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My Teardrop Camper
A lot of people have asked about my little Teardrop Camper so I thought I would give everyone a quick tour. Over the years I have had several different types of travel trailers for camping but the Teardrop Camper is the one that works the best for my type of camping.
I bought my first Teardrop Camper back in 2003 from Camp-Inn out of Wisconsin. It was a 4 foot by 8 foot trailer that I really enjoyed. The only downside of this little camper was that it got to hot to sleep in when the temperature here in Arkansas got up into the 90′s. After having this trailer for 10 years, I decided to get something different but with an air conditioner.
I still wanted something small so I bought a 13′ Casitia. This is a very nice trailer and I used it for a couple of years but it was just not rugged enough for me. It was difficult to get into some of the places I like to camp.
I discovered that Camp-Inn now makes a Teardrop with an air conditioner and a fantastic roof fan. They even make it in an SUV model which sets up higher. I decided it was time to go back to a Teardrop Camper so I order one.
My Trailer has:
A “Queen” sleeping area
Two doors (both sides)
Insulated roof
Fantastic Roof Fan
Air Conditioner
Heater
Stainless Sink
Propane stove
LP/City Water Hookup
8 gal Fresh & Gray Tanks
Propane tank
Battery w/auto charger
Leveling Jacks
Tagged teardrop camper
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A Cooper’s Hawk Patrolling My Neighborhood
The birds and wildlife have not been as active in my yard this winter as they have been in the past few years. I think this Cooper’s Hawk is the reason.
We have had a Hawk in the neighborhood before and it has taken a few birds from my feeders but this winter it seems to have gotten more aggressive toward anything that moves.
Don’t get me wrong! I like seeing the Hawk but I also like seeing all the other wildlife that visit my yard. I have just noticed a difference this winter and it may not have anything to do with this Cooper’s Hawk.
The above photos were taken with the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS mainly because it was in my neighbor’s yard and I could get this camera the quickest.
Cooper’s Hawks prey almost exclusively on small to mid-sized birds. Typical prey species include American Robins, other thrushes, jays, woodpeckers, European Starlings, quail, icterids, cuckoos, pigeons and doves. Birds preyed on can range in size from wood-warblers to Ring-necked Pheasants. They may also prey upon the raptor American Kestrel and other smaller raptors, including their cousin the Sharp-shinned Hawk. They have been known to rob nests and may supplement their diet with small mammals such as chipmunks, hares, mice, squirrels, and bats.[
Great Blue Heron With The Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS – ISO 100, Aperture f6.5, Shutter Speed 1/400, Focal Length 215mm
Canon PowerShot SX50 HS – ISO 800, Aperture f6.5, Shutter Speed 1/100, Focal Length 215mm
I talked about the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS for photographing wildlife a couple of days ago and I got a lot of feedback from people interested in this camera. I decided to post a few more photos.
The weather has been great here in Arkansas so I decided to take this little camera out and photograph one of my favorite birds. It didn’t take long for me to spot a few Great Blue Herons feeding near the Arkansas River. These birds are very difficult to get close to in my area so a long lens is always a plus.
This camera can shoot in raw but I decided to start shooting in jpg. I was also shooting in P mode instead of manual or AV. I was also hand holding the camera while making these photos. The only thing I did during processing was a little sharpening in Lightroom.
I agree with Lillian Stokes when she states:
The camera has great ability just set on Smart Auto and people should have little problem photographing close, or relative close, birds in decent light. The harder part is hand holding the camera still when you are zoomed all the way, or a good part of the way, in on a bird.
To get good photos, use the camera in good light and keep it in the optical zoom range of 24-1200 mm. This camera does best in good light and photo quality diminishes in low light.
The Red-tailed Hawk Is The Most Common Hawk I See
Red-tailed Hawk
I see lots of Red-tailed Hawks this time of year and most of the time I can get close to them if I stay in my vehicle. The difficult part is being able to find one that is out in the open here in my area. Most times they will be in a tree with lots of branches which makes for an ugly photo.
I am terrible at identifying the different types of Hawks. I’m not sure why I have so much problems with these birds. Most of the time I can pick out a Red-tailed Hawk in flight.
This is probably the most common hawk in North America. If you’ve got sharp eyes you’ll see several individuals on almost any long car ride, anywhere. Red-tailed Hawks soar above open fields, slowly turning circles on their broad, rounded wings. Other times you’ll see them atop telephone poles, eyes fixed on the ground to catch the movements of a vole or a rabbit, or simply waiting out cold weather before climbing a thermal updraft into the sky. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
