BinocularsBlog – Advice on Digital, Waterproof, & Compact Binoculars for Bird Watching, Sports, Astronomy, Night Vision, & more!

I always get a bit excited prior to any change in season, but the approach of fall seems to hit me the hardest of all the seasons. Perhaps it’s the child in me still anticipating a return to school in the fall or perhaps it’s because I grew up around people for whom fall was the big season – farmers who were about to harvest their crops and hunters who eagerly anticipated getting out into the fields. Mostly I suspect it is something primeval, something buried deep in my genes. Whatever it is, I put this drive or energy or whatever you want to call it to work by getting out with the binoculars and spotting scopes for some fall birdingwatching.

I rarely see the variety of bird species in the birding binoculars and birding spotting scope during the fall migration as I do in the spring migration, though in some years, what I manage to see for variety of birds in the fall is not that far behind what I see in spring. I don’t mind that at all, though, because birding in the fall months for me is as much about being outdoors when Nature is at its most glorious as it is about adding birds seen to a list. In fact, some of my best memories include fall birding trips, especially fall trips to watch migrating waterfowl.

If you own a spotting scope, you owe it to yourself to go to the nearest reservoir or lake in the fall when the ducks and geese are flying. Take a lawn chair and a thermos of coffee, choose a location where you can see a large expanse of water, then sit back and enjoy the show. No better way to enjoy a crisp fall day in my book.

I did my usual step outside before bed move, last night, to check for clear skies and the possibility of doing some astronomy. After allowing my eyes to adapt a bit to the dark, I could see clouds off to the north and west, but the sky was clear overhead. There wasn’t enough time to roll out and setup my big Dobsonian telescope before the clouds rolled in, but there was time to grab the astronomy binoculars and do some quick observing.

I had just finished taking a look at an old binocular goodie, namely M27, in the Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe, and decided to take a look at a much lesser known object in the same neighborhood, namely M71, a globular cluster in the tiny constellation Sagitta. I found the globular easily, since I have the benefit of dark, light-pollution free skies, but as globular clusters go, I’ve never been too impressed with M71 in binoculars. There are certainly much better globulars to see in astronomy binoculars, at any rate, but I still like to take a look at objects I haven’t seen in awhile.

I started to drift a bit above the constellation, back in the direction of Cygnus, when I noticed what appeared to be an indistinct star cluster or nebula comparable in brightness to M71. Hmmm! Wait a minute! No way. I know every binocular star cluster and nebula there is to see with binoculars and there is no such thing at that location. That’s when it dawned on me that I had the comet I had read about a couple of weeks, ago. A quick check on the internet confirmed that it was, indeed, Comet Garradd.

I decided, then, to take a closer look with my small refractor telescope. Even with a telescope eyepiece that delivered only 30x in the small telescope, I could see what was obviously a comet. You couldn’t mistake it for anything else.

Dark skies are the key to seeing this comet, at least for now. In fact, if you have any degree of light pollution in your area, you will not even be able to see the constellation Sagitta to guide you. On the other hand, under reasonably dark skies, you will be able to spot the comet in ordinary binoculars or a small beginner's telescope. Indeed, you could even use a spotting scope and see this comet. Go ahead and take a look on the next clear night.

Our home in the north woods includes almost seven acres of coniferous forest and nearly five hundred feet of shoreline on a shallow, weedy, boggy north country lake. The lake isn’t much for swimming and certainly a deathtrap for motorized boats, but it is ideal for kayaking and canoeing and, especially, for birdwatching. Indeed, the bird watching is one of the reasons our lakeside dock is my favorite place on our property. Birding, dock style, with either birding binoculars or birding spotting scope, is an easygoing affair, given the fact that you place a lawn chair on the dock, sit back and enjoy the wildlife show.

Now, given that our dock is but a short distance from our yard and all our bird feeders, you might think that birding from the dock is pretty much the same as birding from our yard. Not at all. Just walking that twenty or so yards from the yard to the dock is a striking example of the “different habitat, different birds” concept. True, I sometimes get a glimpse of Wood Ducks, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles and other of our resident lake birds as they fly over the house, but when I really want to see them, plus other birds I never see in our yard with binoculars or spotting scopes, I just head to the lake. The lake also gives this old prairie raised gal some of that good old wide-open spaces medicine that I need from time to time.

