Monopod

For the big glass I normally use the traditional setup but that gets a bit cumbersome when I'm treking through the woods. So I started hand holding a 1D MKII N and a 300 f2.8 but that gets heavy after awhile. So I decided to get a monopod to give me some relief. My question is do I put the BH-55 on the end of it or do I go with the swivel thing you can buy seperately ($33) and use that as a base for the set up?

Allow me to ask the question in another way: Is the monopod a worthy tool out in the field for bird wildlife? I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Gitzo tripod user... yet, the monopod does appear to have functional use in some circumstances, possibly those "walk-a-bouts" when you're scouting an area. But are they of much value for "concentrated" bird shooting?
An aside: the monopod's full impact of use comes from watching NFL games - the bevy of sideline photogs. More than once the thought crossed my mind "is the monopod applicable for general wildlife use?"

RRS doesn't recommend a BH-55 be used on a monopod. See http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/tripods/03.html for their recommended solution. Lighter and cheaper (assuming you don't have the BH-55 already).

I have the BH-55. Just looking to avoid buying one more thing. Thanks for the advice.