Wilgus State Park Cabin Rentals In Vermont

Over the past couple of years I've enjoyed renting cabins from state campgrounds in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Recently, my wife and I spent rented a cabin at Wilgus State Park in Vermont. The cabin was constructed from trees that was cut from the surrounding area. The inside has a table, chairs, bunk beds, futon couch, 2 electrical outlets, and an overhead fan/light. They're nothing fancy but perfect for a short stay. There are showers and bathrooms near by on the campground property. Vermont has 10 parks that offer cabin rentals for $48 a night. There are also 6 Vermont Parks that offer cottage rentals. The cottages have multiple rooms, showers, stove and refrigerator for about $70-$80 a night.

We spent a lot of time sitting on the porch watching the antics of the red squirrel. Sometimes they would run right across the porch just inches from our feet. They're pretty bold for an animal that's only half the size of a gray squirrel.

Their  tails look like some sort of plant I might find in a field on a Fall day. It looks like a cross between a cat-tail and a pussy willow.

The chipmunks kept us company too until the red squirrels chased them off.

The campground is located right along the Connecticut River. It has a hiking trail and their are canoe/and kayak rentals available. This stretch of river is good for bass fishing but there are some trout and walleye as well.  

I didn't put a lot of effort into pursuing birds but we were able to observe a few interesting species right from the porch. Cedar Waxwings, Black-throated green Warbler, Northern Parula and American Redstarts were all observed as they landed in the sumac plants.The temperature in Connecticut was in the mid 90's but it seemed much cooler where we were. The evergreens provided shade and there was a light breeze coming off the river. Of course, you don't exactly work up a sweat when you're sitting on a porch watching squirrels.

note:.The cabin we had (eagle) was in close view of the next cabin over but had a decent river view. The Osprey cabin had the most privacy so that is the one that I would rent if I were to go back to this campground.

Customized Notebooks For Sloppy Birders?

I like to keep a record of what I see while I'm out birdwatching but I've never been satisfied with the notebooks or checklists I've used. I finally decided that my best option would be to design my own field notebook instead of buying one online or at a store.

I started out using simple checklists like this one, that recently I found stuffed under my truck seat. Checklists are convenient because the names of the birds are already printed out. All you have to do is record the species you see in check box. I have a few issues with using these checklists.  I have a few issues with using checklists like this one: 

1. There are hundreds of species printed on this list but I only see an average of about 40 per outing.
2. The print is very small and there isn't much room to make extra notes or sketches.
3. They end up under my truck seat with coffee stains on them instead of being neatly filed away.

I've used notebooks like these to take notes as well. They allow me the freedom to take notes or make sketches but I also have to write in every species I see by hand. That is a tedious chore and my penmanship is not exactly stellar. I was born left handed but for some mysterious reason an elementary school teacher decided I should write with my right hand.

It finally occurred to me that I might be able to design my own customized field  notebook. The first step was to put together a checklist of birds that I see most often and then put them on to an excel spreadsheet (with some help from my cousin-thanks Bob). It was difficult for me to decide which species to leave off the list and how to organize them. The order I used was a mix of  alphabetical, taxonomic, and whatever I felt would work for me. The final step was went to have the notebooks printed up at a print shop. I opted for using spiral binding and a heavier grade of paper. There are cheaper ways of going about this project, like using a 3 ring binder, but cutting costs was not my primary objective.

Each checklist takes up the front and back of a single page. The back of each page also has room for additional species that weren't included on my checklist. On my first outing with this new notebook I had to write in Orchard Oriole. I don't mind writing a few species in by hand, especially birds that I don't see often.

 I decided not to alternate blank pages between the checklists. Instead, I included a separate section in the back in case I decide to make additional notes or drawings which can be referenced back to a particular checklist. The notebook is not perfect but it's better than anything I've used before. The nice part about it is that further adjustments can be made in the future if needed. 

  My final cost was $12 per notebook. A little pricey, but in the end it was well worth it to me. Most birders are probably fine with the system they use now but if you are a disorganized birder like me, a customized notebook might be an option to consider. 

Birding Jackets From A Second Hand Store?

