We all have them: binoculars. Here are the most common mistakes.
Too cheap – I started my birdwatching career with an old, 8x pair of binoculars. For travel I bought a really compact, small and utterly useless cheap pair. Only when I upgraded to a Nikon Monarch, followed by a Swarovski did I really notice what I had been missing. A reasonable pair of binoculars will cost a few hundred dollars.
Too expensive – Spend all your money on a pair of binoculars and then only bird your garden because you ran out of money to go somewhere a bit more exciting.
Too heavy – Consider the weight of your binoculars with one thought in mind: can I carry this thing around for a whole day? If not, look for something lighter.
Toodeloo – The straps that come with your binoculars are the first thing to wear and then tear. Buy a harness straight away so your binoculars won’t drop to the ground (always on a rocky surface by the way) and you will avoid neck pain too.
Too clean – I clean my binoculars every day until the protective coatings on the lenses have gone.
Too dirty – I never clean my binoculars, so the incoming light just gets dimmer and dimmer until I am owling on a mudflat in broad daylight. Clean your binoculars but gently, carefully following the instructions and using proper utensils and cleaners.
Too keen – There’s a bird, quick! … Hang on, my narrow binocular vision won’t allow me to find it … and it’s gone… Remember to first focus on the bird with your eyes and then move the binoculars before your eyes to get the view. Your eyes excel in wide angles.
Too lax – I have my binoculars hanging low on my tummy, sure it takes more time to get on the bird but at least I look cool. No, you are missing the birds and you’re still a nerd. Own it and wear them bins high!
Too shy – These local people seem hostile to nature-loving geeks like me, I’d better leave my binoculars out of sight. Hard no: those locals will break into your car and steal your binoculars. More importantly: your binoculars signal “bird people buy things locally, maybe nature is worth something after all”. Wear them proud!
But not too proud. Very annoying conversations can be had about binoculars (more boring than a top 10 list). It’s a tool, to see birds, not a conversation topic.
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