Whew! I had just wheeled my 12.5” Dobsonian telescope back into its shed and carefully packed up all my telescope accessories, this Saturday night, so I paused for a few seconds to catch my breath. I was a little bleary eyed and tired after spending two hours looking through a telescope eyepiece, but it was the good kind of tired – I had managed to locate some not commonly seen objects by being patient and diligent. My telescope, though, after two hours in the heavy dew, was dripping wet, so, yes, definitely time to call it quits. Still, as I looked up into a star studded sky, I didn’t want to quit. Clear nights with good observing conditions are all too rare and precious, so I decided to end my session with a few relaxing minutes observing with my astronomy binoculars.

I grabbed the Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe, strolled back to lakeside and then plopped my butt down into a lawn chair on the dock. The mere act of sitting, after stooping and standing to see through the big telescope was a relief in itself. So was the ability to just point the binoculars without the need for using a finder scope. So was the comfort of using two eyes with the binocular instead of just one with the telescope. Last, but not least, so was seeing some well known, albeit lesser challenging, binocular objects. After two hours of peering on the star map and reading the small print just to find the lesser known objects I wanted to see in the telescope, seeing the easy stuff was enormously relaxing and fulfilling.

Come to think of it, I may just make it a habit of ending every astronomy session with a few relaxing moments with the astronomy binoculars.

Despite their lack of performance compared to full size binoculars, compact binoculars continue to be an extremely popular size of binocular for the general public. Sales remain strong and every binocular manufacturer offers binoculars in this size. Why? How do you explain the continued popularity of these small binoculars when they are at disadvantage compared to their larger counterparts in every optical category?

The answer, of course, is convenience. Compact binoculars are small, lightweight and always there when you need them. You can pack compact binoculars in a purse, a shirt pocket, a business case, a suitcase, the glove compartment of your vehicle and still have plenty of room for other gear. Compact binoculars are the “go with you binoculars” par excellence. It’s this likelihood that you will have compact binoculars on hand when you unexpectedly find yourself in a situation that could use a closer look that compensates for their lack of performance. I’m a good example of that.

I am an avid, hardcore birder; I live and breathe birdwatching and, of course, I have never lacked for mid-size and full-size birding binoculars. Those are the binoculars that I use when I step outside the door to do some serious birding. Nevertheless, I have seen as many, or even more, unusual birds with my compact binoculars as my standard birding binoculars, simply because I just happened to have compact binoculars handy when an interesting bird made an unexpected appearance. Believe me, unexpected is the name of the game when it comes to birds.

So, you can talk resolution, exit pupil, image brightness till you are blue in the face, but those optical goodies don’t mean a thing if you left your binoculars back at home.

What if you can’t find binoculars that open wide enough or close closely enough for your eyes? Help!

The distance between the pupils of your eye is called the interpupillary distance or IPD for short. All binoculars, of course, must open or close enough to accommodate what MOST users need for an IPD. That is why binoculars are designed with a center hinge between the two barrels that allows the binocular to open and close, but the degree of adjustment is finite. It’s enough to accommodate what most people need in the way adjustment, but if you have an IPD that is unusually narrow or unusually wide, you may find it very difficult to find a binocular that fits.

If you are having a binocular IPD problem, the first step is to determine in millimeters, your exact IPD. You can do this by stopping in at an eyewear shop and having it measured or by having someone measure it for you on a metric ruler. This gives you a starting point, at least. Binocular manufacturers, though, do not always list the IPD adjustment range on their binoculars, though more are doing this, these days. So far, for instance, I’ve found an IPD range listed for at least some Canon binoculars, Leica binoculars, Minox binoculars, Nikon binoculars, Pentax binoculars, Steiner binoculars, Swarovski binoculars and Vortex binoculars. There may be others, but these will give you a place to start.

What you’ll find on the specs that are listed is that 55-75 mm is a very typical range. Finding an IPD range with less than 55 mm or more than 75mm is tough, though. If you are outside this range, one solution I have found for customers is to opt for a double folding hinge compact binocular. Of all styles of binoculars, the double folding hinge compact binoculars have the greatest range of IPD adjustment. You may not get the exit pupil you want with this style of compact binoculars, but at least you have a chance of getting a binocular that fits your eyes.

