Stokes Field Guide to Birds : Eastern Region (Stokes Field Guides)
by Little, Brown
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (29 January, 1996)
list price: $17.95 -- our price: $12.57
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Reviews (24)

Much better than most
After using many inadequate field guides, this became my standard guide.Now I use it with the Sibley's field guide (the BEST field guide out there).Between the two of them, I have all the information I need.The photographs are a great complement to Sibley's drawings.But the photos often lack many of the important field marks.And the regional variation in some species may make the pictures useless or worse, misleading.Juvenile and female pictures are often missing.Many occasional visitors to New Mexico are missing from this book, although the common species are there.The maps are pretty good.The behavioral, feeding and breeding info is very helpful.It's a great resource for the backyard birdwatcher, and a good supplement for the serious birder.

A tried-and-true field guide
The Stokes Field Guide-Western Edition has become my pocket reference of choice in the field. I wore out my first copy from overuse, which is a high compliment to its usefulness (and binding sturdiness).

As a pocket guide and quick reference, you cannot beat Stokes' "bang for the buck." It offers most of the basics that most birders would need in the field:
*Quick color tab index
*Large photos (which usually capture indicative plumage)
*Good all-up glance at ID, feeding, nesting, and other relevant behavior
*Nice North American habitat guide that zooms in if the range is geographically smaller
*Habitat type info has been very helpful

Downsides are few, but:
1. I think the anatomical reference is incomplete, but for most purposes basically adequate.
2. The "quick reference to the most common birds" pages seem somewhat pointless because the species are so arbitrary.
3. The color quality in some photos aren't as indicative as I'd like, but you have to expect some inconsistencies due to the nature of photographs, habitat and lighting.
4. There really isn't a section on responsible birding, ethics, and avian conservation.Their conservation section consists of BBC and CBC census data only.

That said, I love this guide.Between the Stokes and Sibley ID guides used in tandem, most people won't need another field resource for visual field identification.

SUPERB FIELD GUIDE WITH LARGE PHOTOS!!!
I recently got into this hobby of birding, and was looking for a good book to take with me on weekend jaunts, or to I.D. birds in my backyard.I am by no means a professional, but a casual birder.For that purpose, this fantastic book is much more than adequate!I like to 'check off' each corner page when I spot one of the birds shown, and the real color photos are an invaluable tool!Just this morning, this gorgeous Red Shouldered Hawk was sitting on a fencepost (was visiting my brother in the Cleveland, Ohio area), and I was able to readily I.D. it using this book.My next purchase will be a pair of digital binoculars with a built in digital cam.That way, I will be able to take a snapshot of these critters, and I.D. them later, if I can't at that moment!Plus, all the information on each bird is on one page!This is really a fascinating hobby, and I am glad to own this book (and the Western version) as my first guide!I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0316818097
Sales Rank: 17799
Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    5. East (U.S.)    6. Identification    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Stokes Birdfeeder Book : The Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Understanding Your Feeder Birds
by Little, Brown
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 October, 1987)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (4)

Good Book For a Beginner
As a complete novice to birding and gardening, I found this book a helpful starting point.It does not identify many species, but did help me recognize most of the birds coming to my newly purchased feeders.It contains only the most common birds, the Tufted Titmouse, Cardinals, Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees, etc.

It also contained helpful information as to what common birds favor what types of feeders and provided information on some bird behavior and how to buy binoculars.

The maps of where the birds are found are not very detailed.They also purposely leave out any information on birds some may find undesirable, like Starlings and House Sparrows, which can be aggressive and keep small songbirds away.

This guide is for the utmost, novice and does not contain extremely detailed information on identifying and feeding birds.The information is very generalized and only covers common backyard birds.

Nevertheless, it is a helpful introduction only for someone like me who knew next to nothing when I purchased it.

Great how-to guide for any backyard birder
The Stokes have put out several books on birds, and definitely know their stuff. It shows in this book, which has just about everything you could ask for.

