Buy James a new scope!

I rolled up at Wilderness Road last weekend hoping to see my first-ever Black-necked Stilt. I setup my tripod and pulled out my scope, ready to scan acres of mudflat for my 363rd life bird, but when I put my eye to the glass: nothing! Blackness! My venerable old spotting scope had bit the dust at last.

One of the lenses in my spotting scope is damaged, and they way they're built, it's not something that can be easily repaired. So I'm in the market for a new scope. For those unfamiliar with birding optics, a scope is used for long-range identification, for seeing those birds that are too shy for binoculars. Spotting scopes serve another purpose though, because attached to a tripod they can be trained on a stationary bird and then left in position to allow others to view. Think of it as a bird-sharing device.

I'm not going for top-of-the-line optics, but spotting scopes are expensive. I'm planning to purchase from locally-owned Time and Optics, a great little store in Amish country that does a great deal for Ohio birding, so in a sense even the purchase will go to a good cause.

If you enjoy seeing what I post online, or if I've ever helped you find or ID a tricky bird, maybe you'll consider sparing a few dollars. I'd really appreciate it! Hopefully we'll run into each other at some point, and I'll be able to offer you a look at a Plover, an Owl, or some other awesome bird. Thanks!