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I am sure birdwatcher has seen the movie "The Big Year" but for others that are interested in bird watching or birding it is a fun movie.
It is on prime or max.

I myself am a backyard type now, but from previous travels have a pretty good life list.

Would like to hear from others that enjoy this endeavor. How many on your life list, what binocs. etc.

Just getting interested really. Bought the bride one of the feeders that takes pictures and she is really getting interested!

Just using my binoculars from hunting for now mainly identifying birds on our property.

Rural South Louisiana on wooded bottom lands.

I watch em anytime I have my binos close , usually when hunting, I enjoy it. Most beautiful bird I've seen in my area was a Swallow Tailed Kite, they are very rare as far North from the Coast as I am. I use Kowa Genesis 8X.

I was just out this morning. Up in the Northern States spring migration will be ramping up about now, down here it’s falling off, this will be the last weekend I go out looking.

Pretty cool tho, a bunch of songbirds passing through headed for points north, the gray-cheeked thrush this morning is headed for the timberline along the tundra, and may have got here non-stop from Columbia. We’ve lucked out here with this current front with prevailing winds from the north stalling them all out. When the winds shift to the south again Monday they’ll most all move on.

As for binocs they continue to improve. My knock around pair in the pickup is Nikon Monarch 7 8x30. The pair I use for the Fall Hawk Watch where you’re often looking at distant specks are old-style Porro prism Swift Audubon 8.5x44. These Japanese binocs were about the last premium porros available, out of production now.

What I’ve just recently purchased and been really impressed with are Japanese-made Ziess Conquest HDX 8x32 binocs, but these stay in the safe with the Swifts unless I’m purposefully headed out birding, the Monarchs are my current knock around pair.

I find birding has a lot in common with hunting, in that you’re outdoors reading the habitat and seasons.

I love birds and think they are an unbelievable gift from God. Their are so many kinds and colors, and they'll visit you every day, even in town. Lots of my time in a deer stand is watching birds. The nuthatch and the northern flicker are two that I look forward to seeing. I once got to see a Blue Grosbeak in a salt lick at home. Only one I've seen in my life.

No one reports on how many we have lost in 30 years on the eastern flyway, but they say it's like 60%. We used to watch blackbirds(mixed with redwings) migrate south in a band that took 15 minutes to fly over. They covered entire towns and had to be 100,000 plus. Nowadays 200 will barely cover our yard.

Blue Jays used to drive me nuts screaching in every tree while I was hunting. Now I might here one if that. The quail were gone by 1995. And we have less doves every year. States don't care though, they rather spend money on a wolf or a rat.

Not a birder, but I did enjoy "The Big Year".

I like to photograph birds from my backyard or from a blind while hunting!

Excellent Photography Elkhunter49!

👍👍

How do those old Swift porros compare to Monarchs and the Zeiss?

My camera set up is as follows!
I’ve got a Canon EOS Rebel T6 with a Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 lens.

Not super expensive but ok for how I bang it around at home and afield.

This is a very true statement sir, I agree.


I find birding has a lot in common with hunting, in that you’re outdoors reading the habitat and seasons.

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For some years when porros were still around the point was made that porro prisms were innately optically superior to roof prisms. Then too these Swifts are recent enough to have ED glass. Two years back tested at long range on some raptors against top of the line 8x42 Swarovskis they were just a tad short on resolution but still very good.

Downsides were they are relatively big and clunky and don’t focus within about 20ft. Not an issue in hunting so much as it is in bird watching.

I’ve only had the Ziess out a couple of times and at at songbird ranges but I have found the clarity, contrast and color rendition to be the best I’ve owned, so much so it’s easy to find birds through small openings in tree foliage or dense cover.

Haven’t done a by side with Zeiss vs Swifts yet nor tried ‘em on distant hawks. Seems like songbirds at 100 feet are a different optical proposition from than raptors a mile away.

