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This website has been set up for digiscopers & birders of all levels.
I'm not new to birdwatching, its something I've done on and off throughout my life, however it was missing something.
I stumbled across digiscoping, and never looked back. Now its something I'm passionate about, and wouldn't be on a reserve without my digiscoping equipment.
I've now been a digiscoper for 3 years.
I really aim to help others to digiscope, and hopefully this website will aid you in achieving some incredible photographic results!!
Lesser Whitethroat,
Gunton Cliff,
August 10 © D J A Porter
Wren,
Minsmere RSPB,
June 10 © D J A Porter
Dunlin
South Wales,
August 10 © G Robson
Visit The Bird Garden Blog by clicking below
Female House Sparrow,
Kessingland Cliff,
August 10 © D J A Porter
It makes birdwatching even better!
Most of my photos have been taken with equipment from the cheaper end of the market. You can, if you enjoy digiscoping, upgrade your equipment over time.
So don't panic if your early results aren't as good as you'd have hoped (see above!), as they will get better with good equipment and the two P's, Patience & Practice!
Rest assured that if I can digiscope, then you can too! I had little or no real experience of photography, but now I wouldn't be on a bird reserve without my digiscope kit.
None of the pictures on this website have been edited in any way, except to crop and resize them. I never adjust any of the photographic parameters, so what you see is exactly how the picture was taken.
So, if you're young or old(ish!), novice or pro then give it a go!
Digiscoping, A great way to get even closer to nature.
I hope you enjoy my site.
Juvenille Linnet,
Breydon South Wall,
August 10 © D.J.A Porter
Wheatear,
Lowestoft North Denes ,
September 10 © D.J.A Porter
Common Whitethroat,
Gunton Cliff,
August 10 © D J A Porter
Chiffchaff (?!),
Gunton Cliff,
August 10 © D.J.A Porter
A bit about me & where I go.....
I do most of my birdwatching & digiscoping in and around Lowestoft, a smallish town in the county of Suffolk, which is on the eastern coast of the United Kingdom. I occasionaly venture out a bit further, but as I'll never be a "Twitcher" I tend to stay on local patches (see page tabs above.)
Be it anything from a Blue Tit to a Bittern or a Goldfinch to a Golden Eagle I'm happy with whatever I see or get to take photos of. Getting all stressed out about one bird a hundred miles away is just no fun at all!
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There is now a Forum page to discuss any problems and to offer advise on Digiscoping, equipment etc. Look for the "Digiscoping Discussion" tab at the top of the page.
Latest News...
At last it seems like things are starting to happen!!
Firstly let me apologise to my regular readers for not reporting for so long. I hate letting my news get "stale" but there really hasn't been much to see or photograph.
I think I'll take August off next year!
Also, the weather has been so appalling that its been difficult to leave the house in anything other than a boat!
Still, as the banner above says, "Autumn is here!" Fruit & berries are on the bushes and trees. Seawatching numbers are rising as the winter passage of seabirds begins, and all species of Warblers, Wheatears, and Whinchats are hanging around coastal areas waiting for the opportunity to leave our shores for their winter haunts.
So, I went for a trek to Lowestoft North Denes & Gunton Cliff to try to see the reported Whinchats & Wheatears.
The Wheatears as always were playing around with the Meadow Pipits by the sea wall, whilst the Whinchats were nowhere to be seen, I always seem to dip on them!
Some Pied & Spotted Flycatchers had been reported further north, but alas, all I could find to start was 3 Linnet, which seem to be all I see at the moment!
I decided to look around a bit, and before long, came across a small dip in the ground, by an old pillbox.
Something flitting around caught my eye in a fruit tree, it was a female blackcap, and its man friend!
Brilliant! At last something different, and that wasn't all that was there.
Common Whitethroats, a Lesser Whitethroat, 3 juvenille Chiffchaffs, a robin, and some greenfinches were all present, feeding from the fruit on the bushes. It was really lovely to be there, my only regret being that I didn't have my camouflage with me!
I got some reasonable pictures, which seem to be my first for yonks, and at last something to look at!!
Hopefully this is the start of a good winters birding!
Also, on another note. The Sparrow population around Kessingland Cliff seems to be thriving, as I found out the Saturday before. There were hundreds of them!!
Previous News...
Through my website I have been lucky enough to talk to many different people.
One of them, Bazza, has been in regular contact for some time now, and with him being local to me, at Bury St Edmunds, we decided to meet and have a days birding and digiscoping.
We went to Lackford Lakes Nature Reserve, which is owned by the Suffolk Wildlife Trust, much like Hen Reedbeds & Carlton Marsh, which I visit all the time.
Lackford Lakes, I assume, is one of SWT's flagship reserves, as the reserve was very well maintained, with a state of the art visitor centre.
The hides were excellent, as were the expanses of water. Lackford Lakes used to be a quarry, but now is the home to many birds and insects.
There wasn't a great deal here to look at, however this is due to the time of year. Wildfowl numbers will start to increase over the coming months.
After Lackford we went to Cavenham/Tuddenham Heath.
This heath is owned by Natural England, and consists of farmers fields, and lovely rolling heathland.
Stone Curlews had been promised, and as soon as we parked we could hear their flutey call. A short walk later and we were presented with not 1 or 2 Stone Curlew, but at least 10!! All of them walking, running or flying. I'd argue that there is no better place to see them.
Along with these magnificent birds 3 Little Owls (at least 1 juvenille) were busy hopping up and down from the fenceposts, magic birding indeed!!
A female Kestrel sat perched, and briefly hopped down to the ground before flying off.
A long and wet walk led us to Cavenham Pit, nothingof note was seen and by this time I think we'd both had enough, and called it a day.
A big thanks goes to Baz for his time, and informative chat about his "patch."
Obviously passionate about his birds and digiscoping it was nice to spend a day in good company, hopefully to be repeated, with anyone else that fancies coming along!!
A lotta Curlew!! ,
Breydon South Wall,
August 10 © D.J.A Porter
Comma,
Lackford Lakes SWT, Suffolk,
August 10 © D J A Porter
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