Currently, all quiet on the birdwatching scene around our place, up here in the north woods, but migration and the influx of new birds that migration brings is just around the corner for this area. Frosts will arrive in September and leaves will change color in September, too. September is truly an autumn month in the north woods, unlike the extension of summer September can be at more southerly latitudes.

Compared to spring birding, fall birding can be more of a challenge, thanks to the incomplete or different plumages of immature birds. It sometimes takes careful work with the birding binoculars, birding spotting scope and a good bird guide to identify these young birds that have yet to acquire their adult plumages. Adult plumages can also be a bit more subdued in the fall, since adults are no longer in the courtship stage and, in some bird groups, adults may even be acquiring a different winter plumage. Yes, birding in the fall can present some identification challenges not seen during spring.

However, this issue of identifying birds in the fall is sometimes overblown by birders. If you know your birds, in general, you’ll do fine with the birds in the fall and, for sure, it is a huge mistake to take a pass on birding in the fall. Is there a more beautiful time to be in the woods and fields than fall? Then, too, fall birding is more of a leisurely undertaking than spring birding, since migration tends to be spread out over a longer period, since birds are not being driven to breed and nest as they are in the spring. So, grab the binoculars, take your time and enjoy.

Nothing like a little unscheduled astronomy with the binoculars. I say unscheduled in the sense that the weather forecast hadn’t included clear skies, not that I have anything to do about sky conditions, of course. Anyway, there I was in my pajamas, getting ready to call it day and, out of habit, I stuck my head out the deck door to check on the sky. What do you know? Clear skies and plenty of stars, since the moon was not yet up. What’s a girl to do?

Grab her Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe binoculars, that’s what, and then step out onto the deck, pajamas and all (our place is not visible to the neighbors). Yes, I could have dressed, grabbed all my telescope accessories and then wheeled my big Dobsonian telescope out of its shed, checked collimation on the mirrors and, if all went well, be observing a half hour, later, but … let’s just say astronomy binoculars are made for moments like this. Got a quick urge to do some astronomy? Grab the binoculars and go to work.

That’s exactly what I did, too. With the summer triangle right (stars Deneb, Vega and Altair) over head, I settled into one of our patio chairs and turned the binoculars skyward. M27 was an easy object, then on to NGC 6940 an often overlooked open cluster of stars. Next, I decided to hunt a small globular cluster, M56, out of the background stars in the constellation Lyra. It was small and faint, but not particularly hard to spot, since I’ve seen it many times.

Next, I moved a bit north and picked up the very bright open cluster, M39 and its dimmer neighbor, NGC 7063. By that time, Pegasus was visible, overhead, so on to the tiny globular star cluster, M15. This one is fairly bright, but its small size makes it easy to overlook at 10x. Down the line to the constellation Andromeda and I could see the great Andromeda galaxy, M31, as a faint smudge in the sky, no binocular needed, but, of course, I had to have a look with the binoculars. I finished my evening with that ghostly smudge of light, M33, a galaxy not far from M31. M33 is a very hard object to see under light polluted skies, but under my dark skies, it was an easy object, indeed.

Did I mention that quitting an observing session with the astronomy binoculars is as easy as starting a session with the astronomy binoculars – just put the binoculars back in the case and step indoors. Time elapsed: less than a minute. I love astronomy binoculars!

The tendency for binocular manufacturers to try to make one model of binocular do it all as far as applications go, has been a good thing for binocular users. It’s given us binoculars that can do double and even triple duty or more for various applications. That means there is no need to buy binoculars for each and every binocular application. This overlap in binocular features occurs in nearly all types of binoculars, whether you choose birding binoculars, hunting binoculars, sports binoculars and so on. Yes, one binocular can do it all or, at least come close.

