Binoculars

Exploring with Bird Watching Binoculars

As you prepare to enter the world of bird watching, you will need a great pair of bird watching binoculars are your primary piece of equipment for this incredible journey. Birding and bird watching is essentially the same thing, so comparing birding binoculars to bird watching binoculars wouldn’t be too necessary because they are the same piece of equipment. Novices often get confused at the outset and end up buying two pairs of binoculars when they actually only need one. It is important to not get too caught up in what you are told you will need and get involved in nature instead.

So birding is the activity of watching and observing wild birds. Birds in captivity or in any type of cages are not wild birds, so heading over to the zoo with your bird watching binoculars around your neck is not birding. Birdwatchers observe birds in their natural habitats, learning to identify the birds and learning about what they do, how they live, and the typical bird experience. In North America alone, there are over eight hundred species of birds, so birding can be quite a mountain to climb with so much to see. With a little diligence and some adventure, it ends up being a great time for all involved.

More On Birding

Birding is actually something you can do in your own backyard with your bird watching binoculars and a glass of lemonade. You can take part in this activity at your local park or anywhere else you may travel because, as we know, birds are pretty much everywhere in the world. People of all ages participate in birding, too, so it is never an issue of it being an activity for only a certain age group and the like. The actuality is that birding is fast becoming a popular activity for all people of all ages and backgrounds.

In order to learn more about bird watching, you can take your bird watching binoculars and participate in a variety of nature walks in your area. Consider joining an actual birding group and get to know some people in the process as you encounter several wild birds. You can also subscribe to a magazine on bird watching or find out more information online and join a mailing list to get more information. This will help you gather your thoughts and information in a careful way so that when you hit the trails, you know what you are looking for and can point your binoculars to the right target.

Birds Of Prey

There are many opportunities to spot birds of prey, too, which are especially interesting considering the way our culture views them. Watch for hawks and eagles around the world, and take note of their majesty and grace as they exist. It is an incredible sight to see as these great birds fly through the air, soaring to their destinations, and pay little mind to what is happening in the world below. Many of us wish we were so lucky. An escape with birding binoculars and some wonderful things to see is just the ticket for that type of thought and it can provide you with the escape you need.

It is this type of incredible philosophy that creates a whole world of bird watchers and enthusiasts in the world. They gather up their birding binoculars and take to nature, watching and engaging the world around them without interfering or getting in the way of its progress. With birding binoculars, you have the chance to do this and embark on a journey of a lifetime that may only take you as far as your very own backyard.

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Bird Watching Tips

Look around - Look up

As you are driving out to the area, keep your eyes open. Many people will miss many birds simply because they are not looking for them. A motionless red-tailed hawk sitting on the cross arm of a power pole is easy to miss. Some things to look for that might actually be a raptor include:

a fence post that is extra tall,
an extra insulator on a power or phone pole,
a rock outcrop with a prominent "point" at the top,
a bird sitting on the wire between poles (possibly an American kestrel),
in winter, a dark object in a leafless tree.

Also, don't forget to look up. Small dark objects in the sky might be an eagle or hawk soaring high above you.

Timing

As they say . . . "Timing is everything." To have the best chance of seeing birds of prey, you must consider both the time of the year and time of the day.

Time of Year - Although you can see raptors in the NCA year round, the best viewing is during the nesting season, mid-March through June. April can be a little slower because one of the adults is typically incubating eggs and not flying. February and March can be very good because many raptors are establishing territories and doing courtship flying. May is also a good month for viewing because eggs are hatching and there are many hungry chicks to feed. From mid-May through June young birds are fledging and learning to fly.

Time of Day - As a general rule, birds are more active in the early morning and early evening. Soaring eagles and hawks need the rising warm air currents (thermals) to soar and will tend to be more active after the sun has been up a few hours.

Although not a requirement for seeing raptors, binoculars will help you to get a better view of these magnificent birds. Binoculars not only allow you to see closer they also may help you see more birds. Often times while following a hawk with your binoculars, you will spot another hawk, eagle, or falcon further away, that is not visible with the unaided eye.

Patience

Come prepared to spend some time in the natural habitat of these birds of prey. The NCA is not a zoo. Ninety percent of the time you cannot drive to a viewpoint or overlook, get out of your vehicle, look in a certain direction, and see a raptor flying. But what about the other ten percent? As mentioned earlier, timing is everything. Sometimes, (especially in the spring), you will get lucky and see a soaring hawk or a falcon not long after you pull up to a viewpoint. But to really see and enjoy these birds plan to spend some time at one place. Remember, if someone stopped by your house right now they may not see you. But if they wait around, you will arrive soon.