7
guards with their optics
package. Rain guards keep
things like rain drops, salt
spray, sandwich drippings, and
hot breath from obscuring
optics in the field. They also
keep dust off lenses when the
binoculars are not in use. Some
binoculars also come with
protective cups for the
objective lens.
Binoculars should come with
durable, supple, and adjustable
neck straps. Leather straps are
chic, but crack and rot under
normal field use.
Plastic straps loose their
suppleness in cold weather and
will loop when binoculars are
raised – invariably falling
directly between the ocular lens
and your eye.
Most quality binoculars now
come with straps made of
braided nylon. Wider straps
help distribute weight evenly,
saving wear and tear on a
birder’s neck.
Speaking of wear and tear,
perfection is an ideal that
optics manufacturers strive for.
Filling the gap between
technical precision and ideal
perfection is the manufacturers
equipment warranty. Quality
optics come with a warranty
that covers materials and
workmanship.
Again, a very few superior
optics offer lifetime warranties
to the original owner – a
special bonus for those who
purchase optics designed and
built to last a lifetime.
Spotting Scopes
In time, after the birds of
woodland and field have been
mastered and savored, many
birders feel compelled to reach
for the horizon. They turn their
identification skills upon
migrating hawks, wintering
seabirds, or feeding shorebirds.
This kind of birding involves
careful study over great
distances for extended
periods, and in this arena, a
spotting scope is ideal.
Spotting scopes rest upon a
tripod, a shoulder stock, or
specially designed window
mount. Thus stabilized, they
make higher magnification
possible, bringing birds on the
horizon within reach. Popular
powers include 20x, 30x, 40x
and 60x.
Zoom eyepieces are popular
and do not, as a rule, suffer
the short-comings inherent in
zoom binoculars. In fact, a few
spotting scopes with zoom
eyepieces offer exceptional
optical performance.
Like binoculars, spotting
scopes come in a range of
quality and price and also, like
binoculars, you get what you
pay for.
The Bottom Line
Birding is an activity that
offers challenge, excitement,
and a lifetime of pleasure. The
better your optics, the less
frustration you will know and
more pleasure you will get out
of birding.
When buying binoculars
(and spotting scopes), the
rule of thumb is simple. Buy
the best binoculars you can
possibly afford and buy them
as soon as you can afford
them.
If you can’t immediately
afford the quality binoculars
you want, tolerate the ones
you have or borrow a pair from
a friend. Save for the optics
you really want.
If you settle for less, you will
only regret your half-step
purchase until the day you
replace them with the
binoculars or spotting scope
that you really wanted all
along.
Good Birding!
WindStar Wildlife Institute is a
national, non-profit, conservation
organization whose mission is to
help individuals and families
establish or improve the wildlife
habitat on their properties.
For more information or for the
name of a Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist in your area,
please contact:
WindStar Wildlife Institute
10072 Vista Court
Myersville, Maryland 21773
Phone: (301) 293-3351
E-mail: wildlife@windstar.org
http://www.windstar.org
About the Author...
Pete Dunne, of the New Jersey
Audubon Society, is one of
birdings better known figures and
authorities on the optical needs
of bird watchers. He is author of
The Feather Quest, Tales of a Low
Rent Birder, and Hawks in Flight.
His regular columns appear in
American Birds, Birding, and
Living Bird. He and wife, Linda, live
near Cape May, New Jersey.