It works like this: in a hunting binocular, you rarely need to worry about close focusing distance, but most binoculars advertised as hunting binoculars actually have excellent close focusing, should you decide to use those same binoculars for birdwatching where close focus is important. This also works the other way. Birding binoculars only rarely need to be waterproof and extra rugged, since birders are not often out in extreme weather like hunters, but most birding binoculars are, indeed, waterproof and fogproof. Sports binoculars do not really need to have either close focusing or waterproofing, but choose a sports binocular and there is a good chance it will have both of these features.

Isn’t it nice to know that in this day and age of specialization, there are still some products that can do it all?

Just what are birding binoculars? Are they binoculars specially designed for birdwatching and only bird watching? If I want to do some bird watching, do I need to replace my current binoculars with a new binocular?

First, if you have a binocular, any binocular, assuming the first binocular is somewhere between 6 and 10, don’t hesitate to try bird watching. What you have, now, in the way of binocular may not be the best choice in a binocular for birding, but it will get you started. It is a mistake to not try bird watching for lack of a so called birding binocular.

So, what makes a birding binocular a birding binocular? Two things.

First, assuming binoculars have an appropriate magnification between 6x and 10x (anything more will cause steadiness issues and the narrow fields of view of higher magnifications will make it more difficult to spot a bird in the binoculars), you want two features that are more of a preference, really, than absolute necessities.

The first of these is minimum focus. This is simply how close can an object be from you and the binocular is still able to focus. This can be important because, surprisingly, a great deal of bird watching is done at very short distances. We’re talking less than ten feet in some instances. In other words, if a bird is at a distance of ten feet and your binocular can only focus down to fifteen feet, you won’t be able to focus clearly on the bird and identify it.

Traditionally, we have always used a minimum focus of 15 feet or less as the dividing line between a good choice for birding binocular and a not so good a choice. This, of course, does not mean that you absolutely must have a close focus of 15 feet or less is going to cost you some birding opportunities, but it can still be used for medium and long distance birding.

The good news about close or minimum focus as it is sometimes called is that it is a commonly listed specification in a binocular description. Even better, manufacturers have been designing ever better close focus on binoculars over the years and a close focus of ten feet or so is actually quite common for a binocular.

The other feature that makes for a good birding binocular is not so easy to check before buying, short of actually getting the binocular in your hands. This one is speed and smoothness of focus. Why? Birding is a game of opportunities, but those opportunities sometimes last for only a few seconds. You need to get that bird in the field of view and focus, quickly, before it flies off. A binocular that focuses too slowly or roughly is going to cost you some birding opportunities. Again, the good news is that the majority of binoculars on the market are at least fair in this department, but some are definitely better than others. The most popular binoculars in the birding community are all very good when it comes to focusing, because birders tend to be fussy about this binocular feature. In fact, some birders, like me, get downright grouchy with anything less than excellent focus in a birding binocular.

So, grab whatever you have in the way of binoculars and go find some birds. Tell the birds that Joanie sent you.

Some of my best astronomy memories involve nights with the astronomy binoculars, perhaps because I have spent at least as many nights using binoculars as I have using telescopes.

Certainly the convenience has been a factor in how frequently I have used astronomy binoculars – there is nothing even close to handheld astronomy binoculars for ease of use/convenience – but there is a lot more going for astronomy binoculars than ease of use and convenience. Using two eyes provides a view that cannot be duplicated with a telescope, even with telescopes equipped with a binoviewer. Those gadgets merely split the light beam coming in from the telescope and deliver it to two eyes. Binoculars, on the other hand, use separate optical systems – in effect, two telescopes, one for each eye. This produces the sensation of depth of field and also improves visual acuity. As a result, nothing beats binoculars for that good old “Wow” effect when viewing objects that are ideal for their magnification range.

Want to give it a try? Go out the next clear, moonless night, and check the view of open star clusters M6 and M7 near the end of the tail in the constellation Scorpius with any binoculars you may have on hand, even compact binoculars. You’ll be hooked on binocular astronomy, I promise you.

We had a neighborhood picnic, last night, and some of my neighbors report seeing a fisher around their yard and another, a moose and then there were the usual bear, otter, beaver, coyote sightings and so on. Now, all of those are animals that I am eager to see in the binoculars and spotting scopes, of course, not to mention digital cameras. Wildlife is a big reason we decided to retire, up here, in the first place.

