Birding Binoculars
Have you reached that stage in life when you have developed a keen interest in wild birds (the feathered variety?) You might just want to feed the birds in your garden, which is fine. Have you considered venturing further afield and seeing birds all over the country or even the world? In both cases investing in a good pair of birding binoculars is essential. That might not apply if your garden birds feed right outside your window, but do be aware that birds can hurt or kill themselves flying into windows. If the feeders are far away from the house, birding binoculars can be very useful.
When you think of serious birding you normally mean the peripatetic, ramblers who walk around the countryside looking for special species. They carry birding binoculars, usually around their necks, and wear green camouflaged clothing to conceal them from the skittish and nervous creatures they seek to view. A pair of 8 x 42 binoculars is ideal, because you don’t need a tripod in order to hold them steady. On birdwatching tours, it’s always a trade-off between mobility and magnification. What does that mean? Well, when binoculars zoom in to a high magnification, they tend to become heavy and difficult to hold steady and carry around for long periods.
Binoculars for bird watching also have to have a wide field of view. A bird moves around on all planes (I don’t mean aeroplanes!) - up, down, sideways - and all very fast. It’s unlike a static object or even racing horses or greyhounds, which move on one horizontal plane. Therefore you need a wide and high field of view in order to watch one on the wing. There’s nothing more annoying than the realization that your colleagues who are not looking through binoculars are having a better view than you are! This can happen if you are looking through them and the field of view is so narrow that you can’t actually set your sights upon the bird. You could even miss it!
Birding binoculars need to have the best magnification possible without compromising on portability and steadiness in the hands. They should have comfortable grips so that you can hold them for long periods of time. If you wear spectacles, then yours should specify an eye relief factor of 19mm or more. Yes, you can use binoculars for birdwatching if you are a spectacle wearer! Waterproof binoculars are of course essential in the event of inclement weather. They should be well-sealed to keep out grit, dirt and damp. They should be lightweight and very durable. The focusing should be quick and smooth, not jerky. Birdwatching binoculars should, as mentioned, have a wide field of view.
Birding is a great hobby where you can make like-minded friends all keen on the same thing as you are: to observe some of the absolute wonders of the natural world close-up. Birding is all about creatures of great beauty which are all around us if only we looked that little bit more keenly. The right type of birding binoculars, for example Bushnell binoculars, are the key to open the door of the detailed world beyond our natural field of vision.
About the Author:
Read more about birding binoculars at www.binocularsforbirdwatching.org Dianne Davies has a keen interest in gardening and wildlife.
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