One section goes over the different types of feeders, and the various seeds that birds enjoy. Hummingbirds get their own special mention, as do squirrel baffle techniques. There's even a section on bird behavior - what to watch for, what certain things mean.

Then the book goes into the common birds found at backyard feeders. There are lovely photos of each bird, a map showing where they tend to live, how to tell them from other similar birds, how they act, what they eat, and much more.

Great informative bird feeder book!
This book is perfect for anyone who is thinking about putting up a bird feeder or another bird feeder like myself. The first section in this book deals with the different kinds of feeders, how to attract the bird, andtroubleshooting problems. Following that section is a part on birdbehavior. Finally, their is a long section of birds. For each bird, theStokes identify what they eat and like. In the back of the book there is alist of resources for bird feeders and supplies. Finally, the last fewpages show how to keep a bird feeder journal. I very well roundedinformative book. I would recommend it to anyone who's feeding featheredfriends. ... Read more

Isbn: 0316817333
Sales Rank: 28684
Subjects:  1. Bird Watching    2. Bird attracting    3. Bird feeders    4. Birds    5. Birds & Birdwatching - General    6. Design and construction    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. United States    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Stokes Bird Gardening Book : The Complete Guide to Creating a Bird-Friendly Habitat in Your Backyard (Stokes Backyard Nature Books.)
by Little, Brown
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 April, 1998)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (3)

Good resource
As with other Stokes books, this one is quite a good reference.Lots of nsights in attracting wildlife, specifics on prefered plants, etc.A good book to have on hand when landscaping or planting new gardens.

I hate to say anything bad about the Stokes, but...
This book was a disappointment. I think it represents a classic example of a publisher using established authors' names to crank out a nice looking book that contains very little in the way of useful information.

The book has only 95 numbered pages to begin with.The first five of those are -- get this -- the title page, a page listing other Stokes publications, another title page. the publisher's information page, and the table of contents.

Okay. That leaves 90 pages for content, right?

Not really.The last 31 pages are given over entirely to glossy, full color bird identication photos.And approximately one third of the remaining pages are also devoted to pretty bird photographs.The book is almost entirely "boiler plate", in other words.What content there is is fine -- there just isn't much of it.

If information is what you want, get _The Bird Garden_ by Stephen Kress (The Nation Audubon Society) instead.It's much better.

Great for beginners
This book is a wonderful starting point to help you learn about bird gardening. It starts with the four basic needs and then explains in a clear and simple fashion how to meet these basic needs, as well as otherconsiderations. The book also has a small picture glossary of the mostcommon birds and their "bio". This book is very well written, hascharts that are easy to follow, full of gorgeous color photographs, andthough they keep it short, it's crammed with helpful info! ... Read more

Isbn: 0316818364
Sales Rank: 145453
Subjects:  1. Bird attracting    2. Birds    3. Birds & Birdwatching - General    4. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    5. Garden Design    6. Gardening    7. Gardening to attract birds    8. Nature    9. Nature / Field Guide Books    10. Nature/Ecology    11. Ornithology    12. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

The Complete Birdhouse Book : The Easy Guide To Attracting Nesting Birds (Complete Birdhouse Book)
by Little, Brown
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 June, 1990)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (5)

Just basic stuff...ok for a starter
Even though there's only 1 plan, you do learn what some specific needs of some specific birds are. You can buy sinple kits to assemble at htto://www.birdhousesandbirdfeeders.com

Always a pleasure but...
I've always liked the Stokes books and CDs.Their love for birds infuses in all their material.The photographs are rich and lively, and the books are simple yet elegant.

However, if you're interested in building birdhouses, this book will fall short.There's only one plan for the simplest house you can imagine, and anyone who would appreciate the book's other charms probably won't think highly of such a simple birdhouse.There are some interesting houses pictured, but little about how to build them...

