...but I can't resist!

I found out about handheld thermal imagers and thought how cool that would be for wildlife and bird spotting. So I did some research and bought one, the Hik Micro Falcon. Here's a video showing how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQBKjTCFR-M

I took it out with me yesterday to the owl hotspot. And when I aimed it at a row of trees, here's what I saw:



As you can see, the owl really stands out in the image. It was quite hidden behind some branches, and after finding it with the thermal imager I still had a really hard time finding it with binoculars! Then I spotted it, changed my angle a bit to get a clear line, and took this photo:



So I was pretty pleased with it, to say the least. But of course, it's really of limited use in this kind of application and it doesn't in any way replace the 'normal' way of looking for owls, which is to drive slowly for hours while scanning the trees with the naked eye. It was just in this case where I wanted to check the trees alongside a big field where the imager came in super handy.

I think the thermal imager would also be really good at finding small mammals like bobcats, which are so good at hiding in the grass.

Mostly of course it's just a really cool gadget, suitable for a geek like me who is in it as much for the toys as for the photos

If you have any questions about it, fire away!