It's hard to think of warblers when our woods and trees are still covered in snow, but it is nearly April, after all. Time to pull out the bird guide and start reviewing. Okay, after all these years, that's just an excuse. I'm just too impatient to sit and wait for the warblers to arrive, so I like to browse through the warbler section in my Sibley's to whet my appetite.

In our area, we have about 35 species of warblers. That's respectable in anyone's book. For eastern warblers, I much prefer the steadiness and wider field of view afforded by a good 7x or 8x binocular to follow the action as birds flit from branch to branch. I also consider smooth, quick focusing a must have on a good warbler binocular. Warblers are active birds and that means watching them is also an active pursuit. She or he who can get on a bird, quickly, and keep it in the binocular will see more warblers.