Great 4 the basics.Want detailed plans?Go elsewhere.
I want to know the basics...which birds use birdhouses, & what the basic dimensions for my targeted species are.What nesting materials do thew use...etc..This book does a great job of doing that.I do NOT wantmy birdhouses to be clones of some boring plan out of a book.Getcreative!Use this basic info & create your own uniquebackyard!

Sorry previous writer was so disapointed, but he's right in onerespect......if you want assorted detailed building plans...go elsewhere. ... Read more

Isbn: 0316817147
Sales Rank: 299650
Subjects:  1. Behavior    2. Bird attracting    3. Birdhouses    4. Birds    5. Birds & Birdwatching - General    6. Design and construction    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nature/Ecology    10. Zoology (General)    11. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Canon 10x30 Image Stabilization Binoculars w/Case, Neck Strap & Batteries
by Canon
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $640.00 -- our price: Too Low To Display
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Editorial Review

Whether you are sitting in the nose-bleeder seats of a stadium or an opera house, with Canon's 10x30 IS binoculars you'll get an outstanding close-up view of the action. The binoculars are designed to fit perfectly in your hands and have a rubber coating for nonslip grip and protection from damage. The focus dial is center-mounted and the image stabilizer controls are easily accessible from either hand. Canon's optical image stabilization technology eliminates shake and reduces curvature of field. The image stabilizer operates with two AA batteries. A BP-B1 battery pack is included. The lenses are coated with Super Spectra multicoating that improves image quality by maximizing contrast and minimizing color smear.

Image Stabilization and More
A tripod is unsuitable when your subject is moving on its own. You need the ability to follow your subject under a variety of outdoor conditions, and Canon's IS technology makes tracking and keeping your outdoor subjects in view easy. Canon has taken its renowned Image Stabilizer technology from its high-performance camcorder family and adapted it for its IS binoculars as well. The Image Stabilizer system features a Vari-Angle Prism (VAP) that instantly and precisely adjusts the visual path through the binoculars to maintain a perfectly steady image. Whether you are on a moving boat chasing a school of fish, walking through the forest tracking a pair of deer, or trying to follow a fast-moving sailboat race, simply switching on Canon's Image Stabilizer gets you the sharp, clear and steady images you are after.

The VAP Image Stabilization System is available in Canon binoculars with 8x, 10x, 12x, 15x and 18x magnification. Two sensors detect vertical and horizontal motion, and a microprocessor adjusts the Vari-Angle Prisms in the right and left telescopes. Each prism is expanded in a bellows motions to instantly adjust the refraction angle of the image. The result is high-magnification and a clear, steady image at the push of a button, without the need for any additional equipment, such as a tripod. Now, you are free to follow your always on the move, outdoor subjects regardless of the conditions you are faced with.

Super Spectra Coating
A number of optical factors affect the brightness of an image, including the amount of incidental light that is reflected by the lens. An uncoated lens will refelect away as much as 8% of the incidentail light, significantly dimming the image. Canon's Super Spectra Coating prevents that reflection.

What do the numbers mean?
15x50? 8x25? The two numbers used to describe any pair of binoculars are their magnification — 8x, 12x, 15x and so on — and the diameter of their objective lenses — 25mm, 36mm, 50mm, and so on. The larger the first number is, the larger the object will appear to be in the objective lens. For instance, if you use a 10x lens and look at an object that is 100 yards away, it appears to be the same size as an object located just 10 yards away. The second number, the size of the objective lens, is important because the larger the objective lens, the more light it can admit for brighter, more detailed images, and the better suited they will be for lowlight situations.