I bought this second hand Eddie Bauer jacket at a Goodwill store for just $6.00 after my search for a new birding jacket at several local sporting goods stores came up short. It might not be the latest style but that shouldn't be an issue for someone whose wardrobe consists mainly of Dickee's work pants and Fruit of The loom T-shirts.
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What I like about the jacket is the neutral color, it has 2 horizontal pockets deep enough to carry a field guide, it's light enough to use most of the year, and it has a zipper that doesn't get stuck (if you've ever had a coat with a zipper that constantly gets caught on the material then you know what I'm talking about). In addition, I paid someone a few dollars to add a pocket to the inside of the jacket which can hold the 5x7 Rite in the Rain notebook that I recently purchased.

Sometimes it pays to check the second hand stores. Not only did it save me money but I rack up a few points for "Going Green"!

Meopta 8x32 Binoculars Are Top-Notch

I recently received Meostar B1 8x32 binoculars from Meopta. They are looking for feedback from birders about their new 32mm series. I used them for birding during the past two weekends which gave me a unique opportunity to put them to the test under various conditions.

When I first received the Meostars, I gave them a quick try by out in my backyard. I was amazed at how wide the field of view was. My Swift binoculars have a 341' field of view but the Meopta's offer an impressive 420 feet at 1000 yards. Not only do they have a wide field of view but the image is very flat and sharp from edge to edge.

I took them out for a field trial at Wangunk Meadows the next morning. It was a grey, overcast day and their was a light mist in the air. These are not ideal viewing conditions but the binoculars performed very well under these conditions. I watched as Song Sparrows popped up on top of some tall weeds and was impressed by the detail I could see around the edge of one Song Sparrow's eye. I was able to get very close since the close focus for the 32's is only 5.7 feet .

These binoculars have a very solid, compact design. They are only 20 ounces but the feel very balanced and they fit very comfortably in my hands. They have some raised texture and thumb indentations which improve the grip.

I found that these binoculars provided the best viewing experience when I was zeroed in on a bird that was out in the open. The wide field of view in this compact binocular made it so easy to follow a bird that was moving around in a tree or flying overhead. I also noticed nice color and contrast while viewing Mallards in the Connecticut River.
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I have heard that 32mm binoculars don't work as well in low light conditions as 42mm binoculars do but I didn't have any problems seeing when I used them at dusk.
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-I've read about chromatic aberrations and color fringing in binoculars but didn't notice anything like that. I figure why bother looking for it if it isn't a problem. I'd rather watch birds.
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The only shortcoming of these binoculars was their depth of field. When I watched birds that were set back in the woods it was noticeable. I could focus on individual birds but you didn't get that nice 3d effect that you are able to get when looking through 42mm binoculars. A few other details to add: the diopter is located near the center focus. It was easy to adjust and did not move out of focus. The eyecups are adjustable twist and click type that work well. The neck strap had extra cushion and was very comfortable. I didn't like the felt carry bag but I understand that they have already changed it to a new style.
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My final test came when I compared the Meopta 8x32 binoculars to other top brand 8x32 binoculars including Swarovski. I found the image from the Meoptas to be be just as good as the other top brands but at $800 they are about half the price.

There are a lot of excellent binoculars available these days in the $300-$1,000 dollar range. I have tried several of them and have found some that would be an upgrade from my $300 Swift Ultralite but the Meoptas are the only ones I tried in this price range that seemed to be right up there with the best of them. I am looking forward to trying the 8x42 models soon.

*Never buy binoculars based solely on someone else's opinion. Always try them yourself and form your own opinions.

Enjoying The Extra Daylight

It's such a nice change to come home from work before the sun goes down. I took a short walk on a trail near my house that passes by the Brownstone Quarries. The stone from these quarries was used in a number of landmark buildings including Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and New Haven. They are still in operation now but on a much smaller scale. I used to go swimming in these quarries but haven't done so for many years. They made swimming off limits here because of too many accidents. I haven't seen a great variety of species here but once in a while I'm surprised by something I see. I enjoyed a nice view of a Green heron here last year. Tonight the only birds that I noticed were Common grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds. They seemed to have quite a bit of communication going on from one location to another. They were also doing a little bit of the old puff up the feather displays.Knowing that I was about due for a post, I wanted to get at least one picture to add for tonight. It wasn't working out but this male Northern Cardinal finally posed for a picture from about 20' up in a tree. not exactly what I had in mind but at least the sunlight was hitting it

This weekend I stopped by the new Cabela's store in East Hartford, Connecticut. I was checking out some of the hunters blinds wondering if I might be able to use them to aid in bird photography and I came across this one. It kind of reminds me of what avid hunters might use as a baby stroller. It is called the Ameristep Chair Blind. It looks pretty small but I was able to sit inside comfortably so I figured for $60 I would give it a try.

