gls@hare.udev.cdc.com (gl sprandel x4707) (12/02/89)
Re: Binoculars One thing to be aware of if whether the person your buying the binoculars for wears glasses or not. If they do wear glasses you want to find binocs with long eye relief. A long eye relief means you can use the binocs with the glasses on. I have the Nikon 7x35 E and have good luck with them with my glasses. I have tried Leitz compacts with my glasses without much luck. As as aside does anyone know which spotting scope has the longest eye relief? Re: Crows and hawks I occasionally see crows mobbing hawks, and more often mobbing great-horned owls. If I hear a mob (? or is that gang?) of crows I try to run and see what the ruckus is -- this is a good way to find owls. Re: Thanksgiving I had the good fortune of being in the Colorado mountains,79degreesF, mainly baby-sitting but did see White-breasted and Pygmy nuthatches, Stellars Jays, Clarks nutcrackers, ravens, Magpies, siskens and purple finches . If anyone knows good birding spots near Denver or Ft Collins I would be interested in them, since I occasionanly get back to CO. Minnesota:Re Gulls Colder now. White wing crossbills continuing southward all the way into Iowa. Also Oldsquaws seen in lake Superiour, and a Glaucous and Thayers gull here in town. Re: Bird books The national geographic book is nice because it at least tries to picture the immature or fall plumage Are the pictures any better in the 2nd edition? Gary - ps. Thanks for the posting about birds in warm places (CA, FLA) as winter approaches in MN I bird less (and work more). Gary Sprandel gls@hare.udev.cdc.com Telephone <612> 482-4707 Control Data Corporation ARH254, 4201 N. Lexington, Arden Hill MN, 55126 USA