A look inside

... Read more

Features

• Weighs only 21 ounces
• 10x magnification in a compact design
• Built-in optical image stabilization uses 2 AA batteries
• Super Spectra multicoating and lead-free glass lenses
• Long 14.5mm eye relief

Reviews (31)

New Canon 10 X 30ISBinoculars...WOW
I came home from work tonight to find my new Canon's had arrived. After mowing my bumpy lawn for 1 1/2 hrs on my riding mower and using my gas powered blower for a half hour cleaning the driveway I thought I would open the Canon's up and check them out before it became to dark. If anyone has ever used a gas powered blower for any length of time you know how your arms and hands feel right after you get done. aT first I looked through them without trying the stabilization and it was like looking through binoculars while using a pogo stick, my hands where shaking like a jack hammer. When I pushed that button it was pure joy. It was as still a picture as looking through my spotting scope on a tripod. At 7;30 with the sun well on it's way to setting it was a very bright and clear image. I have never had the opportunity to look through any $ 1000+ glasses, but I would have to say from my first impression that the majority of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the image with these glasses and the image stabilization is amazing. For the price these are going for you can't go wrong.

Amazing Pair of Binoculars
I bought this pair of binoculars after reading the reviews of several different pairs/brands. I bought them for an Alaskan cruise I just came back from. I cannot say enough about how great these binoculars are. The IS techncology is particularly amazing cause most of the viewing I did was on a moving vessel. The IS technology greatly compensated for any movement from my less than steady hands, and even when supported on the side of the ship, they eliminated much of the jitter from the moving ship. These binoculars really made my trip to Alaska that much more enjoyable. Aside from the IS technology, the Canon lens provide an incredibly clear and crisp image to rival binoculars that cost hundreds more. I did get a chance to see through a pair of $1000.00 Zeiss binoulars while on my trip and they were not noticably any better then the Canon binoculars and lacked the IS technology. The IS really makes a big difference.

These will be much used because they are uniquely useable
A grad student tried a pair of these Canon image stabilized binoculars at an observatory's star party and while he thought the binocs were very fine, he didn't agree with all the other astronomers around him that they were that much better than normal binocs..........

As for myself, I read every review I could find before deciding to purchase these 10x30 IS Canon binocs. I've had them for nearly a week now and have done some careful observing and decided to share my thoughts to help others who may be "sitting on the fence" and worried about the occasional bad review seen here or elsewhere.

I will be using these binocs for many kinds of observing , but
mostly for astronomy, nature observing and for the fun of using them -- they are very enjoyable to just plain use 'em.

Astronomy use puts optics to a severe test, but these performed far better than expected, and I expected rather much. First, I didn't expect the brightness to be so good. For a 10x30, they are clearly letting through almost all of the light entering the objective lenses, even with all those elements and prisms. I own a wonderful set of french APX 10x60 military naval binocs, and these little Canons were actually brighter on daylight objects and offered truer colors, too.Color fringing is very minimal, but visible on very bright objects in the night sky and at the edges of light-colored objects in daylight, but only if you are really trying to see it. On bright stars, there is some flaring, but lesser stars are tiny and tinier dots of light, just as they should be -- not as fine as you'd see in the finest apochromatic refractors, but about as fine as you'll see in any 10x30 binocular. Image sharpness is excellent all the way to the edge of the field of view and the image "snaps" into focus just like a good refractor telescope. For some reason, I find that the image is at its most superb about halfway to the edge and I most enjoy seeing the stars just below dead center for a relaxing and most crispy view. At 60 degrees apparent field of view, this is wide enough that you don't feel like you're looking down a tunnel, as on some binocs where this specification is only about 45 degrees or so. The 3mm exit pupil on these is a bit small and does make your adjustment of the binocs rotating eyepiece turrets more critical and does add a bit of fatigue keeping the eyepieces centered on your eyes. By comparison, my french 10x60s with their huge 2" oculars offer a much more relaxed view -- assuming you have them mounted on a stable platform though. On the plus side, a 3mm exit pupil is better for those with eye astigmatism who prefer not to wear glasses while observing. The binocs will accomodate your near or far sightedness naturally and as the light will only be using 3mm of your eye opening, astigmatism is usually not a problem. So take off your eyeglasses and you'll enjoy using these even more.

