Pedaling to work the other morning and just happened to turn onto a side street about the same time as a Sharp-shinned Hawk landed in a tree right above me. Had to stop for a look in the binocular. Wow! Most people would have passed it off as a Mourning Dove or even a Robin, but no way can any hawk get by me without setting off my hawk radar. This Sharpie was a mature bird and a beauty. Times like this when a
compact binocular is gold and that's exactly why I always carry a compact binocular like my
Nikon Premier LX 10x25. Now that's a premium binocular if there ever was one, but the good news is that you can get some great compact binoculars at a nicer price. One of my favorites under $100 has always been the
Nikon 8x25 Travelite. Still too much? Really tough to beat the
Bushnell 8x26 H2O for the price. Best of all, any of these
cheap compact binoculars are small enough to fit in a purse or book bag.