My main binocular is a Zeiss 8x42 FL (Victory I think), anyway I bought it in 2006 because the Cornell Lab of Ornithology picked it as the best of best that year. I don't know if they still do binocular reviews but they did for a number of years.

They are super clear and are kept in their case next to my chair. Just a few steps and we are out on the back patio. I usually combine a good cigar with gazing thru the glasses at what ever shows up.

I usually have the Merlin app going on my phone which is fun. If you you don't know about the Merlin app check it out. It is a product of the Ornithology Lab and can ID birds by sound, I think it is pretty accurate. It does other things as well.

As far as field guides go, I think I have all the major ones. Sibley is probably the most referenced but the one I use the most is "All the Birds of North America" which is the American Bird Conservancy's field guide. It is great for a hurried ID and then later go to Sibley or the Smithsonian or whatever for more detailed info.

Agree,some great shots.

Interesting thread. Nice pics!

I watch birds all the time. I don't actively do it as a singular activity but view birds while doing other things.

Recently have been fishing Roosevelt Lake, Az. While fishing I am always looking at the birdlife. This past week was able to add three birds to my list, the Forester's Tern, the Lesser Bittern and the Lazuli Bunting.

There were several species migrating through this week. Along with Franklin gulls were a few Forester's terns. While these two birds were tying to catch the spawning shad, I got several videos and pictures of them. Meanwhile other birds flew in. Took a great video of a flock of Glossy Ibis flying in and landing on the shore. Also got a video of a flock of Avocets coming in to land on the shore nearby. While the Ibis were silent the Avocets were making quite a racket on their approach.

I particularly like to watch raptors. At Roosevelt Lake there are Peregrine Falcons,Bald Eagles, Ospreys, occasional Golden Eagles, Zonetailed Hawks, Redtailed Hawks, and American Kestrels,

I have been keeping track of a nesting pair of Peregrine falcons. They are once again nesting under the bridge by the dam. I try to visit that area at least once a day so I can see one or both flying. Sometimes I get to see the pursuit and capture of a small bird. This time the male came in with a bird to deliver it to the female on the nest. Lots of cries when he arrived. He managed to leave with some of the bird and perched nearby on a girder. Watched as he ripped feathers from his prey then ate it.

Last week the male was quite aggressive diving on several Double-crested Cormorants, including one the male hit. I heard the hit and saw some feathers. Even a poor slow moving Great Blue Heron was stooped upon but no contact was made.


I had heard that others had seen a rare sight in their past. Finally got to see it myself last year. Saw a Bald Eagle dive on an Osprey making it drop his fish. (which is common) The bald caught the fish before it hit the water!

Its a lot more than 100,000 if they took 15 minutes to pass.

"blackbirds" can be cowbird, rwbb, grackels, but also those damned starlings. The starlings are invasive and I see them mingle with the others.

Fantastic!

Great pics! If you go to birding spots now most serious birders are also packing cameras with lenses, some just use a camera, no binocs.

I doubt I’ll go there this late in life but coulda used one yesterday - a black-throated green with a plain yellow head and yellowish back. Likely a black-throated green/yellow warbler hybrid.

Hybrid warblers happen, tho this was a lifetime first for me, and I haven’t found reference to that particular combination. It would have been nice to document it for the official record

Being in my 70s now I guess I have been watching birds since shortly after my birthday. When I was very young one of the first things I can remember was a mobile that my mother had made with coat hangers, string and tag board bird outlines that she had colored. With Robins, Blue Jays, Cardinals & Orioles to name a few as there were 10 or 12 birds moving around in the air currents as this was suspended above my crib on a bracket my father had welded together at his Ford Garage in the early 1950s. Needless to say, this contraption kept me amused for hours on end and likely started my fascination with these winged flying creatures. As a kid whether in the yard in town or wandering about the farms that relatives had watching the natural world was and still is a constant form of relaxation. Of course, bird watching can lead to a proficiency in, Duck, Goose as well as upland game bird hunting which I can sadly say is in the rearview mirror giving my current state of ambulation. However, bird watching still holds my interest as does observing the changing pecking order at the feeders depending on who is in attendance at the time you are observing the smorgasbord you have set out for your guests. Interestingly, bird watching should include bird listening! The morning chorus of singing birds is without a doubt one of life's pleasure for the ear and even makes those addicted to heavy metal and the screeching sound of discord of poorly tuned instruments stop and listen with pleasure.