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On Sunday, I went to Wangunk Meadows on the Glastonbury end hoping to get a look at some Blue-winged Teal which had been reported there the night before. This place is less than 5 miles from where I live. As I was entering the meadows, I had a nice view of a very noisy Pileated Woodpecker. I walked through the field a ways and then I saw an over sized mud puddle filled with Green-winged Teal. There were 50 or 60 of them in a little tiny mud hole. Now I can relate to the term "puddle ducks" I've heard some birders use. I set up my scope and started sorting through the ducks hoping to find a Blue-winged Teal. A male Northern Pintail caught my eye. That is one nifty looking duck and the name fits it well. I had one nice look at the pintail someone let their dog loose for a little run. Apparently, ducks don't care much for dogs.

I left this area but returned about an hour later. There was just a couple of green-winged teal in the puddle so I thought that I would try out the blind. It sets up very easy. You basically just open the chair and the blind falls into place. I set the blind up about 50 feet away from the puddle. Sitting inside was not a problem but the spot where I set it up was muddy. It was difficult to set the tripod and camera set up the way I wanted it. The next time I try this, I will definitely be more organized. Once I was inside, I could hear ducks flying by but I don't think they were all that fooled by the blind. Maybe it needed to be located near a tree or something to make it look a little bit more natural. One teal finally came in for a landing but I only took one blurry shot before it was off too. I will have to experiment more with this product before I decide whether or not it was worth it. It's definitely not going to be as easy as I thought.

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After leaving the meadows, I went to Pine Brook Bog off of Terp Road in East Hampton I counted 75 Ring-necked Ducks but I believe the total was closer to 100. I found it to be quite an awesome sight. There was a few Wood ducks there as well.

Great Blue Herons are starting to show up around Portland too. I think this photo was from last year at the fairgrounds. I know of an area where there is a heron rookery with about 100 nests. I'll be looking forward to checking in on them soon.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

What have you been doing to take advantage of the extra daylight?

A Great In"vest"ment If You Need Pockets!

I bought a Uncle Milty's Travel Vest about two years ago at the Quonset Surplus Store in Portland, CT. I knew that I wanted a vest with plenty of pockets that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I paid $25 for the vest and have certainly gotten my money's worth out of it. A few people have asked me where they could buy such a vest since I've started using it. There are, of course, many varieties of these types of vests on the market but I have no complaints about this one.

Here are a few details about this vest:

• It has a total of 17 pockets.
• There are 4 zippered pockets, all of them are in front - two measure 12" x 8". The other two are 9" x 6 ".
• The rest of the pockets are velcro and are of various sizes. There are two 12" x 7" pockets on the inside of the vest.
  

Here are a few of the items that I typically carry in my vest (depending on the time of the year and individual needs based on the area I'm visiting): toilet paper (multi-purpose), bug repellent, The Sibley's Field Guide (pocket-size), The Sibley Guide To Birds (I don't usually carry this-but it fits!), checklist, pen, pencils, pencil sharpener, sketch book, gloves, micro-fiber cloth and blower brush to clean my binocular/camera lenses.

I've had a few interesting experiences while wearing my vest:

• I was once birding near the Eight Mile River in East Haddam when a game warden stopped to question me. He asked me if I had a fishing license and wondered where my gear was.
• While birding at Wangunk Meadows in Portland, 3 guys on ATV's saw me taking notes in my sketch book. They stopped cold and drove the other way. I guess they thought I was someone of authority and knew they weren't supposed to be riding ATV's there!
• A couple of times while I was out on a Sunday, I've been reminded that "there is no hunting".
• People have mistaken me for someone from the D.E.P and asked if it was okay for them to be walking in the area we were in when I should have been asking the same question.

If you are fashion conscious, then this vest may not be for you. If it's pockets you're looking for, Uncle Milty's Travel Vest has them!

