So I've asked for binoculars for my birthday - what kind should we get?

[tigereye]

I'd like to use them to see more birds - is there a reasonably priced, but good pair which folks could recommend?


Thanks!

[semillama]

1. This website is your friend:

http://www.optics4birding.com/

It's the next best thing to having all the brands laid out in front of you. Check out the scorecard function, which allows you to rank factors that are important to you and then lists the binoculars that fit that criteria.

It's how I settled on my Vortex Broadwings, and I'm super happy with them.

[tigereye]

2. thanks so much! Lot of info to take in there and it seemed very pertinent.

:hi:

[XemaSab]

3. What's your budget?

:shrug:

This website is your enemy:

www.eagleoptics.com

[tigereye]

4. holy crap, you are right!

:wow:

My husband bought some for me for my birthday after looking at the website semillama recommended. Something by Alpen - seemed like a good, solid, well-made adjustable pair. I'm excited that I will be able to see the scarlet tanagers nesting near the pool I belong to, and other birds! I was hoping he hadn't spent too much!

[semillama]

5. Upgrading your binoculars is always fantastic

Upgrading any equipment it, really. I geeked out when my wife got me a great new tripod, and I haven't even used it yet!

[XemaSab]

6. What kind of tripod?

When I got my bogen, I was in 7th heaven. :D

[semillama]

7. The Vortex Pro GT

I had a crappy Nikon tripod before - It's what came with my Nikon scope, and boy did it suck in a breeze! Plus, the scope always worked its way loose from the mount. Plus the action was not very smooth.

This is what the Nikon looks like:

[XemaSab]

8. My old tripod (that I got for my spacemaster)

was a B&L, and they didn't fit together well.

Seriously, B&L and Bushnell are the same company, so you'd think they would work together.

I ditched the old tripod after we went out to look at the Greenshank, and that thing was a MESS in the stiff breeze coming off the Pacific. x(

[tigereye]

9. so now the question is - binocular technique, patience and how to get to

see birds you can hear (with unfamiliar calls) to appear?


Sometimes I see the bird and by the time I get the binoculars up, the bird has flown. I also noticed that some folks I went on a bird walk with, will make a owl or other predatory bird sound to get the birds who are hiding to flush.


Any more advice for newbies, oh you wise-ones? :)

[semillama]

10. A lot of time, there's nothing you can do about the flushing birds

One thing you can do when you are in a particularly birdy spot is to keep the binoculars close to your face, so the time it takes to put the lenses on the bird is reduced.

Mimicking a screech owl or the scolding calls of chickadees and wrens (pishing is the term) is a good way to get birds' attention; the only caveat is to not rely too heavily on this technique as you are disrupting whatever the bird is doing at the time - and especially don't do it during breeding season, since you don't want birds to leave nests unattended for no good reason.

Pete Dunne has a great little book on pishing that I recommend.

[tigereye]

11. cool, thanks Semillama!