These wildlife sightings say a lot for the nature of our northern Wisconsin neighborhood. Our neighborhood, in reality, is a collection of acreages several acres in size. Our little community in the woods also borders large tracts of undeveloped land. In other words, as you can guess by the wildlife sightings, ours is not a typical neighborhood. Naturally, we all hope to keep it this way and many of us own double lots for this very reason. We may not agree on everything as neighbors, but we are universally happy to live here and few of us have any interest in living anywhere else.

This has all been quite a boon for my birdwatching, of course. Integrated as we are in the surrounding woods, the birds are right outside my back door. No more packing up the birding binoculars, tripod and birding spotting scope, getting in the car and driving to a good birding location. I just happen to live in a superb birding location.

Life is good in the north woods.

About the pic: Our lake is surrounded by tamaracks. These trees stain our lake and many lakes in the area with a tea color due to tannin in the bark. It's also unusual in that it loses its needles in the winter.

Late summer and the living is easy. Here I am, sitting on my deck with my Nikon 10x25 Premier LX binoculars, sipping some a cold beverage and doing some midday birdwatching, deck style. Living doesn’t get any easier than this, believe me.

Within ten feet of me is my hummingbird feeder and we have the hummingbirds to prove it. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird may be common, but when viewed through the binoculars, it is uncommonly beautiful. It is also an exciting bird to watch and to hear, thanks to that distinctive humming of its wings. Mine are so close that I really don’t need birding binoculars to see them, but binoculars do enhance colors, wonderfully.

A bit further out in the yard, my main feeders are also busy. Summer isn’t a time for a lot of variety, but I don’t do too bad. Goldfinches, Chickadees, Nuthatches (both Red-breasted and White-breasted) and a variety of Woodpeckers – Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied – make for great viewing with the binoculars and keep me busy refilling the feeders.

As I sit on the deck, I can hear a Great Blue Heron out on the lake making its croak call and, quite often, I can also hear the whistling calls of Wood Ducks, overhead. Now and then, I spot a Bald Eagle floating high above the house. In the evenings, we hear a Barred Owl.

Not bad for never having to get up out of my chair. This deck birdwatching is addictive. Margarita, anyone?

I’ve spent my share of years in the big city metro area and suburbs, never by choice, but, hey, jobs are where you find them, so there have been times when it has been good-by country, hello city, for this gal. Now, for those rural types that are also trapped in the big city for the sake of a job, I feel your pain. The good news is that all it takes to add a touch of country back into your life is a bird guide and some birding binoculars. Birds, like jobs, are where you find them and there are plenty of birds in the city. Grab your binoculars and start exploring.

City parks are always a good place to start your urban birdwatching and, if you have some wild areas set aside, as I had in the Chicago suburbs via the Forest Preserves, so much the better. It’s kind of crazy to do serious birding in a beautiful forest against the background hum of heavy traffic, but never underestimate the capacity of birds, not to mention deer, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and other wildlife to adapt and take what they can for habitat. I have seen some extraordinary things in the binoculars while traveling around urban areas, so I always made it a point to carry compact binoculars or a monocular in my purse.

My city days are over, now that I am semi-retired and living my dream in the north woods, but if circumstances would change and force me back into the city, I could endure city living as long as I had binoculars and a nearby park. A little urban birdwatching makes city life a little easier to swallow.

About the pic: The Great Blue Heron in the wild is a very wary bird, but, in the city, they learn to quickly adapt to the presence of humans. This bird was a favorite in my local suburban park. He would stand within ten feet of fisherman, hoping to be feed on fish and bait the fishermen didn't want.

Have you ever used ordinary birding binoculars, hunting binoculars or sports binoculars to look at the moon? Now, you would think that with the moon being such a conspicuous object in the night sky that just about everyone who owns binoculars will have used them, at one time or another, to look at the moon. Not so, and that is a shame.

When we think of instruments to observe the moon, we naturally think of telescopes, rather than binoculars and it is true that a telescope is the instrument of choice if you want to see the most the moon has to offer in terms of various features. However, ordinary binoculars are much easier to use for moon watching and while they can’t compare with telescopes in terms of detail that can be seen, they’re no slouch either. In fact, ordinary 8x and 10x binoculars can see enough of the moon’s features that you will need a good moon map to identify them all.

