Winner of the Swarovski Optik Leisure Product Tester Competition

This week Swarovski announced that I had won the product test competition and I get to keep the new CL Companion binoculars!! Thanks to everyone that went on Facebook and voted and for those that visit this blog. I couldn't have won these babies without you.

I am very fortunate to have a great job and a happy birding hobby. The CLs will give me countless new opportunities while birding. I love how they are small but fit perfectly in my hand. They travel lightly and withstand the hardships of rain and humidity. The price for Swarovskis are high but the quality will blow you away. Thank you Swarovski for the new bins. I hope to have a lifetime of adventures with them in hand.

Swarovski Optik: CL Companion Review

I've been using the Swarovski Optick CL Companions for months now and I must say they are a great pair of binoculars.  They're lightweight, small in size, and fit comfortably in the hand.  I really like the way that the caps fit on the ends and hold a good seal from dust and debris.  I've carried them to Washington D.C. to Michigan to South Carolina and Jekyll Island Georgia.  I've used them for birding, butterflying, watching softball, getting close-ups of baby Bobcats and Alligators, and even for digibinning.  They've performed well in all types of low-light and extreme conditions.  Another great feature that I've tested regularly in South Florida is the lack of fogging on the glass.  This has come in handy quite a few times.

With a little over a month left to go, I'm going to take my tester pair and use them to the extreme.  I have a trip to Mexico coming up in 3 days and then for New Year's I hit the western part of Florida for some Gulf birdwatching and sightseeing.  January 1st also starts my Bird-a-Day efforts.  This competition will mark one species for each day until I can't find any new species to add to the list.  My goal is March 30, 2012.  Anything after that will just be gravy.

If you're looking for a new pair of optics for the new year then I would highly recommend purchasing the Swarovski CLs.  They won't disappoint!

Swarovski CL Focus Wheel

The Companion CL focus wheel has been a topic of debate for me during the past 3 months.  Sometimes I find it seems very flimsy and others it seems to work well with no mention.  It's really when you have objects that are farther part that I notice that it seems to take a few turns before things come into focus.  I like the CLs so much but this is the only little thing that I have found slightly inadequate. 

Meanwhile, with the product testing, I am three months in so that means I'm half way between the test period.  I must say it will be a sad day when I must box up my Swarovski CLs and send them back.  I'm hoping some miracles falls into place and I get to keep them!

Swaro CL Eye Cup Problem

I'm not sure what happened but one day I was using the new Companion CLs and when I tried to screw the eye cup back in, it didn't budge.  One side was smooth as a whistle but the other was stuck.  It felt like grit was stuck in it and after a gentle try to move it, I realized it wasn't going to move.  I contacted Swarovski and they have a new pair in route.  I am impressed by their prompt reply.  I look forward to my new, new CLs to take in the field!

Swarvoski Product Tester

So far the new Companion CLs have been giving me great results.  I've taken them to Michigan camping, the Florida Springs camping, the beach on numerous trips, the hammocks, the local parks, Lake Okeechobee, and out to the agricultural fields.  Each time they have been easy to use, light to carry, and given me nice looks at not only the bird life but also the interesting features of the landscape.  Yesterday I used them on the beach to watch a hang-glider come sailing down the shoreline.  Then I passed them to my friend to see her lifer Sandwich Tern.  These little bins are perfect for traveling. 

Swaro CLs: Beach Birding

Decided to take a picnic at the beach in Lake Worth yesterday and found some dark skies.  But the low light didn't stop my birding.  Within minutes I had 1 Black Tern and 7 Gull-billed Tern in sight.  After the terns I spied a few Rock Pigeons hanging around the pier and 1 lone Brown Pelican.

I brought my tester Swaro CLs for the birding and found over 20 Ruddy Turnstones in breeding plumage down the beach.  Mixed in the flock were 2 Sanderling.  It's been a few months since I've seen this beach birds near the shore.

