In a message dated 02/10/2000 9:30:29 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< Me, Betty, but we're pretty limited in our songbird populations around
here:
 too many English Sparrows, Grackles, feral cats.  You're lucky in Va.  You
 have the Atlantic Flyway for the waterfowl, you have shorebirds, you're far
 enough south for a decent songbird population.

Ha -- listen Kyle, when I go into DC I check out the rock doves.  I have
really come to appreciate the color phases in the past few years.  We have a
1400+ acre woodland and freshwater wetland here in Alexandria that is
terrific for everything:  Warblers "in season,"  Eastern Bluebirds, ducks,
raptors -- all of it.  Of course, there are all the other usual wildlife
species too -- I'm getting into reptiles as well.  They only have Northern
Watersnakes there though -- it's still interesting because they are right
next to the birdwalk and you can really see their behavior up close.  This
place is wheelchair accessible too.  This has been a difficult winter for a
lot of reasons so I haven't been lately, unfortunately.

You're right about Virginia.  I'm hoping things will settle down a bit here
so I can do some birdwatching on the Chesapeake Bay.

A couple of years ago, I had the chance to see crossbills about 40 miles from
here -- that was just too cool!  Last year I went to San Diego for
birdwatching purposes and hooked up with a guy who has osteogenesis
imperfecta.  He has been birding all over the world and his list is over
5000.  Is that impressive or what?  He took me to all the accessible birding
spots in SD County and I'm telling you it was the greatest vacation I could
have hoped for.  I wanted to go to Baja California while I was there but he
told me there were only four species that I couldn't see in SD and he thought
it was too risky to go at the time.  I took his advice since he lives there.
But I had a fantastic time -- just fantastic!

 Do you have a decent binocular/spotting scope setup?  Where do you like to
 trek?  Are you "into" waterfowl at all?  Do you do avian photography?

I have a leica 20-60 scope/angled eyepiece, and Swift 8x42 bins.  I really
wanted Swarovski's but they are too heavy for me to handle -- too much shake.
 The Swifts are perfect.  Right now they are out on loan to a good friend,
but that's okay because I can't do what I want to do at the moment.  I have a
pretty good set up, and I strap the scope onto the left side of my wheelchair
with about 9 million pieces of velcro.  I can also rest the binoculars on the
scope when my arms get too tired to hold them steady.

The leica has an arrangement so that you can turn the body to the side
without losing your object.  That way I can share my sightings with other
people.  Kids I run into when I'm birding love it because the set up is
height-freindly for them (also a good chance to do passive disability
awareness training).  Not too many people will share their scope sightings
with kids, I've noticed.  I don't know if it's the height thing or if their
afraid that the kid will do something to their scope.  I don't care though.
The child is more important than the scope.

I am into waterfowl, and I would love to pursue avian photograph too.  I just
don't have the equipment.  That's my next move, but I don't know squat about
photography.

I'd really love to go to Peru, Australia, and South Africa for a birdwatching
expedition. But you know how it is $$$$.  One day, one day...


 -Kyle >>