Check out some of our favorite places on the web!
This page is still under construction. Please contact us if you have a favorite website you would like to share with fellow birders.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
If you think it's OK to travel without medical coverage, let us tell you about the $36,000+ that a friend had to pay to arrange a medevac flight from Panama to Texas after taking a bad fall. You might want to consider a policy offered by your airline when you purchase your ticket, or you can purchase directly from a travel insurance company. You can compare different insurance policies (coverage and cost) at one of these websites:
https://www.insuremytrip.com/?linkId=ER791460
http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
If you take more than one or two trips a year, you might want to consider purchasing an annual policy that covers your medical expenses on all trips you take for a full year. These policies cover only medical expenses and do not cover trip cancellation, lost luggage, trip interruption, etc. For that kind of coverage, the policies offered by your airline when you purchase your ticket would be a better choice, but they must be purchased for each trip. The Beckmans carry an annual medical travel insurance policy through American Express, but we've seen similar policies offered by AAA. Do some online research and find the best policy for you!
TROUBLE WITH YOUR LENSES FOGGING UP IN HUMID CONDITIONS?
This stuff works! You simply rub your glasses or binocular lens with this dry cloth for 10-15 seconds and you are fog-free for up to 8 hours. Each cloth may be reused up to 10 times, and they come in packages of 3 cloths. You can buy them on several websites, including Amazon. You can see the demonstration video here:
https://www.defogitworks.com/
ZEISS OPTICS - We've tried them all, and we think Zeiss offers the clearest, brightest view for birders, especially in low-light conditions of the rain forest. Jim carries a pair of Victory SF 10 x 42 while Cindy uses Victory SF 8 x 42. Zeiss offers quality optics at different price ranges - check out the new Terra HD!
http://sportsoptics.zeiss.com/nature/en_us/binoculars.html
GREEN LASER PENS - 10% discount available!
Most of the guides in Central and South America use green laser pens to help birders find birds in deep forests where describing the locations would be nearly impossible. Many use pointers with strength of <5mW, but more and more people are using pointers with strengths of up to 50mW so the pens are more useful in well-lit situations. We order our laser pointers from Land, Sea, & Sky and have received quality merchandise and good service. You can see their products and order online at www.landseaskyco.com but if you order by phone you can receive a 10% discount by mentioning Cheepers! Birding on a Budget. Just ask for Darren when you call 713-529-3551.
Please be careful when using your laser pen. NEVER point directly at a bird; always point on a branch or other object a few feet away and then direct others to the bird from your green light. Please see Cheepers! newlsetter Volume 2, Issue 3, for more information on using laser pens effectively. (Click on link to newsletters in the dropdown menu.)
OPTICS
Discount Binoculars, based in Mendocino, CA, offers the best optics available at discount prices. Receive expert advice from someone with decades of experience who will work to find the best bins for you rather than trying to sell their own brand of optics.
Discount Binoculars, based in Mendocino, CA, offers the best optics available at discount prices. Receive expert advice from someone with decades of experience who will work to find the best bins for you rather than trying to sell their own brand of optics.
RESEARCH
Internet Bird Collection (IBC) offers photographs and videos of thousands of bird species:
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/
If you are traveling with Cheepers!, we will provide you with a customized checklist that cross-references the field guide. But if you want to prepare well in advance, you may want a current checklist for the birds found in your destination country. Avibase offers up-to-date checklists that you can download and print.
http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?lang=EN
As you prepare for a trip to a new destination, you might want to learn vocalizations for some of your target species. An excellent site that could provide you with the audio you need is xeno-canto:
http://xeno-canto.org/locations.php
Internet Bird Collection (IBC) offers photographs and videos of thousands of bird species:
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/
If you are traveling with Cheepers!, we will provide you with a customized checklist that cross-references the field guide. But if you want to prepare well in advance, you may want a current checklist for the birds found in your destination country. Avibase offers up-to-date checklists that you can download and print.
http://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?lang=EN
As you prepare for a trip to a new destination, you might want to learn vocalizations for some of your target species. An excellent site that could provide you with the audio you need is xeno-canto:
http://xeno-canto.org/locations.php