I've been continuing to modify and make the test product pair of Swarovski CLs like my own.  A few things that had to change were a switch from the neck strap provided to a more traditional birding rig.  I don't actually wear it the proper way, if there is a proper way.  I usually sling it across my body like a heavy bag and off I go.  I like the stretchy material of the "birding bra." 

The other adjustment that I HAD to make was doing something about those top eye-cups.  I don't mind the two flap down caps but that top cap was driving me nuts.  I felt like it was always impeding my view or irritating me by rubbing against my skin.  So I have rigged a very inexpensive solution.  I may be the only birder using a $900 pair of binoculars that have the top eye-cups attached with a rubber-band but guess what?  It gives me a lot more flexibility and I love that the cups dangle out of my way.  I thought about doing some tie straps type of thing but I like how the cups dangle low with the rubber-band.  I guess I'll give this a try for a few more all day birding trips but so far (the past couple of weeks) I've been happy with the solution!

Hundreds of Spoonbills and Waders

This post somehow became lost in all my recent travels.  It's the second half of my birding day in late July.  To read about the first part of the day scroll down to the Swaro CL Test Drive post or click the link.

After Kim and I were done with our morning of fun we headed for the Everglades Agricultural Area near Belle Glade.  From Lake Okeechobee to the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge and South towards Miami their are agricultural fields that mostly plant sugar cane and rice.  In August they flood many of these fields after harvesting the plants and this creates the perfect conditions for migrating shorebirds.

For our first main stop of the day we headed down Gator Blvd outside of Belle Glade and found a nice field full of waders.  I know we were on the hunt for shorebirds but this was worth stopping for, check out the photos below to get a glimpse of the action!

The fields were full of Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-necked Stilts, and many small peeps.

My count was 124 for Roseate Spoonbills (a personal best) and over 250 Wood Storks.  Yes, quite literally the fields were pink and white.  I have never seen such a huge flock of waders.  Usually I reserve my shorebirding in Western Palm Beach for mid to late August but this late July experience proved worthy of the drive.

The fields were littered birds and a few shorebirds were mixed in as well such as Short-billed Dowitcher, Killdeer, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. 

We checked out the fields further along Gator Blvd and found some Black Terns and Least Terns flying.  In the field was a few White Pelicans and Glossy Ibis as well.  It was a nice day of birding and one I won't forget anytime soon!

We stopped near this dilapidated building on CR880 to look for swallows.  We found a Red-tailed Hawk instead.

Swaro CL Test Drive

With my new Swarovski CLs in hand I decided that an all day field test was in order.  Since it's shorebird season I figured a good place to start was in Western Palm Beach County, FL.  This area is known for shorebirds starting in August but shorebirds are easy to spot any time of day so for my first CL test drive I thought going to a new park would be the best way to start the day.

Kimmie met me at 6AM and we headed west to Dupuis Wildlife Management Area.  Along the way we saw some typical Florida landscapes like fields of cows and stands of pines.  Most people think of South Florida as a highly developed area that encroaches on the Everglades but if you're in the central part of the state above the Everglades you will find lots of agricultural land that has a very Central Florida feel. 

Once in the park we started our bird list.  For the most part the place was pretty quiet but we did have nice looks of Downy Woodpeckers and Red-shouldered Hawks.  The CLs were performing well in the early day light.  I had nice crisp views in the low light areas.  One minor annoyance for me with the binoculars were all the lense covers.  So I removed the top covers altogether.  This allowed much faster use as we were in and out of the car.

The Ocean to Land section of the Florida Trail runs right through Dupuis WMA.  The orange blazes were easy to spot as it crossed the road.

The best of the morning was an Eastern Towhee.  Now I know what you must think, a towhee is a common yard bird but in South Florida, this isn't true.  To see things like towhees and Carolina Wrens you must head out into the more quiet areas of wildlife management areas. 

One of the best parts of the park was an area of prescribed burn.  I loved the contrast of browns and greens near the road.  This practice had recently been implemented and parts of the park had that nice smoky taste in the air.  I scoped the pines but saw little more than some Common Ground-doves.

