I saw an Accipiter. I think it was a Cooper's Hawk, or perhaps, a Sharp Shinned Hawk. They look very similar to me, and I did not get to gawk at it for long enough to decide. She watched me a lot more than I watched her, I am sure. She noticed everything, and did a bit of preening too. That was nice to see.
pixabay
During winter different species of birds flock together for safety, due to trees having no foliage to hide in, and a loss of competitiveness that they have during the raising of offspring, and the setting up of territories during spring & summer.
The mixed flock I saw today consisted of Bluebirds aplenty (strikingly blue during the dead of winter), Slate Backed Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, and some small brown ones I could not identify.
What I find phenomenal about them, is that they are "extremely close focusing" (1.5'). If you straighten an arm in front of you, you can focus on your hand. AMAZING. What this means is that they are almost a "binocular microscope". Insects can be studied up close. (Really up close.) They have a tripod mount, which works great for extended studies of arthropods, and foliage, at your feet. You can study tree bark, and butterfly wings, hence the name Papilio.
They still function well as a lightweight, compact binocular, for everyday use. I like having binoculars with the added benefit of (almost) Binocular Microscopy at my disposal. The Pentax Papilios really do open up the natural world.
Later, Cy Brown
