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Birding Tools of the Trade: Advanced

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  When heading out with just some binoculars and a birding app (as described in the first part of this series) frustrates you because you aren't able to identify some far-off birds, or they don't hold still long enough for you to get a good look, perhaps it is time to consider some more advanced equipment.  I'm talking spotting scopes and cameras! Spotting Scopes    Spotting scopes are essentially a portable telescope.  They have an upright image and are pretty simple to use.  A tripod is required to use one effectively.  Like binoculars, they have a magnification and a diameter as the two main specs.  Typically, a scope for birding will have a magnification in the range of 20X to 60X which is great for birds that are too far away to get a good look at with binoculars.  Diameters range from 50mm to about 100mm with 80mm being the most common size. Some scopes have a straight viewfinder and others have an angled viewfinder.  I recommend the angled version for birdwatching.
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Birding Tools of the Trade: The Basics

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  As I mentioned in my previous post , it doesn't take anything to get started with birding beyond your eyes, ears and a guidebook or app.  Once you have a taste for the thrill of ID'ing a bird, you will likely want to add a few tools to help you further enhance your abilities.  I'll break down the common equipment into basic and advanced categories.  The basics require relatively modest investments in money and effort to use.  The advanced are for more serious birding that require more money and time.  This week covers the basics. Note- Some Amazon links in here go through the Amazon associates program which may earn me a commission if purchased through the link but are otherwise not a paid promotion.  Recommendations are based on my own purchase and use of the products. The Basics Guidebooks A good, comprehensive guidebook is indispensable, and I strongly recommend collecting some of these.  In my beginner days, I would carry a book in my backpack when I went out birdwatc
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Give Birding a Try

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  I'm not really a fan of the term "birder".  It sounds too serious.  Too hardcore.  It gives the impression that is your identity and raison d'etre.  I'm more of a softcore birder.  (Is that the right term?!)  "Birdwatching" is a more apt label for what I do.  That relaxed manner is probably why my birding skills are barely beyond novice even though I started this hobby nearly 20 years ago!  However, "birding" is easier to say and type, so I will use it throughout the rest of this article to encompass both hardcore birding and softcore casual birdwatching. Birding topics will be a recurring theme on this blog.  Today's post provides an introduction to the field for those who have perhaps never given any thought to birds and an encouragement to start trying to identify the birds you see around you.  Unlike most of my posts that use stock photos, all bird pictures in this post are my own. Loggerhead Shrike; Grand Canyon National Park, AZ Wh
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What does a post-growth society look like?

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  A recent article in The Morning newsletter from the New York Times rekindled a smoldering ember of thought that resides in a corner of my mind.  It has never burned hot enough to inspire me to serious study on the subject, but this time it has at least motivated me enough to write about it.  The topic is growth; how our society and economy are dependent on it, why I think that is problematic, and how it can change.  My thoughts on this subject are not well formed at this time and, unusually for Wisdumb, I offer no answers, only more questions. The Times article covered the aging population of Japan and showed the chart below projecting other major economies and the world as a whole being on the brink of a rapidly aging populous. The article primarily focused on the social impacts of this aging population, in particular that Japan is running out of workers.  It posits the only solution is to bring in more immigrants.  This is what bothers me and stokes that ember in the back of my min
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Dolphin S200 Pool Cleaning Robot Drive Motor Repair

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 I've spent the past two weeks doing battle with my pool cleaning robot and want to share what I've learned so others can fix their own if they run into the same problem. My robot is a Maytronics Dolphin S200.  The internals are probably very similar or identical to other models, and I think there are even rebranded versions, so the details below likely apply to a fair amount of the population.  These robots are pretty expensive to buy, but they are, in my opinion, the best way to clean my pool.  My pool is surrounded by pine trees and they are always dropping stuff in the water, so I keep my robot in the pool and it runs daily on its timer with little intervention from me and uses much, much less electricity than my previous pressure-side pool cleaner. Rant on Robot Manufacturer Greed There is a lot of markup on these robots.  The S200 I got for $600 in 2017 (and its equivalents) now sell for more than $1000.  The exact same design.  No new technology in it.  No new R&D to
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Car Shopping in 2023: The Exciting Conclusion!

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  If you recall my August post on starting a car search, I presented a list of requirements that I wanted my new car to meet.  If you don't recall, go ahead and reread it.  I'll wait.  I had to do that to remember what I wrote as I can't remember what happened yesterday, much less four months ago! As expected, I had to compromise on some of my requirements.  After test driving most of the cars on my list of options, I ended up buying a 2018 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum, shown here after hauling a bunch of scouts up to Vermont for a backpacking trip just hours after I drove it off the lot.   Incidentally, this photo has an easter egg for a future backpacking product review. Now that I have had the car for a month or so, let's check out the score card and see how I did: Good Highway Gas Mileage (7 out of 10) Reliability (7 out of 10) Good towing capacity (10 out of 10) Cargo Capacity  >40 preferred. (10 out of 10) Wireless Android Auto (3 out of 10) Heated and Ventilate
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