If you are new to moon observing, binoculars are actually a great way to learn your way around the moon by the very fact that they can’t see as much detail as telescopes. There is so much moon detail available through even small telescopes that it can overwhelm the beginner. Binoculars are also a better way to study the larger surface features of the moon, such as maria and crater rays, that don’t require that much magnification. Telescopes tend to lose these features in a classic can’t see the forest for the trees scenario.

The moon is big and bright in the sky this week. Grab your binoculars and take a look.

It’s a fairly common thing to find old binoculars around the house that mom or dad or some other relative used to own and a good many of these binoculars also end up at garage sales. The question that arises, of course, is just what are these binoculars? Do they have any value? How can I find more information on old binoculars? I looked on the internet and can’t find a thing.

First thing I usually recommend is checking the binoculars as to their markings, especially as to country of origin. Typically, most of these old binoculars will be market “made in Japan”. Don’t read too much into this, however. Yes, “made in Japan” on a binocular, today, is a sign of a quality and typically more expensive binocular, but that’s a relatively new development in the binocular market that started back in the 90s. It’s a place to start, however. "Made in Japan" on these old binoculars is definitely better than made in China, made in Taiwan or something similar. Those were very low quality binoculars previous to 1990 or so.

As to vintage binoculars marked “made in Japan”, finding more info on them is often a dead end. It’s a matter of how these binoculars were marketed. After WW II and well into the late 80s, most binoculars were, indeed, made in Japan, for the same reason that most binoculars, today, are now made in China, namely low production costs as a result of cheap labor. In those days, premium quality binoculars were only made in Europe. It took the original Bausch&Lomb Elite binocular, back in the 90s, to prove to the world that a binocular “made in Japan” could compete with the European made binoculars.

In the meantime, major binocular labels contracted with one of the many Japanese binocular manufacturers to produce binoculars. If you have one of these – a vintage binocular “made in Japan” from a recognizable binocular label, such as Bushnell, Leupold, Swift and so on, your old binocular is probably a keeper and, possibly, worth more than you might think. Typically, though, that old binocular will be marked with some unrecognizable label that leads nowhere when you try to find more info. These binoculars were labeled by various importers who brought them into this country. Since importers come and go with a frequency similar to what we now see with websites popping up on the internet, this means that these binoculars were all over the place as to quality, but only rarely will they have the value of a vintage Japanese binocular with a well known label. You can buy these all day long on the internet for $50 or less.

Regardless, my advice is to keep that old vintage binocular and use it as long as it is in good working order. These oldies, but goodies, in the binocular world may not have all the features that make for good birding binoculars or hunting binoculars by today's standards, but they deserve a better fate than collecting dust in a closet.

“Can binoculars 'go bad'? My husband has had this Bushnell pair since 1993 and up until this last move (2 months ago) they worked fine (he last used them in April of this year). The box they were moved in is fine. Can the focus wheel (forgive my ignorance on the subject/terms) get stripped? Thanks for any help you can provide. Sarah in AZ”

Great question. Thanks, Sarah

Oh, yes, binoculars can go bad just like any other mechanical/optical device (spotting scopes, telescopes, microscopes and so on) and, in fact, it is quite often a worn or faulty binocular focusing mechanism, just as you describe, simply because the focuser is one of the few moving parts found on a binocular and, like any moving part, prone to wear and tear and/or breakage. Given your description of this sudden loss of performance, my guess is was more a matter of something breaking or working loose within the focusing mechanism, rather than wear and tear. A won out focuser usually gives you warning when it is ready to go. It may or may not have been a result of your move, but, keep in mind, it only takes a good shaking or drop to cause problems with a binocular even though there is no outward evidence of damage or even the box.

The good news is that Bushnell will help - that's one of the reasons they have become a household name in binoculars - though it will be at their discretion to determine if the damage is covered under warranty. First step is to contact them. Never attempt to take a binocular apart and try a home repair – it takes the right tools and expertise to work on binoculars and, in any event, once you have attempted a do-it-yourself repair job on binoculars, the manufacturer tends to wash their hands of the mess and you are on your own.