As others have said, the image stabilization is the breakthrough feature of these 10x30s and the other Canons in their IS line-up.When I HOLD down (not just click on) the IS button, in about six seconds the image goes from terribly shaky and rather unpleasant to view to moderately stabilized to locked-in full stabilization. If you let go of the button, the image immediately reverts back to "shakey as ever". And if you press the button again without much delay, you don't have to wait the six seconds for full stabilization, but only a fraction of a second in practical use. Some have written that the IS feature causes a lessening of resolution or sharpness in the image, but not in these 10x30s -- the image is tack sharp.
The image stabilization works perfectly for most practical uses. If you shake like Mohammed Ali, these binocs will not help you, but if you have a reasonably stable set of arms, these will do the rest to give you a virtually motionless view -- even while someone (else!) drives the car on your next trip.

A few minor nits, or how Canon can make these even better!
The focus is so wonderfully sharp and precise that Canon needs to put a finer thread screw on the focusser as it is a bit hard to obtain precise focus without constantly overshooting. This will cost Canon about nothing to improve. Oh, and I DO like the fact that the objectives move when you focus and not the eyepieces. In most binocs, pressing against the eyepieces will cause defocussing. And for a few pennies, Canon could integrate a flip-down-and-under objective lens cover which would certainly be nice.Or maybe even a simpler two-piece combination objective and eyepiece cover set that connect to each other with stretchcord on each side -- simply pull off and use -- stretch back-on and protect. Finally, as even alkaline batteries will last 4 hours continuously using the IS, why not change the IS "press and hold" button to and on-off switch with 5-minute auto-off. Gets to be a bit of a bother holding the button down all the time you are looking through them. Canon, are you listening?

So, what's my bottom line? Well, if you were to lay a pair of $1200. Zeiss binocs of similar power on the table along with a pair of these Canons I would still choose the Zeiss. Surprized? Allow me to explain: I sell the Zeiss on eBay and use that $1200. to buy FOUR pairs of these Canons which offer far higher practical resolution and fun over all the other binocs out there. Christmas is coming and these Canons have more WOW factor than anything I can think of for the money.

Oh, as for that grad student at the observatory who didn't think much of these binocs on first use -- when informed the next night that he had to HOLD the IS button and not just click it, he changed his mind somewhat .......... LOL ... Read more

Asin: B00004THDC
Subjects:  1. 10 x 30    2. Binoculars (Binocular)   

Pentax ZX-L Date AF SLR (Body Only)
by Pentax
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $400.99
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Features

• 11 Pentax Exposure Functions
• Wireless Flash & High Speed Sync capability
• Six selectable auto Picture Modes
• Six segment light metering
• TTL auto pop-up flash w/red-eye reduction

Reviews (2)

This is my favorite toy
I have only owned this camere about 3 months, so far I absolutely love this Pentax ZX-L, I own A Minolta, Olympus OM-1, Olympus
OM-4. Not that this other cameras are bad. but this pentax is sucha joy to operate, It's lite, exposure is very acurate, you need toto feel and look through the viewfinder to experience the ease of functionality. I recomend this camera to anyone how loves to take photos as much as I do.

One of the very best from a long trusted brand
If you have ever own a Pentax camera before you knew that the quality of their product speaks for itself.This ZX-L camera is no exception to the rule.It is well designed with lots of features.I'm not very good in going into detail of all the features it has on the camera but I'm sure impressed by it.Checkout the spec. of this camera you will find that a lot of the function offered by the model are usually found on a much higher end (more expensive) of SLR.

