This time of year, the temptation and habit of looking into the tree tops for warblers becomes such a habit for me that it can lead to problems when riding a bicycle. It takes extra effort to keep my eyes on the road and not in the trees when pedaling. For this reason, I have been forcing myself to walk the bike when I want to do some birding. It pays off, not only in terms of safety, but also in terms of birds.

Last night, for instance, I walked the bike through a favorite section of trail, pulled the Zeiss Victory 8x20 out of my biking jersey and quickly added a Tennessee Warbler to my '08 spring list. A little farther down the trail, I heard a Sora from a nearby marsh. Highlight of the evening commute, however, was a Blue-headed Vireo (when I was young, we called it a Solitary). Even in a compact binocular, the birds white specs were striking and the yellow wash along the side was lovely. Yes, a quality compact binocular can be a serious birding tool. So can a bicycle if you have enough sense to get off a walk it, now and then.