Birding over the Holidays
Put down that fork and head outside!
We have a tradition of birding on Thanksgiving Day. It is a nice way to get outside and appreciate nature. We bring extra binoculars and share them with friends and family. We have found that binoculars are a good incentive when trying to get people to go outside on a cold day. This is particularly true for kids, who just love to have their own binoculars to see things up close. New entry-level binoculars like the Nikon Prostaff P7 8 x42 are remarkably lightweight, clear, and bright for the price ($150). If it’s within your budget, it is worth having baseline decent binoculars. It can actually be more frustrating for a newer birder (or a kid) to use sub-par binoculars because the field of view is narrow, and the view itself can be dim or unclear. The whole point is to enjoy the experience!
Giving a person, especially a kid, a pair of binoculars gives them a superpower. They can now see intricate details and gain insight into the lives of plants and animals. They can get answers to questions they didn’t even know they had. How does a squirrel chew through a walnut? What is that bird doing? How many seeds can a chipmunk stuff in their cheeks? How often does a rabbit blink? Are the animals all watching me watch them? What color is that leaf? What is that insect flying in November? Have you ever really seen a cloud? Those ephemeral shape-shifting vapors of white against blue. There is so much to see on a November day.
If you live in an area with wild turkeys, you have an opportunity to view one of the most beautiful and miraculous birds you could ever hope to see. Their true beauty lies below the iridescence. Joe Hutto’s book Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with Wild Turkeys describes the inner lives of turkeys. Reading this book can help you adopt a plant-based diet.
For people new to birding, it is helpful to set realistic expectations so they understand the types of views of birds they are most likely to get. Your frame of mind is important, and I find it helpful to think of birding as a lifelong treasure hunt. Catching a glimpse of an elusive bird is a gift that can connect you to nature and the seasons. Most birds operate at the speed of insects, which is to say, very fast. They rarely stop moving; when they do, it is typically only for a few seconds.
If you want to see them clearly, you must be proficient with your binoculars. Here is how to do that.
Clean your lenses.
Note that there are two twistable parts on your binoculars. First, there’s the center focusing knob, located between the “barrels.” This knob is what you use in the field after you have adjusted your binoculars to your particular eyes. Second, there’s the diopter ring, which is located on only one of the eye pieces (usually on the right eye). The diopter ring has these markings nearby: - 0 +.
Adjust your binoculars (your “bins” if you want to sound cool!) so that you have a clear view in both eyes. (Most people have a different prescription in each eye - few are perfectly equal. Thus, you have to make sure each of your eyepieces is set to each eye.) To make the adjustment, set the diopter ring to 0. Focus on an object at mid-distance with the center focusing knob. Cover the right side of the binoculars (the side with the diopter) and keep both eyes open as you focus on the object with the center focusing knob. Remain still and in place, and cover the left side of the binoculars. Using your right eye, bring the view into focus by the diopter ring. Presto! The binoculars are now adjusted to your eyes.
Note that most people don’t know about the diopter ring and still have pretty good views by just using that center knob. Don’t let this stress you out!
If you wear glasses, push or fold or twist the eye cups down. You’ll want the binoculars practically resting on your glasses lenses (or actually touching). The closer the binoculars are to your eyes, the better the view.
Adjust the width of the bins to match the width of your eyes by pushing them out wider or pushing them down closer.
It is time to practice. Go outside and imagine that you are looking for a bird in a tree or shrub. Pick a distinctive spot, like a fork in a tree limb, dead leaves, or a pattern of light, and keep your eyes focused on that spot. Now, bring your binoculars up to your eyes at a moderate rate of speed. (Don’t look down toward your binoculars as you bring them to your eyes.) Hopefully, you end up seeing the spot you were looking at. If not, keep practicing this until you quickly find that spot in your bins. Focusing your attention is key for this endeavor. This is how you will locate birds in the field. When you are birding, you will do the same thing but add a bird to the process.
