Binoculars

Keep a close eye on backyard birds

If you really want to get into birding, the first thing you need is a great pair of binoculars. While watching birds with the naked eye can be a wonderful experience, serious birders use binoculars to really see every detail of the backyard birds that they are looking for, from the color of the feathers to the point of the beak. Some birders even make a day of it, going out simply to see as many birds as they can see. Even if you only want to be a backyard birder, a good pair of binoculars will enhance your birdwatching experience.

Binoculars are like two telescopes side by side, one for each of your eyes. They magnify what you see by a certain number of degrees, called “powers.” Hypothetically, the higher power your binoculars are, the closer you will able to get to your bird, but this doesn't work for every birder. A lot of what you see has to do with the steadiness of your hands and how fatigued you are after chasing flying birds around all day. Some birders find they can see more with lower-power binoculars, because the higher the power is, the more the image will wobble when the tool is being held by unsteady hands. If you're going to hang out on your back porch and watch birds, higher-power binoculars will let you see more, but if you plan to bird all day, a lower power might be for you.

When you bird, you want to be able to move without being too encumbered. Your birding binoculars, while important, should be the lightest load that you carry. Bigger does not mean better.

You should look for a pocket model that:

• Is light and easy to carry. You don't want to come back from a good day of birding with your arms aching, or worse, miss a rare bird because your hands are shaking too much with the effort of holding up your binoculars.
• Is the right power for your eyes. This will depend on you. It's always good to test a pair of binoculars on stationary objects to see what's right for you. If you wear eyeglasses, your experience with binoculars will be different again.
• Is within your price range. The most expensive binoculars will not necessarily be the best ones for you. Think about what you will use your binoculars for before you go out and pay over a grand for a pair that will mostly be sitting in a drawer, gathering dust.
• Is waterproof and rugged. You want your binoculars to be ready for the outdoors. Even if you won't take them out in the rain, the change in air temperature and humidity can cause condensation on the inside of the lenses, ruining your equipment. Waterproof binoculars are made so that the inside of the lens remains at a steady temperature, and rugged binoculars will withstand jolting, wiggling and the occasional dropping.

If you wear eyeglasses, you will have to take into account the fact that you may be seeing in tunnel vision with conventional binoculars. There is a certain distance that the eyepiece must be from your eye in order to get an optimal image. This distance is called the eye relief. Regular binoculars have short eye relief, but binoculars with long eye relief will allow you to view birds comfortably with your glasses on. Look for an eye relief of at least 14 to 15 mm. Most manufacturers will publish the eye relief specs in their binocular brochures, but it's important to “kick the tires” yourself and actually try the equipment that you want to buy first.

The more of the bird you can see, the better birding experience you will get. Choosing binoculars is an exacting task, but when you find the right pair, you will enjoy watching birds for years to come.