Getting a closer look at birds that visit your feeders, birdbath, and landscaping can make a big difference in your appreciation for the birds that visit your yard. By using your binoculars to see the details of feathers, shades of color, distinctive markings, bill shape, and other interesting features you will enjoy your observations all the more (Yellow Warbler photos by Paul Konrad).

While you would never go birding without binoculars, you might be surprised at how many people don’t use binoculars when viewing birds at their feeding station or in their yard. We think it’s equally important and even more interesting to have your most important birding equipment within reach – your binoculars. So often, when you least expect it, you get excited and delighted by the surprise appearance of a new bird, and by viewing it through binoculars, you get an even better view of all the details of that special bird.

It’s exciting to see the detail of every color, marking, and even specific feathers of all your feeder birds through binoculars, while also checking eye color, the shape of the bill, and even the length of claws on a bird’s feet. Getting a closer look at the birds that appear at a feeder or birdbath opens something of a different dimension if you’ve never tried it before; and if you view birds outside your windows or from an outdoor seating area regularly, you know exactly what we mean. Regardless of how close a view you have, we suggest taking an even closer look – with binoculars.

We make it a point to have binoculars positioned within reach, to get a look at a rarer visitor, or get a closer view of everyday birds just to get a different perspective on an individual, a closer look so to speak. It’s always insightful to view a bird with your unaided eyes, then raise your binoculars to get a closer look at every detail of a bird through 8x magnification. It’s fun too. Birding at home can also provide a helpful opportunity to practice using binoculars, such as focusing quickly and instinctively to get a bird in view. This extra effort will definitely pay off when it enhances getting a quick focus on birds during everyday birding experiences – at home and in the field.

While viewing birds from inside your home there are a few things to keep in mind: It’s usually important to make any movements slowly and carefully, because birds are often aware of any movements around them. For example, when you are reaching for your binoculars or raising them to your eyes, wait for the bird to look down to select a seed or sip nectar, or look away from your position. Otherwise you will notice that birds may react by taking flight, even when you are indoors with a glass window between you and birds. It’s easy to avoid that, move slowly as you reach for your binoculars and raise them to your eyes, as well as when you lower your binos.

Actually, birding at home will consistently provide revealing close views of birds – almost always better than the views we see in the field, where it’s often difficult to get close views of songbirds and a host of other species that move quickly through leaves and branches. Birds also tend to be more cautious when you are birding in the woods, on the water, or in grasslands or parks; while some birds may also be a bit too far away to get a really good view.

Birds that visit your feeding station will also spend some extra time to perch, eat, and perch again, staying relatively stationary in the process. This gives you a better chance to focus on the bird of your choice and get a longer look to see every detail. For example, Orchard Orioles are fairly common in rural areas near our home, but we rarely get more than a distant look at one through binoculars. At home, however, it’s easy to check out every detail of the plumage of females, adult males, and yearling males when they visit our feeding station periodically each day.

So should you opt for using 1 binocular at or home and in the field? Some birders prefer to use the same binocular they use in the field at home, while others like to have a second binocular they can leave at home to monitor birds there. If you’re interested in adding a second pair especially for home, it’s a good idea to check the “close focus distance” of binoculars as you shop. These days many binocular models allow you to focus on birds as close as 6 to 8 feet; luckily, that’s become relatively standard for binoculars with 8x magnification. Even so, most birds will be beyond the average 7 foot close focus range, but the close focus distance is worth keeping in mind.

If you are interested in adding a second binocular to use at home, a model that you can keep near your favorite chair, or at a desk or table where you have a clear view of your feeding station, there is certainly a wealth of binocular options available in the optics world. If you prefer not to spend too much on a second binocular, the good news is that the quality of economically priced binoculars is impressive these days. Then too, we keep another binocular at our office desk at work – does that mean we need 3 binoculars? Maybe it’s best to keep a binocular in your briefcase, a backpack, or in a large purse for work and when you are on the go.

When considering which magnification to choose, stick with an 8x magnification (8 power), especially with objective lenses in the standard 42mm size that provide a wider field of view. If you select 8x42 binoculars, you will be set for any birds anywhere, including those you see from your windows and from your deck, porch, or balcony. However, we strongly suggest that you don’t compromise by opting for “compact” binoculars with objective lenses in the 30mm range under any circumstances. The compact models only provide a narrow view, which obviously compromises experiences, and makes it harder for you to find the birds you are trying to focus on.

The importance of having your binoculars within reach is second nature for most birders, ’cuz when you least expect it, you will be excited and delighted by the surprise appearance of a new bird or an interesting behavior you can view in binocular range. Binoculars certainly give us a closer look at the birds that appear before us, at your feeding station or within your backyard landscaping and skyscape. Without question, binoculars enhance our backyard birding experiences in special ways, and what more can you ask for?

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