This is a good time to get familiar with your center focusing knob. It helps to know which direction to roll the knob so you are not engaging in trial and error when trying to see a bird. You often must go through this process of finding the bird many times to see a bird like a warbler. When you see them, it is often a partial view of a rapidly moving bird. When you keep repeating the search process, you create a composite image in your mind based on multiple views of different parts of the bird. For some species, like the Magnolia Warbler, you only need to see the underside of the tail or some other diagnostic feature to confirm its identity.
Another factor to consider is light. The amount and quality of light is important for seeing details in a bird. In some situations, a bird is foraging in the upper canopy in dense foliage and is backlit by the sun. Even if you find the bird in this situation, you cannot see much detail. Sometimes, waiting for a bird to appear down low in good light is better.
Understanding bird behavior is also helpful for getting good looks at birds. Sometimes, a bird will be foraging in dense cover, and if you can predict what they might do, you can prefocus on a spot and wait for them to appear in that location. Species like the Black and White Warbler, for example, exhibit relatively predictable bird behavior. They forage like a nuthatch by climbing up trunks and along tree limbs. If you spot one in the shade or behind leaves, but you see that he is moving along a branch, you can focus on a sunlit part of the branch ahead of the bird, and he will often move through that spot.
Within a mixed flock, one bird moves first, often a Chickadee, and then more follow. There is usually a distinct pattern in which the mixed flock tends to move in one direction, but it is amorphous and unpredictable. Watch for the movement and direction of the flock and pay attention to light and available perches. You can predict their future location to an extent. Put yourself in a good position to observe them as they move to you. You can also get a sense of the different foraging styles, and it pays to focus on birds that are a little slower. White-breasted nuthatches are an example of a relatively slow, predictable bird.
Another factor to consider is the habitat and how it impacts the quality of the views you are likely to get. Dense vegetation makes it more challenging to get clear views, whereas filtered light coming through a diffuse tree canopy can provide stunning views.
It can be a little disorienting to sort birds out from falling leaves in the fall. My advice is to watch for the leaves that fall up. Most leaves drop, and some plane or get blown horizontally. Very few move up. When looking at a cottonwood this time of year, you will see leaves fluttering, dropping, and blowing around. But only the birds move up.
Flocks of birds are as ephemeral as clouds. Shapeshifting, fading, swelling, and vanishing before your eyes. Developing a little skill with your bins and coupling that with patience can really pay off. It is very exciting and rewarding when you end up immersed in a mixed flock, where you can pick out and see different species. The key is being patient and grateful for the views you get.
This is the hush you’ve been seeking
Isn’t it? Silence lush with listening.
Yes, it’s cold, so cold and so?
Haven’t you come dressed just for this
And so you pull the soft wool closer, push
The fleeced collar higher, part
The snow-laden branches
And step in, knowing full well
you will be baptized. Allow yourself
to be called deeper and deeper
Into this dense huddle
of gentle bark and quiet drape. Did you
ever think you could be so lost and so found
in the same visible breath?
What Branches Hold, Ellen Rowland
Close the openings,
Shut the doors,
And to the end of life
Nothing will trouble you.
Open the openings,
Be busy with busyness,
And to the end of your life
Nothing can help you.
Lao Tzu
Resources
Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season with the Wild Turkey by Joe Hutto
A very informative post for someone like me who has only used cheap binoculars. I couldn’t understand why anyone would use them in preference to the naked eye! I do know a place where I can borrow some. I’ll have a go and see what I can learn. I appreciate your pointers. Thanks so much.
As always, wonderful photography, and an enjoyable read. Much appreciated. 🤗🤗
Really excellent tips and love this post especially about spare binoculars for kids. I gave an older pair of binoculars when I used to go on hikes and birding adventures with my niece and her mother. It helped make the outing that much more engaging. All kinds of questions! We also went to a few areas where the Black-capped Chickadees would eat from our hands and hats on our heads. That made for a memorable adventure.
Happy Thanksgiving to my American neighbours from up here in Canada. :)