Tag Archives: iPhone

Review: Peterson Birds Pocket Edition App

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Peterson Birds just came out with a phenomenal app for iOS - Peterson Birds Pocket Edition. Guess what? It’s only 99 cents right now in the App Store! Click on the image to the left to check it out.

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:

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.

Birding San Diego – Lilac-crowned Parrots at Shelter Island

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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!

Birding San Diego – Balboa Park

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Balboa Park in San Diego, CA on 2 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I arrived in San Diego shortly before 3:00 PM on Thursday, May 2, 2013. I was due to pick Kay, my fiancee, up from the airport around 7:00. I had a few hours to burn, or bird, so I drove to Balboa Park. As I stepped out of the car I was welcomed by several Bushtits, Anna’s Hummingbirds, and California Towhees. I took a nice two hour stroll through the park. This was my first time birding in San Diego, so I wanted to take my time and snatch up all the birds I could before picking Kay up. Migrants were somewhat abundant throughout the park: Western Wood-Pewee, Warbling Vireo, and Towsend’s and Hermit Warblers all made appearances. I took the opportunity to try my hand at Phone Skoping landbirds as I hiked around the park and was surprised at how well some of the shots turned out. I only saw 25 species, but had a darn good Phone Skope sesh.

Setup: iPhone 4s + Celestron Regal 80 F-ED & Phone Skope Adapter.

Western Bluebird at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA on 2 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Say’s Phoebe at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA on 2 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Black Phoebe at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA on 2 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

I also found a Great Horned Owl nest. The adult and nestling were not super cooperative, but allowed for the following shot.

Great Horned Owl at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA on 2 May 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Balboa Park–general area, San Diego, US-CA
May 2, 2013 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.5.3
25 species

Red-tailed Hawk  1
Western Gull  1
Mourning Dove  1
Great Horned Owl  2
Anna’s Hummingbird  5
Western Wood-Pewee  2
Black Phoebe  3
Say’s Phoebe  4
Warbling Vireo  2
American Crow  1
Barn Swallow  3
Bushtit  4
House Wren  1
Bewick’s Wren  2
Western Bluebird  3
Townsend’s Warbler  1
Hermit Warbler  1
Spotted Towhee  2
California Towhee  10
Song Sparrow  1
Western Tanager  1
Hooded Oriole  3
Bullock’s Oriole  4
House Finch  15
Lesser Goldfinch  10

View this checklist online at http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S13969305

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

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

Phone Skoping in the Southwest!

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I’ve been in the southwest for well over a month now conducting bird surveys on the lower Colorado River. Despite working many hours in March, I’ve had the opportunity to use my iPhone 4s to Phone Skope birds with a Celestron Regal 80 F-ED (I’ll be reviewing this scope in the near future). I’ve been using an iPhone Digiscoping Pro Tip from Drew Weber over at Nemesis Bird, in which he suggested using an app called StillShot, to take high resolution screen grabs from Phone Skope videos.

Here are some of my best results:

Vermilion Flycatcher at Palo Verde Cemetery in Blythe, CA on 21 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Lesser Nighthawk at the Salton Sea Visitor’s Center, CA on 19 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Long-billed Dowitcher at the Salton Sea (Rock Hill Trail), CA on 19 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Say’s Phoebe feeding nestlings in Blythe, CA on 20 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Vermilion Flycatcher nest in Blythe, CA on 21 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

The Moon while watching nocturnal migrants in Blythe, CA on 20 April 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Be sure to check out Phone Skope and Phone Skope Birding on Facebook. Also check out their website for more information on any smartphone/spotting scope combination you can think of!

The Shortest Chase – Mew Gull at Rotary Park!

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Mew Gull

‘American’ Mew Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. Photo by Oscar Johnson.

Lauren Harter of Phainopepla Fables texted Oscar Johnson and I on Sunday, March 24th, informing us of a Mew Gull at Rotary Park. Mew Gull would be a lifer and Rotary Park is only five minutes from our field house. You know what that means? The chase was on!

We grabbed Bob and our optics, jumped in the Jeep, and sped safely to Rotary Park. Lauren was watching the gull and guarding the flock from any nearby threats, i.e. children, that could scare and flush the flock. The gull was associating with Ring-billed Gulls, a lone Bonaparte’s Gull, and a few American Coots.

‘American’ Mew Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. Photo by Tim Schreckengost.

The Mew Gull was extremely cooperative allowing for excellent photo and video opportunities. I had my iPhone 4s hooked up with a Celestron Regal 80 F-ED Spotting Scope with the Phone Skope iPhone 4s Adapter.

‘American’ Mew Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

‘American’ Mew Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. iPhone photo by Tim Schreckengost.

Oscar laid down some nasty handheld, digiscoped photos. So sick. He definitely put everyone else to shame. (Also, look at the first photo in this post for immediate face-melting).

Mew Gull

‘American’ Mew Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. Photo by Oscar Johnson.

Here’s his photo of the Bonaparte’s Gull for good measure.

Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte’s Gull at Rotary Park in Lake Havasu City, AZ on 24 March 2013. Photo by Oscar Johnson.

OK. So it wasn’t really a chase, but it was a darn good bird for Arizona, with less than 25 accepted records. According to eBird (see below and click on the map to go directly to eBird), the majority of the birds were found along the lower Colorado River. Mew Gull was considered a casual winter visitor or transient before 1984 in the lower Colorado River Valley (Rosenberg et al. 1991).

Be sure to check out Lauren’s post on Phainopepla Fables and the AZFO Photo Documentation for more information. Here’s the eBird Checklist from Rotary Park as well.

Thanks to Drew Weber and his awesome post about using the iPhone app called StillShot to take high quality screen grabs from videos. That’s what I used for most of my photos in this post. It definitely adds a new dimension to digiscoping with the iPhone. Here’s the link - http://www.nemesisbird.com/2013/03/iphone-digiscoping-pro-tip-video-grabs/

Literature Cited

Rosenberg, K. V., Ohmart, R. D., Hunter, W. C., and Anderson, B. W. 1991. Birds of the Lower Colorado River Valley. Univ. Ariz. Press, Tucson.