Re: [Leica] Bird Watching and Bird Pictures

["Roy Zartarian" <royzart@connix.com>]

On 30 Nov 98 at 19:58, Marc James Small wrote:

> As Roy Zartarian, Epic Lugger, will tell you, birds are quite
> elusive and hard to locate.  When you find them, they seem to shy
> away from having Large Tubular Objects such as camera lenses -- and
> rifles! -- pointed at them.  This is what makes bird watching a real
> feast as well as a royal pain.
>

Amen.  Last weekend's outing produced results so sparse that the 
APO-Televid and tripod stayed in the Scope-Pack - first buffleheads 
of the year and an obliging young harrier watched through the 
8x32 Trinovids.  But the scope did prove its worth three weeks ago 
when I was finally able to pick out one of the few Lapland Longspurs 
amidst a flock of snow buntings.  And, Marc, for future reference, 
offering a lady the opportunity to look through an APO Televid is a 
good ice breaker. Sure beats "What's your sign?"
  
Someone asked about the use of the scope as a photographic lens.  
I've done it with both a Nikon FM2 and an R4.  The process is a bit 
cumbersome - one best suited for work in a blind (or hide) at 
relatively close distances (i.e.15 - 20 feet) for small birds.  The 
scope becomes an 800mm f/10-something lens which demands the use of 
fast film to get a decent shutter speed.  The depth of field, of 
course, is unforgiving.

And, yes, peanut soup is indeed a gastronomic delight! I still 
remember it from my last journey to Roanoke more than twenty years 
ago.

Roy