Bird watching is a relaxed and very serene pastime to participate in. You get a chance to explore stunning locations while trying to spot beautiful and awe-inspiring birds in their natural habitats, many of which are doing their best not to be found. It can be challenging and requires a lot of patience, but when everything goes according to plan, the rewards can be huge.
Despite its low-tech past, like so many things in life, the advancements in technology can help aid and enhance the birdwatching experience. If you are interested in taking your passion for birding to the next level, why not consider investing in some of these gadgets and gizmos.
Smartphone Telephoto Lenses
While part of the privilege and honor of seeing birds in their natural habitat is largely an “in that moment” experience, you will still want to document your various sightings. Along with keeping a journal or ticking off and dating sightings in your pocket birdwatching book, why not try and take a high-quality snap as supporting evidence.
The cameras on smartphones keep evolving and getting better and better with each new release. This means that you don’t need to take your larger and bulkier digital camera on every excursion. One problem with smartphone cameras is they often lack the kind of zoom options you get with standalone cameras. Fortunately, there are compact lenses you can get to add to your smartphone to offer greater zooming capabilities.
Water Wiggler For Bird Baths
If you like watching the various birds that frequent your back yard, you may want to invest in one of these beauties. A water wiggler basically prevents the still water in a birdbath from staying still and becoming stagnant. There are solar-powered options that are very inexpensive to maintain and just as moving water that’s relatively fresh and free from bacteria is likely to attract more birds, it’s also less likely to attract mosquitoes looking to lay their eggs.
Flashlight/Headlamp
If you are birding at dawn or dusk or just on days when visibility is not so great, a flashlight is a great option. For handsfree illumination, though, we would highly recommend investing in a headlamp. Look for one that offers you some degree of versatility though, when it comes to the power of the light beam because the last thing you want to do while you are seeking out those elusive nighttime and morning time birds is to scare them off with a bright light.
Binoculars
The quintessential birdwatching gadget, that’s been used by birders since they were invented. They have gotten with the times and you can find many models with night-vision capabilities and other technical features. The bottom line is, these are essential, whether you go for a simple pair or something high-end. Although we all know what they do, do you know how they do it? Learn more about binoculars here.
All-Weather Notebook/Journal
Okay, so it may not sound like the most technologically advanced piece of kit but given how important taking notes of what you saw, when and where is to birding, an all-weather journal or notebook is indispensable. These are made with waterproof, tear-resistant, plastic paper and are more than a match for rain splatters, wet hands, and soaking pockets.