SoCal Locales

How to Choose Bird Watching Binoculars

A fashionable pastime among many senior citizens as well as others is bird watching. Binoculars and a field guide are all you need for the enjoyable hobby, making it a cost efficient and enjoyable one for practically anyone.

There are more than 10,000 species of different birds throughout the world. Aquatic birds, song birds, flightless birds, vibrantly colored birds, small birds, large birds; the varieties are practically limitless. Viewing birds must be done at a distance, since the creatures are skittish and naturally cautious of human beings. This is why, for those who wish to become skilled at bird watching, binoculars are a valuable and essential piece of equipment. 

There are many forms of binoculars available. Basic binoculars are generally the starting point for those who are just starting out as bird watchers. You should start with the cheaper or less expensive types and then upgrade to a pair with more advanced technology as the interest in bird watching increases. However, keep in mind that the best sightings will be made with a good pair. There are some guidelines that will help you to choose a pair of binoculars that will suit your needs.

Size

Choose a pair of binoculars that will not be burdensome to carry for hours at a time.  Especially once you have become hooked on finding and identifying our feathered friends, you will find that you will spend increasingly more time doing so.  If the binoculars are bulky and heavy, the weight may discourage you from indulging in a great pastime.

Magnification

Binoculars are classified according to a set of numbers; i.e., “7 x 35”. The first number is the power, indicating in this example that something is being viewed at 7 times closer than they actually are.  The second value is the diameter of the lens.  The larger the second number is, the more light will pass into the equipment and the easier it will be to see in dim lighting.  It will also make it easier to see birds that possess little to no bright colors.  

Focusing

As well as having pleasurable sightings from afar, it is also important to have the ability to focus on objects within 20 feet of you so that you won’t forfeit an exciting sighting close up.

Undertaking a new hobby such as bird watching, binoculars and field guide at hand, may very well be the most enjoyable activity of your life.  With the appropriate equipment in hand at little expense, it can be as affordable as it is enjoyable.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 9:42 am and is filed under General Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.