|
 |
 |
|
Wildlife Photography and Writings of Harry Morse |
|
|
Swans Visit Southeast Idaho
Swans Stop Over In Southeast Idaho - April 1,
2003
Springtime is here and swans have returned to
Swanlake, Idaho. Living up to its name, the lake
currently hosts over 150 swans and several
thousands ducks and geese. It is alive with
quacks, honks, whistles, wing flapping and birds
anxious to head north.
Swan Lake is 48 miles south of Pocatello next to
Highway 91 just past the general store that
makes up Swanlake. It is a major stop over
Tundra and Trumpeter Swans headed north. Joining
the swans is a delightful variety of migrating
ducks and geese. Most of the swans using the
lake are Tundra swans. Magnificent birds, they
have 6 to 7 foot wingspans and weigh 20 to 25
pounds.
These are the flying mega fortresses of the bird
world. Big, strong and tough they fly thousands
of miles each year. Most are returning from the
Salt Lake Marshes where 40,000 rafted during the
winter and the Central Valley of California.
They move north as the ice comes off ponds and
lakes. The only bird bigger than the Tundra swan
is the Trumpeter swan, which can weigh up to 40
pounds and is the biggest flying bird in the
world.
On the water Trumpeter and Tundra swans are very
hard to tell apart until you hear them sound
off. A flock of trumpeters sound likes an
orchestra warming up. Tundra's have a deep
almost goose like sound that bounces off the
water that is often mistaken for the Canada
geese.
Swans dot the lake looking like white puffs on
blue water. Mixed in are hundreds of ducks and
geese. Cavorting about in flight over the lake
are sleek northern pintails sporting a black and
white spring suit of colors with a spiked black
tail feather sticking. This festive springtime
ritual is part of courtship. Goldeneye ducks
with shimmering greenish heads; bright golden
eyes and a jaunty white cheek patch make wakes
in the water like miniature tugboats churning
along.
Cinnamon Teal and Green wing teal keep their
distance from swans as they swim along bobbing
their heads. Teal are pint size, weighing not
much more than a pound. One of the fastest
flyers in the waterfowl world they are also one
of the most beautiful. The Cinnamon teal glisten
in the sun, a glowing cinnamon color radiates
off their feathers.
Novice and experienced birders enjoy this
springtime show. Canada geese ignore bird
watchers as they go through spring courtship
rituals. They preen, chase other geese away from
their partners and go through a series of neck
streches and wing flapping to stake out their
mate and the territory around them. It is a
great show.
To help you identify these winged creatures buy,
barrow or go to the library and check out a bird
book. They are easy to use and have great
colored pictures of birds that help you identify
what you see. Peterson Field Guides and the
Audubon Field Guide to North American birds are
useful tools and full of interesting
information.
Take a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope
along to get the best view of the birds
possible. Beg, barrow but don't steal a pair of
the best binoculars or a spotting scope. Good
optics magically cut the long distances and
gives you a fuller view of the swans and their
antics.
Take A Spring Drive
Swanlake is easy to get to. During March and
into early April you can expect to see swans,
ducks, geese and shorebirds. You can stop at one
of the pullouts next to Swan Lake and listen to
the gabble of waterfowl from your car. Don't
forget to take binoculars and a spotting scope
and plan on enjoying watching and listening to
these magnificent birds.
Good Optics Are Important
A pair of good binoculars or a spotting scope is
a must to watch springtime waterfowl. Good
"Glass" as experienced birders call it makes a
significant difference. Waterfowl are normally
50 to 150 yards away and a spotting scope of 20
power or more puts them at your fingertip.
A first time birders are probably better off
borrowing a pair of binoculars and going with
someone that has a spotting scope before making
an investment in optics. You don't have to be a
birding "Nut" to enjoy binoculars or a spotting
scope. My next door neighbor uses his spotting
scope to watch deer from his porch miles away on
the hillside and one mom in my neighbor hood
laughs about watching her kids a quarter of a
mile away at the bus stop in the morning. Mom's
eye is omnipotent.
Once you decide binoculars or a spotting scope
is what you need, get a good one. Try out some
of the top name brands. Invest in a good name
product like Leopold, Leica or Fijinon because
they will last you a lifetime and are durable
enough to let your kids or friends use them.
Leica Offers Photo Options
Watching swans with a Leica model 62 spotting
scope was a delight. The 20-60 power eyepiece
let me adjust the magnification without loosing
clarity. Leica is the benchmark of spotting
scopes. At 100 yards I could look into the eye
of a swan.
This model has an adaptor for taking pictures
that fits many 35 mm or digital camera. A dual
use optic really stretches the budget and means
carrying less gear in the field. It has an
exceptional focal length that is very forgiving
and precise focusing adjustments. Its light
gathering capabilities are amazing.
Leica model 62 spotting scope's crystal clear
viewing is breath taking. At Swan Lake a
motorist pulled over and asked what I was doing.
I invited him to look at the swans through the
spotting scope. He wanted to buy it from me on
the spot. New technology sets this scope apart.
Wildlife photography requires good telephoto
lenses. High power lenses are expensive and
often cost more than a Leica spotting scope. I
have taken photos with other spotting scopes
without much success and a lot of hassle. With
the model 62 you can attach an adaptor, snap on
your camera, focus and shoot. With digital
cameras you can hold cameras up to the lens and
shoot or use an adaptor. Before you buy any
spotting scope check out the specifications for
use with your camera!
Another outstanding optic company is Fujinon. I
have used Fujinon binoculars for most of my
career with fish and game agencies. Fujinon
makes precision camera lenses used worldwide and
exceptional binoculars.
While on patrol, the Fujinon binoculars assigned
to me survived being dropped in the Columbia
River, below zero weather and thumping along in
a patrol truck for thousands of miles and still
turned in superb performance.
The new Fujinon CD Series are crisp and clear
and one of the world's brightest roof prism
binoculars. They are easy to carry, compact, 100
percent waterproof, rubber coated and carry a
limited lifetime warranty. Focusing does not
tire your eyes. Very important to me since I
wear glasses, the retractable eyepieces make for
comfortable viewing.
When scooping out Swan Lake I use my binoculars
to find the birds and then zero in on individual
birds with the spotting scope. Get the best
optics you can. You want to see the swans and
ducks clearly and up close.
Like the mom who watches her kids at the bus
stop and friends of mine who borrow my
binoculars for sporting events, there are many
other uses for "Good Glass," year around. Just
try and keep the spotting scope away from your
star gazing kids or you might never get it back!
Looking at the moon is too cool! Not to mention
taking pictures of it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
