Exotic Bird Watching

When it comes to birding, binoculars are one piece of equipment you should not be without. What appears as a tiny dot to the human eye turns into something you can add to your bird watching experience when viewed through your binoculars. Depending on what type you are looking for there is a great selection of birding binoculars on the market ranging from those costing a few dollars to the ones which will set you back a few thousand.

Magnification and Front Lens Diameter

For beginners, a pair of binoculars such as sold in any hardware store or sporting goods shop should fit the bill nicely. They can be purchased for very little and are generally quite durable, as well as doing an adequate job of magnification. These binoculars will bear two numbers by way of ratings. One will be the magnification power of the binoculars, the second number will be the diameter of the front lens, in millimeters.

These details are usually written as, say, 7×23. This means that this particular pair of binoculars has a magnification of seven and the diameter of the front lens is 23 millimeters. The distance you intend to be away from the birds will determine what magnification power you will need. If you are simply looking around your neighborhood at birds on the ground or in the trees, a lesser magnification will suffice. However, if you want to spend a lot of time watching birds interacting in their natural habitat where distance viewing is likely, you will need a stronger magnification to get the best from your bird watching.

Changing the Level of Magnification

More complicated models of birding binoculars will allow you to adjust magnification level, rather than just focus as will be seen on more inexpensive binoculars. Of course, these models will also feature adjustable focus, but the adjustable magnification is handy for the avid birder in the field and is certainly more convenient than carrying around several pairs of binoculars.

Make Sure Your Binoculars Are Not Too Heavy

Weight is something which you should always take into account when purchasing binoculars - don’t choose a pair which will be too heavy to comfortably hold for a long period. You don’t want to have to put down your binoculars due to fatigued arms just when you’ve spotted a rare or unusual bird in the field! Many lightweight models exist today which offer all of the features of heavier models without the weight. If you’re planning on longer bird watching excursions, you may want to consider such a pair of birding binoculars.

There’s nothing to spoil that dream bird watching trip like being unable to spend all the time you need admiring the birds you came to see like inconvenient, heavy equipment. You should also seek out birding binoculars which have a scratch resistant lens coating and some way of carrying them around other than around your neck or in your hand. After all, you want your binoculars to give you a clear view, yet be out of your way except when you are marveling at avian wildlife.