Phonescoping with the new Nokia 6280

Phonescoping is basically digiscoping but involves using a cameraphone instead of a compact digital camera to obtain images through a field scope (a Kowa 821 in my case). Quality is obviously lower but I find it much more fun without the hassle of adaptors and doesn’t interfere with normal birding… and remember your little piece of technology is primarily a phone! Phonescoped images are perfectly acceptable for display on web pages but until the optical quality and image size increases you probably won’t want to print off most of your results.

I received my free phone upgrade on Wednesday. Having used the Nokia 6630 for nearly a year I went for the new Nokia 6280 which has the benefit of a 2 megapixel camera (1.3 MP on the 6630) and the latest 262,144-color display (320 x 420 pixels). A quick lunch break in Regent’s Park in central London allowed me to grab the shots below. Initial impressions reveal that the images are better with the 6280 than the older 6630. If I have time I may post some comparison shots at a later date.

Even though the displays are of similar size on both models, the 6280 functions in landscape mode (during camera operation – the mobile is turned length-ways on its side) and the entire screen becomes the viewfinder (unlike the 6630). I uploaded some of my DSLR photos to the phone to use as wallpaper and they look stunning…at least on par with a PC monitor.

Nokia site with info on the 6280

Last Laugh

I was back up in my home county of Ayrshire last weekend for another flying visit. The long-staying Laughing Gull (nearly two months) was developing its dark hood and I hoped to get some new photographs... but, of course, as often happens, it was last seen on Wednesday. Despite looking for an hour at Saltcoats on Saturday, there was no sign.

Phoned Birdline Scotland on Sunday in case a more observant birder had located it. No more sightings of the American gull but a report of a Northern Grey Shrike over the border in Renfrewshire saw me head up to Lochwinnoch to see this rare winter visitor. The Shrike was too distant for digiscoping/phonescoping much less traditional photography.

Below is a shot of the Laughing Gull from my previous visit in early February plus a selection of other birds photographed in poor light at the weekend.

London Wetland Centre WWT

Hoped to get some Bittern shots from the WWT hide on Saturday but the bird didn't show well for me - the next day it was apparently just a couple of metres away! The light was very grey most of the day until a brief period late afternoon when the low sun broke through allowing me to get a few photographs of a Grey Heron. Just as impressive as a Bittern, but still, we'd all prefer the skulker!

The Stow & The Valley

Visited Walthamstow Reservoirs in London and River Lee Country Park further north in the Lee Valley at the weekend. Walthamstow has one of the largest inland Cormorant breeding colonies in the British Isles and River Lee CP around Fisher's Green is famous for the Bittern Watchpoint. Neither the Cormorants or the Bittern were performing well for photographs but the late winter/early spring light was really fantastic on the regular birds. Below is small selection of photographs.

Visit the Lee Valley Park Website

Ring-billed Gull

Took the Docklands Light Railway down to the Isle of Dogs in East London to see the Ring-billed Gull yesterday. This long-staying/returning individual on the River Thames foreshore opposite Lovell's Wharf has been present in the area for several years and I've seen it as far north as Wanstead Flats and south of the river in Greenwich Park – both on occasions when I didn’t expect it. Of course as tends to happen when you purposely go looking for something, some birds decide not to behave. After two cold and windy hours scanning the River Thames I headed back towards Island Gardens station when the tide began to drop and expose some mud on the shore below the Thames Path. Many of the gulls that had been wheeling about in the wind seemed glad to have somewhere to rest. I ‘scoped the rapidly forming congregation and the second gull was the North American wanderer!

Wildlife in the City

I rarely visit Hampstead Heath, even though its just three stops away on the underground. After watching Bill Oddie’s Hampstead Heath programme on TV last week it got me sufficiently interested to make a trip. While I didn’t arrive particularly early (always recommended) I was instantly reminded why I don’t come here more often… too many people! But today there were even more. A national cross-country championship was getting underway and the place was turning into a mud bath. Of course the wildlife that does exist here is pretty resistant to human disturbance and the Green Woodpecker pictured below was digging in the turf just metres away from hundreds of passing runners (see further down). Add Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch, Kingfisher and Ring-necked Parakeet and it was really not a bad afternoon.

On your marks... get set...

... Go !

View from Parliament Hill, Hampstead Heath

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All photos on this blog are available to buy as 6" x 4" high-quality glossy prints. Prints are priced £2.50 including postage and packaging. Prints will have the text/copyright logo removed.

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Stonechat Launches Blog

Testing out my new blog. Perched on the post above is a photograph of a Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) which is Ayrshire's County Bird. This individual graced the cover of the Ayrshire Bird Report 2004.
Find out more here

Pics for profile, etc