, 2013 7:40 AM – 8:31 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.3
14 species (+1 other taxa)

Eared Grebe  2
Western Grebe  1
Western Gull  11
Rock Pigeon  18
Mourning Dove  1
Anna’s Hummingbird  2
hummingbird sp.  1
Lilac-crowned Parrot  3
American Crow  6
Cliff Swallow  2
Northern Mockingbird  2
European Starling  15
House Finch  4
Lesser Goldfinch  1
House Sparrow  11

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13994097

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

All iPhone photos were taken with – iPhone 4s + Celestron Regal 80 F-ED & Phone Skope Adapter.

Be sure to check out Phone Skope on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, and Pinterest for all your smartphone digiscoping needs!