Reminder : text and pictures - as the totality of my web site, BTW - are Copyright S. Weiller - 2019
and should not appear anywhere else prior written authorization from sweiller@free.fr !!

UPDATE 2019/10/28

Improvement for people using glasses !

ITo see correctly I need to put glasses so with the system below my sight was not very good !
Today I added a 1.5D lens !

I started with very cheap plastic glasses,
I extracted one lens by force,
I put it on the scope and marked the circle,
I used with care a rotative electric dry sharpening system (medium coarse grit stone) to progressiveley make the round lens

I placed it in (eye side of the scope) and locked it with black nail polish all around !

IT'S GREAT !

2019/09/17

The Story ...
After months of zooming and de-zooming to make BIFs captures - with little success - I wanted to improve the experience !
Came to my mind the simple idea to associate the P1000 always set at high zoom (1000 to 3000 mm) to a wide angle aiming device.
I found a rather cheap green spot prism scope ** used on guns.
Bought it. Satisfied ! The tiny bright green spot is clearly visible in bright daylight !
After working a lot to get a proper inter-ocular distance I can tell you that it is really great to boost your chances of following fast flying birds !

Unfortunately, most birds at my location only fly near sunrise or sunset when sunlight is not strong.
Moreover, they are small, generally dark and moving at up to 45° / second then generally visible for just a few seconds !!

During waiting periods of bird watching, I train on high planes and because they are visually rather slow compared with small birds they are a very easy target as you can see HERE...
My next target in a couple of days will be the ISS at the usual 3000 mm FL !!

All done !

The thin end piece of a Picatinny Gun Rail Extension (see below 1) *** is cut, drilled and a Kodak photo thread is made in the middle.
It is first tighten into the rail (2) holding the scope.
Then the Hot Shoe Adapter (3) (eventually cut 5 mm in length) is tighten on one side to the camera flash mount (bottom of picture) and on the other side to the drilled piece (1)
in order to align as nicely as possible the scope with the lens of the camera.

Distance between the 2 sights here is about 65 mm (near interocular distance).

To buy ...

** Look for :
Comunite Rifle Scope 1x30mm Red Dot Sight with 20mm/11mm Weaver Picatinny Mount Rails
by Comunite

*** Look for :
Alomejor Scope Base Mount Rail Mount 111mm to 20mm Dovetail Picatinny

and

ChromLives Camera Hot Shoe Mount Hot Shoe Adapter w/ 1/4'' -20 Tripod Screw Flash Shoe Mount Monitor Bracket (2 Pack)
by ChromLives

USAGE

For best aiming results, the camera has to be tilted vertically (not like here !) so you can see in the scope with wide FOV and in the camera with high zoom at the same time.
When aiming with the green dot you will a some moment see the bird in the camera. Now quickly concentrate on camera vision.
If the bird is lost just look again quickly in the large FOV scope and you can move very fast to it !
Note : Turn Off all indications on the P1000 electronic viewfinder !
When the dot is not very bright it is time to change the CR2032 battery.

Enjoy happy birding !