The driving road dead-ended at a small pond.  With my new CLs I had great looks at a mating frenzy of dragonflies.  The shorelines were swarming with these winged animals and it was a nice sight to find at this bird less area.  The CLs did well focusing close as the dragonfiles darted around me.

Once we left Dupuis WMA we decided to head south to the agricultural fields.  Along the way we took a small detour to Lake Okeechobee.  Now in my experience, the lake is a hard thing to see first hand.  I've driven to a few "lake" parks but mostly you see a canal that runs the border of the lake. But there is a small bridge north of Pahokee, FL that gives you an eagle eye view of the biggest lake in Florida. 

We took a drive up on the dyke and found ourselves looking at a small island.  This is the best Lake Okeechobee look I've ever had.  And thanks to my bins I was able to spot a large alligator cruising the bank.  The shot below was done by digibinning the gator through my CLs.  Not bad for long distance snapshot.  I was aided by resting my bins on the ledge of the car window.  With minimal hand shake it was a nice photo (not great, but identifiable).

With our lake views behind us we drove south through Pahokee.  For those that haven't seen the small rural areas of Palm Beach County you are in for a stark contrast to the rich affluent areas near the beach.  This area is dotted with Palm Trees very much like the wealthy Worth Avenue in Palm Beach but instead of designer shops you will find old abandoned school buses and small little bait and grocery shops. 

Kimmie and I stopped at a questionable gas station diner and ordered a plate of alligator nuggets, fried catfish, and fries.  I could hear the arteries clogging but the food wasn't bad.  The atmosphere was a bit too run-down to fully enjoy the meal but it was entertaining to say the least.

With meals consumed we headed to the shorebird areas near Belle Glade, Florida.  You will have to come back next week to get the full installment of birds seen.  For now I'll leave you with a photo of a typical field in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA).  This shot shows you the border of sod field and sugarcane field.  These are the primary crops that you can find in Western Palm Beach.

Lifer Wilson's Phalarope

On August 3rd I headed out to the sod fields of Palm Beach County in search of a target bird.  I had seen reports of Wilson's Phalarope earlier in the day on the bird boards and I figured this was my best chance to find it before a potential storm hit over the weekend.  I left directly after work for CR 880 near Belle Glade, FL.

At the first flooded fields I found huge flocks of yellowlegs.  Mixed into the group were Least Sandpipers, Pectoral Sandpipers, and a huge group of Black Terns.  The photo above was taken by local birder, Trey Mitchell, on the same day but hours earlier.

I searched the flooded field over and over, stopping my car at intervals along the way and trying to stay out of traffic.  I finally gave up and decided to search some other areas.  I rounded the corner and there was a second flooded field.  Wouldn't you know it, the phalaropes were there all along!  I had been searching the wrong field. The three Wilson's Phalarope were busy feeding and gave me great looks as they spun around in search of food. 

This was a great Lifer and a County bird to boot!  The view was made better with my new Swaro CL binoculars.  The heat shimmer caused optimal viewing of the phalaropes to be limited but the great optics gave me my best view.  It was a great way to end the day, success in hand.  If you're interested in shorebird migration, the Everglades Agricultural Area in Palm Beach County, Florida is definitely where it's at right now.  Every time I go out there I find something new and exciting.

CL Digibinning Louisiana Waterthrush

This early Fall migrant showed up at Green Cay last week.  It's always a pleasure to see a Louisiana Waterthrush and this one I was able to video with the new CL Swarovski binoculars.  I thought they performed pretty well.  For those not familiar, digibinning or digiscoping is when you put a camera up to the lens of a binocular or scope and take a photo or video.  It's a great way to document events and provides a nice up-close view if you don't happen to have an expensive camera.  I'm still working out the new binoculars so I'm sure my technique will improve as the CLs and I become better acquainted. With the small size of the binoculars it was very easy to hold them in one hand and hold the digital camera in the other.  This was a vast improvement from my clunky old bins that were a little awkward to hold with one hand.