Gathering Berries And Acorns For The Winter

I decided to gather a few acorns and a variety of berries today. What do I do with them?-you ask. I collect them and store them. The berries go in a can that I keep in the freezer. The acorns are kept in a can in a shady part of my yard. When winter comes, I put them out in my yard on a tray for the birds and critters. The reason I wait until winter, is that fruit and acorns are much harder to come by that time of the year. Birds are more selective about the type of berries they will eat when they are able to pick their own right off of the tree/bush. I will usually wait for a very cold day or a snowstorm, when the birds are extra hungry. I smash the acorns up before serving them. The birds go after them with much enthusiasm. By the way, does anyone know what kind of tree is in the top photo? I have one in my yard, and the birds gobble the berries up quickly!

This is an idea that saves you a little money. More importantly, it's just something fun to do. It's interesting to see which birds will go after these natural foods.

• If you collect berries, make sure you know what you're picking, store them in a safe manner, and wear gloves!

-About My Feeders And Birdbath -

I've had a number of different bird feeders over the past several years. These are the feeders I now have in my backyard, and why I have them. The above feeder, is a counter-balance bird feeder filled with Black Oil Sunflower Seed. I originally had a platform feeder. The problem with a platform feeder is that they attract big messy birds like pigeons. There's something wrong with a feeder that allows birds to eat and poop in the same place. This counter-balance feeder attracts a variety of birds (Like this male Cardinal) but closes up when squirrels try to get at the seed.

This feeder takes a little bit of explaining. This is a tube feeder surrounded by a squirrel proof cage. It is filled with shelled sunflower seeds. It has a plastic dome that protects the seed from rain. I duct-taped twine to the dome. The twine is attached about every 4 inches. The reason I did this, is that House Sparrows were taking over the feeder. The hanging twine does not stop House Sparrows from using this feeder completely. It does however, discourage them from using this feeder. The House Sparrows seem very uncomfortable trying to penetrate this string barrier. Now that the House Sparrows have lost their dominance over this feeder, the number of Tufted Titmice, Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-Capped Chickadees, and American goldfinches have increased significantly. These birds don't seem to be bothered by the hanging twine. The idea for hanging strings, came from a product called the Magic Halo. I've only tried this with tube feeders. You may have to experiment, in order to get the best results. The feeder on the left, is a metal Nyjer feeder. It has a metal screen type design. I used to have a plastic feeder. The seed ended up wet, clumped up, and moldy. I don't have those problems with this particular feeder. Below the two feeders is a squirrel baffle. If you use these according to directions, you will not have a squirrel problem. I had painted it with silver paint in order to camouflage the bird poop that ends up on it. Looks like it's time for a new paint job.

This is a shelled peanut feeder with a Northern Flicker attached to it. These feeders attract some of the same birds that suet feeders do. The advantage is, that peanuts do not melt like suet does, and the screen design slows the rate at which birds can eat the peanuts. A dome over the top is a must for this feeder. Otherwise, the peanuts will spoil in no time. Let's take a break to sing the National Anthem. Put your right hand over your heart.

A birdbath with dripping water is a good solution if you don't have the time or money to set up a backyard pond. I hung a watering can from a tree by a bungee cord. I removed the spout, and replaced it with a plastic spout from a dish washing detergent bottle. If I set it to a slow drip, it will last 24 hours off of one fill. Birds go crazy over the sound of dripping water!

So those are my four feeders and birdbath. I bought my feeders from Birds Unlimited. They charge good money for their feeders, but I think they are worth it in the long run. I used home made solutions for the dripper and the House Sparrow problem.

That's about all I have for tonight. I'll look forward to doing some birding, and posting my results this weekend!

Is a cheap scope worth it?

After birding with just binoculars for three years, I wondered if it was time to buy a spotting scope. I wanted to expand my birding by watching more gulls, shorebirds, and water birds. Having a spotting scope would be very helpful in these situations.

As I started to gather information about spotting scopes, I came to the conclusion that I would probably have to spend over a $1,000 to buy a good one. This was not in the budget for the time being. I decided to buy the least expensive scope I could find, knowing that I would eventually want a good one anyway. The question is-Was it worth it for me to buy this
$150 Alpen 15-45x45 Spotting scope? I would say that it does serve a purpose for me. I use it occasionally to get a closer look at waterbirds. I have used it to take a quick look at shorebirds from convenient locations. I have also used it to spot a mystery bird on the ground or in a tree. I often balance it against my truck window and use it to make a quick i.d. I can also stuff it in my vest pocket so I can use it in a pinch.

