WINTER BIRD Walk In Hull
A winter bird walk in Hull for winter sea birds and migrants. Presented in partnership
Confession. We’re making this list and checking it twice so we can share it with the people in our lives who need a clue as to what it is that birders want. And, with 96 million Americans now calling themselves birders, we suspect you probably have a few birders on your list even if you aren’t one yourself (yet). This list will help you get started.
(Alas, we had to break our guide into two parts–PART ONE. We’ll publish PART TWO soon.
Also—we have a bias. We prefer less stuff, less impact, more small business, more makers, more good.
Every dollar you spend can be a vote for something that matters to you. Imagine what could happen if even a small percentage of 96 million birders voted for reduced impact, community makers and greater sustainability.
Here goes…
Memberships make great gifts for birders—you already know that. Even better, they do double duty by supporting the important work of conservation organizations. Here are a few of our favorites:
A Bird Club Membership
Give your birder a bird club membership. If you’re in MA, you can find your closest club at this link here. Why join a bird club? Here’s why.
A subscription to Bird Observer
Bird Observer is a journal filled with content created by dedicated and knowledgeable New England birders. An incredible source of local knowledge, it will make you a better birder. And a better human.
For $29 you can buy a Duck Stamp and gain admission to any National Wildlife Refuge that charges a fee. For New England birders, this includes places like Parker River NWR and Great Meadows NWR.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Membership in the Lab includes a subscription to Living Bird magazine and discounts on the lab’s exceptional educational programs and more. A bargain and a great gift for any birder.
A membership in Mass Audubon feels like a necessity for Massachusetts birders because it comes with access to dozens of beautiful sanctuaries all over the state as well as walks, talks, and other events. (A membership doesn’t need to mean you endorse the name. Consider working from the inside.
If your birder is already a Mass Audubon member, consider adding a Trustees of the Reservations membership. The Trustees also manage dozens of beautiful sanctuaries statewide and this organization is also a conservation leader.
We also encourage you to go local and join an organization in your neighborhood—Sudbury Valley Trustees, for example, if the Sudbury Valley is your hood. Local conservation organizations are full of surprises, take care of beautiful places, and offer local programming. Their work has an impact on the community you live in and your membership matters. Get to know your local organizations, drive less, and support what’s in your backyard.
National Organizations
If your birder is into memberships in the American Bird Association and the American Bird Conservancy are good bets. National Audubon is another option to consider—again, we believe that being a member can give you more leverage to be part of change.
Binoculars are an obvious, much loved, but tricky gift. Birders can be fussy about their bins. Some of us much prefer the 10X42 mm size, while others like 8X32 mm or 8X42 mm. Some are more comfortable with something else (sometimes it depends on where you bird).
Some birders have eye-relief requirements to accommodate glasses—not all binoculars will fill the bill. Some birders are also obsessed with how much the binoculars weigh. (Pro tip: going from a light pair to a heavy pair can make you grumpy.) Not having a lifetime guarantee can be a deal breaker for those who tend to bang up our bins or opt for more rugged birding adventures. Then there are the glazes, the anti-fogging, the waterproofness, and now the integrated AI assists. Add to that the fact that there are birders who won’t touch a pair that isn’t black, while others want camo, green, or orange.
You see what we mean.
In short, we think there may be too many variables at play. Check with your local optics shop and talk to other birders. (Opera goers, hunters, sports fans, boaters, and trained assassins may have different requirements.) Bird festivals are often great places to test drive binoculars. And you can also rent high-end binoculars if you’re going on a special trip (see below) and don’t want to miss a thing.
Binoculars come in various sizes—birding binoculars are usually 8X25mm, 8x32mm, 8×42 mm or 10x32mm or 10x42mm.
The first number (8 or 10) represents magnification. It’s harder to see details on birds at less than 8X or get your binoculars on a small bird at greater than 10X.
The second number represents the diameter of the lens. The bigger the lens the brighter the image, but also the heavier the binoculars. Anything greater than 42mm will feel heavy.
For beginners, a little less magnification will make it easier to get the bird in view. Many birders prefer the 8X size and stick with it because they feel that they rarely miss a bird. Others start with 10X and need to practice to get good at using their binoculars and getting on a bird quickly. Focusing also takes a bit longer. If a bird is only there for a few seconds, you could miss it. It’s a little more work to use heavier 10X42 mm binoculars than lighter, faster 8X32 mm and you may miss that fleeting Connecticut warbler, but the reward is a closer view.
For new birders, our favorite option is the Nikon Prostaff. Even if your birder wears glasses while birding, the Nikon Prostaffs (8X30mm or 8x42mm) are an excellent affordable choice—and they come with a lifetime warranty. Runner up? Try the Vortex Triumph HD 10×42 mm.
The $300-$500 level is the sweet spot for quality birding binoculars at a more affordable price. The Nikon Monarchs (we like all the models!) offer particularly excellent value. We also like the noticeably bright Zeiss Terra HD, although these are a tad heavier. The Maven C.1 is another stand-out—sharp, bright, and a pleasure to use.
Check out online deadstock and thrift sites for demo models and substantial discounts. Many of these models have lifetime guarantees if they need a tweak.
At this price, we strongly suggest a test drive first. It’s easy to talk yourself into a $1000+ pair of bins that are not quite right because you will be seduced by their brightness or sharpness and ignore the stiff focus or the fact that they’re a tad too heavy.
Fair warning—our suggestions are personal opinions from birders, not optics experts. There are many other excellent binoculars in different price ranges and some may suit you better. We’re just here to get you started.