First Impressions Mean Everything

Here's a few intimate looks at my product test pair of the new Swarovski CL Companion 10x30 binoculars.  As you can see they are incredibly small but trust me, they fit well in the hand.  My first impression of them out of the box was they had a nice weight.  I'm always scared that small optics will be too light and thus suffer from hand shake but these were perfect.  The compact size lends itself to easy travel opportunities.  The view was clear but I did notice some darkness around the lenses so I look forward to trying them in the field.  

The greatest impression of the binoculars thus far has to be how well they handled from going outside to inside.  It was 89F today and with 60% humidity so I expected much more fogging of the lenses but they were clear within seconds.  I was birding immediately out the door of the cold A/C of my nature center.  I think that these little Swarovskis and I are becoming quick friends.   

Swarovski CL Video

Watch this short video to give you a better idea of what the new CLs are all about.

New Swarovski CL Companion Binoculars

Presenting the new CL Companion Binoculars.

This year has been a good one for me as far as competitions go. Back in the spring I won a Canopy Tower package tour for one. I am looking forward to my 2012 birding adventures in Panama. Recently, I entered to become a product tester for the new CL Companion 10x30 binoculars from Swarovski. I was selected as one of the 20 reviewers and I have the CLs on loan until January.

Maybe I should give you a little back story. Some of you that read my blog regularly know this but for those that don’t, I am a 30 year old naturalist that manages a nature center in South Florida. My background consists of teaching marine science for the University of Georgia’s Jekyll Island 4-H Center for 3 years and researching diamondback terrapins. My first love as a naturalist was reptiles and I still enjoy finding snakes in the wild or rescuing turtles from the road but my interests have turned all things bird since I moved to Florida 5 years ago. While at Green Cay Nature Center I have been given the opportunity to go birding in my professional time and even be sent to workshops and festivals. When not at work, I spend most of my energy traveling, hiking local trails, and of course enjoying the clear waters of the Atlantic Ocean.


Now I’m branching out into the world of book reviews and product testing and I must say it has it perks. The new CLs are a high quality piece of glass and I’ve been lugging around a huge pair of old Bushnells for far too long so the new addition is welcome with open arms. My plan is to write a review each week of how the CLs are performing in the field. I want to give good feedback on the binoculars and maybe, if I’m (still) lucky be selected to keep my pair as a bonus.


I hope you will join me for the journey as I try out these new bins. Fall migration has already started (saw shorebirds over the weekend and a Louisiana Waterthrush at the wetlands yesterday) and I have a few trips planned that will give me ample opportunity to see what all the Swaro hype is about.

The quick lowdown (taken from the Swarovski website)
OPTICS
- High reproduction quality and transmission for bright, high-contrast images
- SWAROBRIGHT, SWARODUR, and SWAROTOP coatings
- 9.8 ft (3 m) shortest focusing distance
- Slender construction due to high-precision roof prism system with phase-corrected coating (P-coating)


MECHANISM
- Non-slip, easy-to-handle focusing wheel
- Individually adjustable twist-in eyecups made from allergy-tested material
- Dirt and dustproof
- Submersion tightness: 13 ft/4 m water depth due to interior focusing
- Nitrogen filling prevents internal fogging
- Shock absorbing, non-slip full rubber armoring


DESIGN
- Ergonomically designed for comfort and ease of use
- Slender bridge construction and thumb depressions on the underside of the binoculars for steady, balanced viewing comfort

Magnification 10x
Objective lens Ø (mm) 30
Exit pupil Ø (mm) 3
Exit pupil distance (mm) 14
Field of view at m/1000 m / ft/1000 yds 100/300
Field of view (degrees) 5.7
Field of view with eye glasses (degrees) 5.6
Subjective field of view, apparent (degrees) 55
Shortest focusing distance (m/ft) 3 / 9.8
Dioptric compensation (dpt) ± 4
Interpupillary distance (mm/in) 56-74 / 2.2-2.9
Length approx. (mm/in) [with eyecups twisted in] 119 / 4.70
Width approx. (mm/in) 114 / 4.50
Height approx. (mm/in) 58 / 2.30
Weight approx. (g/oz) 515 / 18.2
Colours green, black, sand-brown