How well does it work? In terms of actually viewing a bird for the purpose of identification, it works pretty well. If lighting conditions are low, I don't bother using it. If it is windy, I don't bother using it. I have it mounted on my wife's old video camera tripod right now. I know this is just plain wong.
My next step would be to spend a little money on getting a more stable tripod that I might be able to use on a better scope down the road.

I have had the chance to look through several high end scopes. One major difference between my budget scope and one of the better ones is actually something that I hadn't considered--the size of the eyepiece. My scope has a small eyepiece. Looking though a larger eyepiece makes a huge difference! Imagine watching birds in your back yard through a paper towel tube. Now compare this to watching them through a nice clean picture window-you get the idea.

To sum it up:

• It was worth the money- but it doesn't provide a joyful viewing experience.
• I haven't tried to use it for digi-scoping yet.
• A good tripod is very important. That would be my next move.
• I hate carrying around scopes -if I had the money I would not only get a better scope, but would also hire a scope caddy (like golfers have).
• I wish that I had tried to find one with a bigger eyepiece.
• I'm going to upgrade my binoculars before I get a new scope.

Do you enjoy using a spotting scope to view birds or do you prefer birding with binoculars? What type of birds do you most enjoy viewing through a scope?

How Did You Choose Your Binoculars?

When I started actively birding about 3+ years ago, I had a pair of 7x35 Tasco

Porro Prism Binoculars. (It's actually just binocular but that doesn't sound right). They were as good as Leica's or Swarovski's since I didn't even know what those were at that time.-To me, the $35 Tascos were perfectly clear and sharp.

It wasn't until I started to go birding with other birders, that I became aware that my Tascos were socially unacceptable. Every so often, someone would tease me a little about them. They would offer to let me try their fancy roof prism binoculars, to see how I liked them. I liked them o.k.-until they told me how much they payed for them.-No way was I going to pay $1500 for binoculars.

Then came the 100 degree day when I left the Tascos on the dashboard of my truck. The glue that held the lenses melted like the wicked witch and my precious binoculars were done.

Next came along the little Nikon Travelite V porro binoculars that my brother-in-law gave me. These nifty little bins could focus in on something five feet in front of me. They provided a great view for $75 binoculars. The very small field of view wasn't sufficient for birding in the field. I now keep these handy to watch birds at my feeders. They are perfect for that purpose.

I bought 8x56 Orion Mini-Giants online for about $120. My plan was to use them for some light astronomy.They aren't bad but wouldn't recommend them.I keep them in a cooler in my truck in case I see some birds while commuting to and from work. I also recently bought

Nikon action 7x35's for my wife. They are good entry level binoculars and are a good back up pair (for me too).

After two years, I realized that I was going to be hooked on birding forever. At this point, I decided that I needed better binoculars. This is when I discover a major problem with binoculars. There are too many of them! With the amount of time I spent reading reviews, I could have worked overtime and bought top-of the-line bins and been done with it. There are just too many "pretty good" ones to be able to figure out which ones to get. I don't know of a shop that carries every brand and model to try out. It is just too much trouble.

Although reviews help give you basic information, its not worth obsessing over them. If you can't or don't want to buy the best, go to a local binocular dealer-try them-buy them and be done with it. If you can afford the best-try them buy them-and be done with it. You can't rely completely on someone else's review. What works for their eyes may not work for yours.-You need to try them first. Another good way of doing that is trying out other people's binoculars.

After all the fussing, I chose the Swift Ultralite roof prism binoculars.

They have the following features:

• are extremely bright (ultralite refers to the brightness not weight).


• they are waterproof


• a lifetime warranty(which I recently made use of-excellent service).


• a very fast focus wheel


• they are relatively sharp


• sell for about $300


• Bak-4 phase coated optics

These are excellent roof prism binoculars for the price. When I was at the Eagle Fest , I decided to try out binoculars at the optics tents they had set up. Most of the ones I tried were o.k. but didn't really impress me. When I tried the Swarovski 8.5x42 that changed. They fit my eyes perfectly, and have to admit they were sharper, more comfortable, and had a better field of view than my current ones. Will I break the bank and buy some?-Yes-as soon as I can.

Here are two binocular reviews: Cornell Binocular Review & Better View Desired.

How did you go about choosing your binoculars?