3 November 2010 - Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA | hand-held (no adapter)
This morning, the grosbeak returned to our backyard deck and I was able to get this photo which shows the pink spots on the breast better than the image I got yesterday.
2 November 2010 - Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 | Nikon FieldScope III | 30XWA | hand-held (no adapter)
This image is taken through our back window. The pose is not ideal and doesn't show the red spots on the breast very well, but I like the feather detail on the wings, especially the contrast between the fresh wing coverts and the duller retained juvenile primaries and secondaries. I also like the reflection in the bird's eye. This is an immature (1st year) male. It takes this species two years before the males acquire full breeding plumage.
2 November 2010 - Canon Powershot S3 through window.
2 November 2010 - Canon Powershot S3 through window.
1 November - Canon Powershot S3 through window.
This is a very uncommon visitor to California with most records in the Spring, but we seem to get a few each fall and winter. This individual showed up in our back yard 29 October 2010. It reappeared briefly on 31 October and the next day I was able to snap a few photos through our back window with a Canon PowerShot S3 using the optical zoom. Tuesday, he showed up again, so I moved some furniture to try to digiscope him. I invariably get more satisfying results digiscoping than I do with the optical zoom on the Canon P&S.