For the price you will be paying to get a ZX-L you are really getting a great bargain for an all-around well built camera.Don't take my word for it, go to your local camera shop and review it or go online to find out more about this camera from other Pentax owner, I'm sure you'll find it hard to beat a bargain like this. ... Read more

Asin: B000067BF5
Sales Rank: 5215
Subjects:  1. SLR (Single Lens Reflex)    2. Camera (Cameras)    3. Photograph (Photography)   

Sony DSCF717 5MP Digital Still Camera w/ 5x Optical Zoom
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $799.95
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Editorial Review

It takes two hands to hold Sony's new DSC-F717, which you'll need to use all the many features packed into this digital camera. The F717 captures images at up to 5.2-megapixel resolution--2,560 by 1,920 pixels--which allows for prints of 11 by 14 inches or even greater.

Images are crisp, colorful, and deep with detail. With USB 2.0 support, transfers to the PC zipped by and can be set to dispatch automatically. The large, autofocus Carl Zeiss lens zooms optically at 5x, with another 2x in digital mode. Atop the lens, the automatic flash pops open when needed. It also performs preflash metering and corrects the amount of light sent to create shots with the best possible exposure.

This aids the NightFraming mode, which incorporates the camera's NightShot infrared technology, and can help with taking optimal shots in low-light or no-light situations. If you've never used an infrared viewer before, you'll be impressed by the additional photo opportunities it provides, like snapping shots of teenagers stealing your jack-o'-lanterns and catching them orange-handed.

NightShot can also be used with the camera's movie-capturing mode. The audiovisual movies can be played back full screen with the HQX mode; we played our movie at 1,280 x 1,024 and could only find minor pixilation around the edges.

Video size is limited only by the capacity of the Sony Memory Stick inside the camera. The F717 ships with a 32 MB stick, so an upgrade to a larger size is recommended. It comes with a shoulder strap, but we also recommend buying a case to protect your investment. Not a camera for beginners, the F717 does everything you'd expect from a high-end digital camera. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• 5-megapixel resolution with 5x optical zoom
• NightShot infrared mode is quite handy
• Multiple modes, including movies with audio

Cons:

• Not compact

... Read more

Features

• Carl Zeiss autofocus lens with 5x optical/2x digital (10x total) zoom
• Included 32 MB Memory Stick holds 23 images at default settings
• Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
• Uses proprietary lithium-ion rechargeable battery (included)
• 5-megapixel sensor creates 2,560 x 1,920 images for exceptional prints at 11 x 14 inches and beyond

Reviews (60)

Great Camera
Awesome camera, takes excellent pictures and it looks stunningly beautiful and appealing, wherever i go people inquire about it.....and the pictures that i take with it never disappoints. I read about many people talking about it strange barrel lens that makes holding it difficult but i believe it is very well designed and it fits in comfortably in my hands.....battery life is just awesome, it just keeps on going and going.....response time(after u click) is bit slower but much better than many other digital camera which i have seen, unless u think that u will be very often in a position where u really need to take real quick pics, this camera should do the job for u.....if one have to write about this camera's great features it will easily extend to many pages....gist of all is this a beautiful camera which takes stunningly beautiful shots-no matter what the conditions are and erybdy in my famly loves it....GREAT CAMERA!!!!!!!!

Good Camera
Not as good as their 8 megapixel camera, but still good value for an amateur.For most people, the difference between the two resolutions won't be noticed.The camera has many of the features of it's high-priced brother, and still has the same flexibility of letting you decide how much control to exercise over exposure and focus.

I love it!
I LOVE this camera!It is quite easy to use right out of the box; but your pictures just get better and better as you read the manual and learn to do all that this camera is capable of!I get great pictures up to 11x14 and beyond.People are always stunned by how crystal clear my portraits are and how wonderful the colors come through.

My one caution is be careful with the zoom.If you do not turn off the digital zoom, you can use it without realizing you are using it and your pictures can be somewhat grainy.When I turn the digital zoom off, I get amazingly clear pictures every time.I bought this camera with a package of lenses and other accessories for $1,500 so I would definitely recommend it at this new LOWER price! ... Read more

Asin: B00006JU62
Subjects:  1. Digital Camera (Cameras)    2. Photograph (Photography)