New Binoculars

My fifteen year old Pentax broke and I lost my Eagle Optics.

The eyepieces fell off years ago - you have to hover the glasses at the right distance in front of your eyes. You get used to it, but it’s a pain.

The focus wheel froze as soon as I started this season, which meant I could only see the bird if it was at the exact distance the glasses were already focused to.

Binoculars aren’t absolutely necessary for doing bird surveys - most of the detections are by ear - but binoculars make things easier and more fun.

My boss doesn’t provide gear - no binoculars, computer, tent, camp stove, etc… - I should complain more about that.

I looked in Malta, Glasgow, and Jordan, but there were no binoculars. When I got to Miles City, I went to the Sporting Goods store and found this.

The guy asked me what kind I was looking for. I didn’t know.

He handed me a pair of mini pocket folding binoculars for $12.99. I attributed that to my dirty hair and ripped clothes.

I said, “Do you have anything a little more powerful?”

When I looked through the next pair he handed me and saw the tiny scuffs in the paneling on the back wall of the large store, I felt happy.

Wrap them up. $199.

This is what doing a point is like: I can hear the bird singing (Field Sparrow), but I’m not sure where it is.

They are tiny animals with big voices.

Field Sparrow

Photo: David Jauvin