Worst case scenario is that Bushnell will charge you for a repair and present you with a quote for the cost before proceeding, instead of repairing the binocular under warranty. Before giving the okay to proceed on a repair quote, be sure to see what a new binocular similar to what you already have will cost. On inexpensive binoculars, it is often more cost efficient to simply replace rather than repair it.

If you have the papers on your binoculars, use the contact info provided to call Bushnell or visit their website at Bushnell Customer Service and go from there.

Good luck and thanks for the question!

These are turbulent times, obviously, especially for those of us here in Wisconsin caught up in recall politics. I’ve been so stressing and worrying about the political scene, this year, both on a state and a national level, that it’s a wonder my hair hasn’t turned completely gray at this point. Still, not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks that I can step away from it all, even for an hour or two, by doing nothing more than grabbing my birding binoculars and stepping out my door. Living in the north woods has its advantages.

It’s not so much the birdwatching, itself, that is important when I am stressed, as it is the convenient connection it provides to the natural world. Some folks take refuge in times of stress in other ways and in other places, but, for me, it’s always been Nature when I need to feel restored and refocused. It’s that same connection I get when I do my astronomy with my astronomy binoculars or telescopes or when I click into the skis on a winter day and take off through the woods, to be sure, but birding is the simplest, least complicated and most accessible outdoor pursuit I have. That makes birding with the binoculars my most used haven when I need to take a break from stress and worry.

The simple act of focusing the binoculars, noting the features on a specific bird and making an identification forces me to concentrate on the task at hand and, in the process, place other issues on the backburner. It’s only temporary, of course, but stepping away from what ails us for even an hour is vital to our health and sanity. Indeed, the world would be a better place, certainly a saner place, if everyone grabbed the binoculars for an hour every day and headed to the woods.

I sometimes get questions on binoculars from customers who, I suspect, are looking for excuses to change binoculars, even though their old binoculars are serviceable and still providing good performance. I can certainly sympathize with this and, heaven knows, I’ve been guilty of this a time or two in my life. Buying binoculars is a kick for me. Are there valid reasons for switching binoculars even though your old binoculars are perfectly functional and in working order, though?

My advice is this: if there is a feature on your current binoculars that annoys you there is no reason to put up with it, so go ahead and buy binoculars to replace it. Just make darn sure, though, that what you choose for a replacement is an improvement, overall. It makes no sense to trade one shortcoming for another.

The few times I have returned binoculars as unsatisfactory have been for focusing issues. I am extremely fussy about focusing on binoculars, especially my birding binoculars. I can live with so-so focusing on astronomy binoculars, but not my birding binoculars. Birding binoculars or even compact binoculars that focus, poorly, either in terms of smoothness or effort required, bugs the heck out of me and, of course, I’m reminded of that every time I focus the binocular.

On the other hand, there are some binocular features that I don’t think are worth worrying about. One of these is field of view – the actual degrees of view are rarely a factor in actual field use for the typical 8x and 10x binoculars. Switching binoculars to gain an extra degree or even two of binocular FOV usually works against you, simply because wide-angle models at the same price as your old binocular tend to sacrifice image quality to get that extra FOV. If you really think you need that wide-angle FOV and you also demand sharp images to the edge of the field, be prepared to pay more and, sometimes, much more and all for a feature that really doesn’t gain you much for actual field use.

Hang a bird feeder and they will come. Well, not really. Attracting birds with a new bird feeder setup is often a hit and miss thing, part art and part science. Don’t be in a hurry to grab the binoculars just because you placed a bird feeder at random out in your yard.

The good news is that birds will tell you when you got it right and when you didn’t, but it may take some time. I've had to wait as long as two weeks in some yards for birds to "discover" a new feeder; in other yards, only a couple of days. The trick is to place a feeder where you can easily see it in the birding binoculars, or even a spotting scope if you want to do some digiscoping with digital cameras, but also place it in a location that is bird friendly. Here’s some bird feeder tips as to location.