In general, we don’t recommend surprising someone with new binoculars, unless you know for sure what your birder wants or that they can be easily returned.
Scopes
If you thought binoculars were complicated, scopes might be even more complicated. We strongly encourage you to work with an optics retailer when investing in a scope.
If you do end up buying a pair, please consider donating a used pair to make your gift extra special
Where to donate…
Your Local Bird Club
Your public library
You can also donate them to us and we’ll make sure they get a good new home!
The default neck straps that come with new binoculars are usually uncomfortable or have a large logo on them that make your birder feel like a NASCAR driver. You could replace it with a better and more comfortable neck strap–camera straps may be an option. And for those who bird in relatively short increments, a comfortable neck strap is all you really need.
A strap can also be worn crossbody, on one shoulder, like a sling. With a sling, you carry binoculars cross-body style, so your binoculars hang on one side and rest on your shoulder, not your neck. You might need a little more length, and it make take some getting used to, but wearing your binoculars as a sling can be much more comfortable.
Check out these Tone Custom Binocular Straps from the Bird Collective (good for all kinds of unique bird gifts).
And these eco-friendly ones from Laterzees, a very clever Massachusetts maker—lots of fun items in this Etsy shop for birders.
Camera straps are also an option. But before you decide to choose a camera neck strap, read this.
Two hours of birding with a neck strap can be rough on even the most enthusiastic of birders. If your birder friend is ready to ditch the neck strap, consider a binocular harness.
A harness makes carrying binoculars much more comfortable—and frankly safer because you have your hands free when you need to regain your balance after sliding around on acorns. Look around, though, and you’ll see many birders using a stretched-out binocular harness that no longer holds its grip, and is now making the binoculars bounce around their midsection while walking.
Most harnesses are pretty much the same, short on thoughtful design, a little flimsy and uninspiring. But that may be okay.
The simplest ones are all pretty much the same. As long as you’re comfortable with the attachment (we dislike flimsy split rings) you can’t go wrong, though the elastic will likely stretch out beyond recognition after a while.
Some like Swarovski and Vortex have fancy leather patches in the back, Bushnell has a “deluxe” harness that is very comfortable but will likely make you sweaty.
Optics makers assume you don’t mind a little logo porn on your harness. If you do mind, you’re out of luck.
Another option? Visit the websites of hunting and fishing outfitters. Many have their own brands.
PHOTO: Johnida Dockens, Creative Commons, (edited),
The Under Armour Binocular Harness.
The elastic on these is among the sturdiest we’ve seen and should last a long time. A combination of stretch and non-stretch strapping gives them heft. The straps are wide enough to distribute weight well, too. The clips are serious and made of metal and have a screw.
Unfortunately, there’s even more more logo porn on these than is civilized. Maybe bedazzled them? These have been discontinued so you may need to shop around at retailers that sell deadstock or gently used gear. Ebay, for example.
Did we miss a great harness? Please let us know!
Ric Young Outdoor Ultra Lights
If you’re a minimalist, you might like the Ric Young Outdoor Lights. A little spendy, but if they last, maybe that’s okay. They do come in unusual colors and are much more comfortable and adaptable than your average harness. Bonus—you can easily adjust them or wear as a sling. (Video)
Our new favorite.
How these attach to your binoculars, though is by way of a ridiculously flimsy and maddening split ring. (The rings on the harness in the photo above were upgraded.) Cheap split rings will scratch for binoculars, catch on your jacket, and over time shred the fabric of your outerwear. Replace the rings unless you, too, want to ruin your favorite sweater.
TIP: Visit outfitter’s websites— you can often find them for less.
Badlands Binocular Harness
Binocular harnesses designed for hunters have loads of features, though you probably don’t need most of them. Some have integrated bags if you need your sandwich on your chest. Many cost $150+ plus.
This more affordable harness from Badlands is exceptionally well-built, more streamlined, designed for quick reactions, and has many positive reviews, If we were going this way, this is where we’d go. Includes a lifetime guarantee. Comes in camo.
Stuff a stocking. Surprise a neighbor. Thank a teacher. Delight a friend. Maybe your days be merry and your birding a joy.
Like a window washer for your binoculars!
This is a handy and incredibly effective little item for cleaning your binoculars or other optics on the go. The problem is that it’s plastic and too easy to lose. Put it in your deepest pocket. The Minipro model is the best for binoculars.
Homemade bird gifts are perfect for backyard birders and a fun activity for your very young birders. Try these:
Suet Balls (Birds & Blooms)
Pine Cone Feeders (Cornell)
Bird Seed Cookies (Cornell)
Popcorn garlands. Using cotton thread, popped popcorn, unsalted roasted peanuts, and dried fruits like raisins and blueberries. Festoon a tree your birder can see from the window.
Please use 100% cotton thread or string with no chemical dyes so you don’t harm birds or other wildlife.
A headlamp is the ideal birding accessory for people who tend to bird really early or much later in the day or bird in winter in the northern states. This one has bright, green, and red light options—and it’s rechargeable (USB), which is even better.
Want to splurge, but not really? This cruise is what you want. Grab your passports and join this 1-week birding adventure organized by BirdLife South Africa in the Southern Ocean off the South African Coast. Shockingly affordable, relatively speaking. Probably life-changing. Book your passage now! And send us pictures of penguins and albatrosses.
THE CHIRP SPORADIC
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COMING SOON
A winter bird walk in Hull for winter sea birds and migrants. Presented in partnership
Can bird clubs help save democracy? History says yes! This award-winning documentary explores how clubs—including
According to the latest research and data, In the US alone, 2.4 billion birds are
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