2006 World Series of Birding Team Double Exposure

On May 13, 2006, Team Double Exposure competed in the World Series of Birding (in photo below, from left: Jeff Bouton, David La Puma, and Bill Schmoker) Entered in the newly-formed digiscoping category, our goal was to photograph at least 100 species through our spotting scopes on the big day. By the 10pm deadline to turn in our review CD of photos we had surpassed our goal, tallying 102 photo-identifiable species.

photo © Jeffrey Gordon

Because different birds in different settings present unique photography challenges, we had three modes of digiscoping (defined in the WSB rules as photographing birds through a spotting scope.) The first was the traditional method of using a digital point-and-shoot camera held to the scope's eyepiece (both by hand and using adapters.) The second was using a DSLR with a 50mm f/1.8 lens to photograph birds through the scope's eyepiece. The final method was to hand-hold a 62mm scope connected to a DSLR using a photo adapter (but no eyepiece.) This method worked well for situations like flight shots or for small, nervous birds in nearby foliage. The challenge of this method was the loss of autofocus and metering capabilities.

photo © Jeffrey Gordon

We would like to thank Leica Sport Optics for sponsoring our entry into the 2006 WSB, and for providing scopes and adapters for our effort.

photo © Jeffrey Gordon

Below is our bird list, with each species name linked to the image that was submitted for ID approval. On our big day, we submitted the unedited originals (there wasn't time to do any processing other than selecting which images to submit.) These have been edited for size, composition, and levels. While many are of just "record shot" quality, others are kind of nice. I've highlighted these "best-of" our big day shots.

All bird photos below © Jeff Bouton, David La Puma, or Bill Schmoker

1. Mute Swan	2. Brant	3. Canada Goose	4. Gadwall	5. American Black Duck
6. Mallard	7. Green-winged Teal	8. Surf Scoter	9. White-winged Scoter	10. Black Scoter
11. Ruddy Duck	12. Common Loon	13. Northern Gannett	14. Double-crested Cormorant	15. Great Blue Heron
16. Great Egret	17. Snowy Egret	18. Black-crowned Night-Heron	19. Glossy Ibis	20. Black Vulture
21. Turkey Vulture	22. Osprey	23. Red-tailed Hawk	24. Peregrine Falcon	25. Clapper Rail
26. Black-bellied Plover	27. Semipalmated Plover	28. Piping Plover	29. Killdeer	30. American Oystercatcher
31. Greater Yellowlegs	32. Willet	33. Spotted Sandpiper	34. Ruddy Turnstone	35. Red Knot
36. Sanderling	37. Semipalmated Sandpiper	38. Least Sandpiper	39. Purple Sandpiper	40. Dunlin
41. Short-billed Dowitcher	42. Laughing Gull	43. Herring Gull	44. Great Black-backed Gull	45. Forster's Tern
46. Least Tern	47. Black Skimmer	48. Mourning Dove	49. Rock Pigeon	50. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
51. Chimney Swift	52. Ruby-throated Hummingbird	53. Red-bellied Woodpecker	54. Downy Woodpecker	55. Hairy Woodpecker
56. Eastern Wood-Pewee	57. Acadian Flycatcher	58. Eastern Phoebe	59. Eastern Kingbird	60. White-eyed Vireo
61. Red-eyed Vireo	62. Purple Martin	63. Tree Swallow	64. Bank Swallow	65. Barn Swallow
66. Fish Crow	67. Carolina Chickadee	68. Tufted Titmouse	69.House Wren	70. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
71. Veery	72. Wood Thrush	73. American Robin	74. Gray Catbird	75. Northern Mockingbird
76. Brown Thrasher	77. European Starling	78.Cedar Waxwing	79. Yellow-throated Warbler	80. Prairie Warbler
81. Black-and-white Warbler	82. Prothonotary Warbler	83. Ovenbird	84. Common Yellowthroat	85. Hooded Warbler
86. Scarlet Tanager	87. Chipping Sparrow	88. Field Sparrow	89. Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow	90. Seaside Sparrow
91. Song Sparrow	92. White-throated Sparrow	93. Northern Cardinal	94. Indigo Bunting	95. Bobolink
96. Red-winged Blackbird	97. Boat-tailed Grackle	98. Common Grackle	99. Brown-headed Cowbird	100. Orchard Oriole
101. House Finch				102. House Sparrow

photo © Jeffrey Gordon

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