In my experience, song birds do not care to have cover immediately adjacent to the feeder, especially cover above the feeder. That cover provides a place for predators (think house cats, here) to launch an attack, so best to place the feeders out in the open. In other words, the feeder needs to be far enough from potential predator holding cover for the birds to feel safe. Unless you also want to feed squirrels, the feeder needs to be far enough from cover that provides easy squirrel access. You'll be amazed at just how daringly acrobatic squirrels can be when they want to raid your feeders.

Not too much out in the open, though. Song birds like a place to park, so to speak, and check a new feeder, first, to see if it safe to approach. That same cover also gives them a place to hide when an alarm goes out. Lastly, that cover also acts as a staging area while birds wait their turn to approach the feeder and, yes, there is a definite pecking order among the different bird species as to who gets first crack at the feeder. Think in terms of Chickadees – they feed one sunflower seed at a time. They take one seed from your feeder and fly to a nearby tree to eat it and then return to the feeder for another one.

In my experience, thirty feet or so from trees and brush is a place to start. Since winter is also a prime season for birdwatching at the feeder, a location which offers plenty of sunlight on winter days will attract birds much more than a location in the shadows. Don’t be stubborn, either. I’ve had to move my feeders several time before I got it just right and, sometimes, a matter of ten feet, one way or the other, has made a difference.

Still not getting birds to your feeder? If you are in the suburbs, try to see things with a bird’s eye view. Birds often move from one yard to another on established routes using cover and fences as guideposts. You can often get a feel for these bird movement patterns by just sitting in your backyard and watching birds in the birding binoculars.

Location isn’t everything in just real estate, you know. It is also a huge factor when it comes to birdwatching as to what birds you can expect to see in the birding binoculars. We are now nearing one year in our north woods home, having exchanged our suburban Milwaukee location for one in the north woods and the difference in birds has been striking. Gone are many of my familiar suburban birds and some, like Cardinals, Orioles and House Finches, I miss. Others, such as House Sparrows, Starlings and Rock Doves (pigeons) I do not miss. I’ve seen more than enough of those urban birds in the binoculars. What's more, it’s nice to be able to feed birds and know that all I will get at the feeder are rural birds.

The heart of the difference in the birds seen is, as always, a matter of habitat. Essentially, we have exchanged the typical deciduous forest found in the suburbs and rural southern Wisconsin for the mostly northern coniferous forest of northern Wisconsin with its amazing complex of lakes and bogs. For the first time in my life, it is routine to see Bald Eagles, Osprey, Purple Finches, Pileated Woodpeckers and so much more right from my very yard or even my kitchen with both binoculars and spotting scopes.

Human nature being what it is, of course, I do miss seeing and hearing both Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles, but who’s complaining?

How can you do any birdwatching on a rainy day when you can’t be out in the fields and woods with your binoculars? What do you do when you are stuck indoors? I do my indoor bird watching the same way I do my indoor astronomy on rainy nights – I hit the books and charts and either plan ahead for the next outing or catch up on mental notes of things to do that I may have made during a past outing.

For bird watching, this means I think ahead to my next trip with the birding binoculars or birding spotting scope or even some future trip a bit more down the road, say a trip with shorebirds or warblers in mind for the upcoming fall. August, by the way, is an excellent time of the year to hit the bird guides or internet sites such as All About Birds to review those confusing fall plumages for groups such as warblers and shorebirds. More often, though, I tend to be a bit more leisurely in my reading and internet cruising. Reading about birds is the next best thing to seeing birds as far as I am concerned and, heaven knows, I have enough bird guides to read, being the bird guide junkie that I am. A girl can’t have too many bird guides or, for that matter, too many binoculars, either.

I was on the deck the other day, reading and taking in some summer sunshine when I heard that distinctive humming. I looked over the deck rail, down to some honeysuckle we had just planted a few weeks, ago, in the hopes of attracting hummingbirds, and, lo and behold, there was a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird or possibly an immature. Whatever. It didn’t take me long to grab the binoculars for a better look, nor did it take me long to setup a hummingbird feeder and wait, but now I added digital cameras with my binoculars.

I really didn’t need the binoculars. Hummingbirds tend to be tame and focused on feeding, so you can get fairly close without spooking them if you don’t move too much. This also allows you to take some pics with digital cameras, if you are so inclined. As you can see from the pics, I was so inclined.

Talk about fun.