The Udzungwa Mountains are part of the so-called East African mountain arc composed of a string of 11 mountain massifs that begin in the Taita Hills of southern Kenya and end in central Tanzania precisely with the Udzungwa, the largest of these massifs.
The long geological isolation of this chain of mountains has led to a high number of endemisms, but in turn the inaccessibility and lack of infrastructure cause its avifauna to be little known having discovered only 30 or 40 years ago, species as distinctive as a forest partridge or a spectacular suimanga with reddish wings.
Still today there are very few ornithologists visiting the Udzungwa and in a recent visit in October 2022 we have obtained valuable observations of most of the characteristic species of these mountains.
In this expedition we have been using the new ATC spotting scope for the first time, whose characteristics were ideal since to reach the best forests of the Udzungwa it is necessary to make long journeys on foot from the base to the high parts and camp several nights at 2,000 m, where the bamboo forests and the humid mountain forest are in a better state of conservation.
The size and weight of this spotting scope allows it to be incorporated into our team even when it is expected to have to make long walks through the mountains or through difficult areas. In our case we use a Gitzo carbon tripod from the Traveller series, also very light, which thanks to the way the legs fold is also very compact. The choice of a suitable tripod is very important because, if we want to make long observations and take advantage of the 40 magnifications of this telescope, it is essential to do so on a tripod that offers us good stability and a ball joint of fluid movement.
The new ATC has been a perfect tool. Despite its relatively small diameter, 56 mm, the extraordinary light transmission of its optical system has allowed to enjoy very good observations even in the most closed areas of the jungle. Another essential feature of this spotting scope is its extraordinary field of view that at 17x reaches 62 m wide at 1,000 m away (more than half of what most 10x binoculars have) and at 40x it still reaches 34 m (slightly less than those with many large diameter telescopes only 20x from their 20-60x zoom).
But this telescope, due to its lightness and ergonomics, even allows it to be used freehand (preferably at 17x or not many more magnifications) and for this SWAROVSKI includes a useful complement, a kind of shoe that is placed at the bottom of the telescope to hold it better in the palm of the hand, but without preventing the operation of the focus wheel.
In this telescope immediately draws attention to a certain disproportion between the size and diameter of the eyepiece and the rest of the body and surely this is the secret of the good performance of the entire optical system, together with SWAROVISION technology. The large diameter of the entrance glass of the eyepiece and an excellent 20 mm pupil relief are surely the result of having designed a generous optical system in the eyepiece, apparently of the same characteristics as that of its older brothers, the famous ATX / STX series of the same brand.
During the aforementioned trip we also visited other types of habitat such as the miombo forest, a dry, closed and quite dusty savannah in the dry season, but which also houses many especially interesting birds such as this pair of owls to which thanks to their tranquility we could record a small video through the telescope with the help of the VPA mobile adapter and the corresponding ring for the telescope eyepiece.
African barred owlet (Glaucidium capense)
Smart versatility
The ATC/STC is a compact, high-end telescope with comfortable and intuitive operation.
- Annular focus wheel
- Body of the ATC bent model of only 258 mm and that of the straight model STC of 285 mm
- Without sunshade
- Tripod mount
- 56mm objective lens
- SWAROVISION optical system with high image definition up to the very edge of the field of view, high contrast optical performance, maximum color fidelity and high light transmission.
- Ergonomic shoe for freehand use and a side transport strap are included.
The LEOFOTO LS254C tripod + tripod Head BV-1R is an ideal choice for use with Swarovski's new ATC telescope. It only weighs 1.4 kg so together with the telescope it does not reach 2.5 kg!
Its height, 128 cm, is enough for most observers using it with the angled version of the spotting scope since the eyepiece is about one and a half meters high.
In addition, being a tripod of 4 sections, when folded this set only measures 52 cm so it can be transported in almost any backpack of medium or even small photography or in a Daypack and in cabin suitcases!