While I have never kept a written list I continue to see birds that force me to look in books or on-line websites to assist in identifying newcomers to my area of operation. The Trumpeter Swans and their smaller cousins the Tundra Swans have been observed here on the Southern Minnesota Prairie, Snow Geese as well as the ever present Canada Geese which have already hatched their fuzzy yellow offspring this year. Sand Hill Cranes have chosen nesting sites. Raptors from the diminutive Merlin and American Kestrel to Bald Eagles. Barn Vultures frequent the area, too. I don't know how many varieties of Sparrows and Finches are here everyday but it is easy to loose count. Hummingbirds are back, as are the Red-Breasted Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles, Eurasian Doves, Eurasian Tree Sparrows. Still waiting to see the Warblers migrate through the area. A sure sign of spring is when the Dark Eyed Juncos decide it's time to head North, I have not seen one now in over a week. The Turkeys have been strutting daily for a couple of weeks, Pheasant have hatched and many young ones are looking pretty big already. The many types of ducks have arrived and many kept on flying North, Pelicans are fishing in groups while other waterfowl hang out nearby hoping to get an easy catch.

Yes, birds still hold this old guys interest! As for equipment used to observe: new lenses after cataract removal surgery has been extremely helpful! I have three different sets of binoculars: One pair of San & Streiffe 8 X 30 7.5°. I got these at a garage sale last fall for $5.00 USD, they are excellent binoculars likely made in the 1950s, even came with the pig skin case with intact strap and original box. I like these a lot! Also a Vortex Diamondback 10 X 42, these perform well for the money but do suffer from light falloff and some linear distortion along the edges, but, for the price are good performers. My favorite however are Canon 12 X 36 5° image Stabilized. This is the same Canon Company that has been making top notch cameras and lens for a very long time. If you have not used Image Stabilized (IS) binoculars hurry down to your favorite store that sells these amazing devices or phone a friend that has them and give them a try. As for mine Cabela's points can add up and paid for most of my purchase a dozen years or so ago. I am sure the current iteration is even more advanced, but, the IS system eliminates the high frequency tremors most of us transmit into the body of the binoculars. The Image Stabilized Canons were well worth the wait for Cabela points to add up.

Well, I guess that sums things up from here in the land of World Famous George Leonard Herter!

Birding is my main hobby these days. I used to do a lot of big game hunting but when I moved from Walla Walla Washington to Michigan those opportunities diminished. I did some deer hunting in Michigan but have focused more and more on bird watching. I didn't really start bird watching until about 2010 when my wife and I bought a home on 10 acres east of Walla Walla in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. We put out some feeders and enjoyed seeing what all birds came in to the feeders. My dad and step-mom decided to retire to Ecuador in 2011 and we made our 1st visit to see them in 2016. We did some guided bird watching on that trip and then took a birding trip to Honduras in 2018 followed by another visit to see my folks in Ecuador in 2018 for my dad's 80th birthday combined with some more guided birding. Then a trip to the Dominican Republic in 2019 and to Colombia in February of 2020. Visited the folks in Ecuador again in December of 2023 and hired a guide to see some new areas. I have picked up new birds everywhere I have visited and lived since started seriously birding (Washington, Michigan, Oregon and now Arkansas). My list is now at 956. I use a Swarovski 8x30 that I bought in 1996. Still works great. I have a YouTube channel and post videos of my birding outings. I am not monetized. I just do it for fun and to share with friends and family. Here are a couple recent videos that I made from areas near where I live in Arkansas. My camera is a Sony RX10 Mark 4.