Birds seen at a distance may be enjoyable to watch, but the true excitement of the hobby is greatly enhanced when you can see the birds up very close. Some of the most useful tools that enhance your bird-watching experience are those that make birds easier to see in striking detail. Following are some tools that help "bring the birds in close." Birds-Watching Tools
- A bird-watcher and his or her binoculars are practically a cliche. But that's true for a reason. There are few things better suited for this hobby in which participants are trying to get a close look at a subject that tends to be elusive and hard to approach.
- Binoculars come in a range of sizes, styles and levels of quality (figure A). Because they are so important, it's best to purchase the best pair you can reasonably afford. Binoculars well suited for bird-watching generally start in a price around $200, and may range upward of $1000.
- Buying binoculars is sort of like buying shoes. It's best to try out a number of them to determine which one works and "feels" best for your before investing money in a pair.
- Each pair of binoculars has a number associated with it -- such as 8x42 -- and the numbers should be marked clearly on the binoculars themselves (figure B). The first number (8) represents the degree of magnification offered by the binoculars, so in this example, the binoculars would enlarge the image 8 times larger than that of the naked eye. The second number (42) gives the diameter, in millimeters, of the objective lens (the front lens) of the binocular. A higher second number means that the lens lets in more light. More light means that the image seen through the binoculars will be brighter and more clear.
- If you wear eyeglasses, you'll need to put the eyecups on the binocular (figure C) in the down position to get the optimum image.
- Binocular Technique: When using binoculars, avoid looking through the binoculars as you "look around." Instead, spot the bird you want to view using your naked eye, then carefully bring the binoculars up to your eyes (figure D) while keeping the bird in view -- without moving your head or changing the direction you're looking.
- For the serious bird-watching enthusiast, another useful tool is the scope . These specialized telescopes (figure E) are typically mounted on tripods and are more powerful than binoculars. They start at magnifications of 15 or 20, and some go much higher.
- Some scopes have zoom attachments (figure F) that allow you to variably decrease or increase magnification up to as much as 60x. Other features include a separate focus knob and a tripod and handle that allows tilting and panning for easy viewing in all directions.
- Some scopes have angled eyepieces while others have eyepieces that are straight (figure G).
- Straight eyepieces can make it difficult for birdwatchers of different heights to use the same scope, since your eye has to be at the level of the eyepiece for viewing (figure H). Angled eyepieces are more convenient when sharing a single scope.
- As with the binoculars, the best technique for spotting and viewing birds with a scope is to spot your subject with just your eye, then line up the scope manually with the bird and bring your eye to the eyepiece -- and enjoy the view (figure I).
RESOURCES :
National Audubon Society
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 979-3000
Fax: (212) 979-3188
Web site: www.audubon.org
Don and Lillian Stokes' website
Stokes Birds at Home
Website: www.stokesbirdsathome.com
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