Temps de lecture: 3 minutes

Clay Taylor tested the 115-mm objective module

The 115-mm ob­jec­ti­ve mo­du­le in Te­xas 3/3 – Te­xas Gulf Co­ast Bir­ding

115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3, Texas Gulf Coast Birding
“My recommendation: Arrive at the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico early, before the beachgoers invade and scare off all the birds. These beaches are driveable by passenger cars, so they fill up quickly on a nice day.
115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 sunrise Texas Gulf Coast Birding

At the water’s edge, flocks of Sanderlings (Calidris alba) run before the waves, while others roost in the sand, usually near an old tire track to get out of the wind. Look amongst the Sanderlings for a Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) or Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) – both Endangered Species shorebirds that spend their time on sandy beaches and flats, not mudflats like most shorebirds.

If you are lucky, you can find a plover or a tern that has been banded with a leg-flag or color bands that can be used to determine where the bird was banded, how old it is, and whether it returns to the same stretch of beach each year (many do).

115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 ATX and 115-mm objective module seawatching
115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 Piping Plover

This Piping Plover

is unbanded.

The ATX 115 with either a phone or a DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex camera) attached to it can help read the band numbers.

Leg band with flag on a Tern.
115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 Leg band with flag on a Tern

The Laughing Gulls come in close, as they used to being fed by beachgoers, so I toss them some popcorn that they happily gobble up. Having the Gulls standing nearby helps the other birds to view me as less of a threat. I use the ATX 115 to scan the waves offshore, looking for Terns, Gulls and the less-common waterbirds like Loons, Grebes, Shearwaters, or Sulids. On this day, the waters offshore are pretty quiet.

115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 American Oystercatcher
115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 Royal Tern

Royal Tern

A great morning

I also snap a few photos of the Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) flying by.

A great morning!”

115-mm objective module Clay Taylor 3/3 115-mm objective module with ATX eyepiece module, Texas Gulf Coast Birding

About the author:

Clay Taylor

Clay Taylor became a birder in the mid-1970s, both watching and photographing birds in the Northeastern United States. Today, 45 years later, he still enjoys observing and capturing birdlife. As Senior Manager of the Naturalist Market at SWAROVSKI OPTIK North America, he brings people closer to nature.

Join him on his birding trips to Hazel Bazemore Park or Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas where he was joined by Joel Simon.

The 115-mm objective module in Texas 1/3 – birding at Hazel Bazemore Park B/ - Clay Taylor ATX 115-mm
The 115-mm objective module in Texas 1/3 –birding at Hazel Bazemore ParkTemps de lecture: 4 minutes
The 115-mm objective module in Texas 2/3 – birding at Guadalupe Mountains National Park B/ - Joel Simon and Clay Taylor with the 115-mm objective module
The 115-mm objective module in Texas 2/3 –birding at Guadalupe Mountains National ParkTemps de lecture: 4 minutes
THE ONLY TIME I WILL NOT CHOOSE THE 115-MM OBJECTIVE MODULE IS WHEN I ABSOLUTELY NEED TO HAVE A CLOSER MINIMUM-FOCUS FOR MY SCOPE WORK. OTHERWISE, I WILL TAKE IT EVERYWHERE! – CLAY TAYLOR

Utilisation prévue

L’ornithologie sur le rivage

De quels équipements ai-je besoin pour observer les oiseaux de rivage, les oiseaux marins et les oiseaux aquatiques ?

Des longues-vues d’observation et des jumelles d’exception qui captent toute la lumière et la restituent avec un fort grossissement et un niveau de détail incomparable. Elles vous permettront de vous approcher plus facilement des magnifiques océanites qui virevoltent sur les vagues au large ou de repérer un rare eider à tête grise au milieu d’un groupe d’eiders à duvet.

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