Bird Watching Binoculars - Choosing Magnification Level

What magnification should you choose for bird watching binoculars? It all depends on your needs as a bird watcher and what type of birding you mostly will be doing. Let us review some magnification basics.

When you start shopping for bird watching binoculars, you will first notice that they come in different sizes. They will be designated by two numbers such as 8x42. The first number is the magnification or how many times closer the bird you are watching will appear through your binoculars. So in the 8x42 pair, a bird will appear eight times closer than with your naked eye.

The first obvious response from beginning birders when shopping for birding binoculars is to get a pair with the highest magnification. Why would I get a lower magnification when I can see the bird that much closer with a higher power binocular? This is bird watching not astronomy star gazing that is why.

As a good rule of thumb, you do not want to buy a pair of binoculars for bird watching over a magnification of ten. If you need more magnification, then consider getting a bird watching spotting scope with a tripod or window mount. Anything above 10x in a binocular will be too difficult to use for bird watching for several reasons.

The higher the magnification in a binocular, the smaller the field of view will be. This makes it more challenging to spot moving birds. The binoculars will also be heavier, making it more difficult to hold steady while viewing. Any shaking in your hands will be magnified that much more as you view through the binoculars. In addition, higher magnification binoculars allow less light to enter the lens, so the image will not be as bright as in lower powered binoculars.

You can choose the level of magnification you want based on the type of birding you mostly do. If you do a lot of birding in forested areas, looking for small active songbirds like warblers, then you will want a larger field of view with less magnification. This way it will be easier to spot the birds and follow them with your binoculars as they move around.

If most of your bird watching is done in open areas, such as hawk migration routes, on open water or open wetlands, then you can get away with a higher magnification since birds are easier to locate in open habitats and wide open spaces. Additionally, if you do most of the viewing from a sitting or standing position as on a boat, viewing from a mudflat or overlook, then you probably would not mind the extra weight of a larger objective lens which will provide you with a larger field of view.

Magnification is not the only factor when choosing bird watching binoculars, but is one of the most important features that will affect your birding enjoyment when using binoculars. Take some time and try different magnifications out before buying your final pair. Choose wisely and you will not regret.

For more information, please go to Bird Watching Binoculars 101 and read our binocular review by price level of the Best Binoculars for Bird Watching.
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Increased Passion for Pigeons and Racing Pigeons

Pigeons and racing pigeons are all over the world. It is amazing to watch these birds come back to the same place they call home. Owners can let them free without worrying of losing the pigeons as they will come back to the same place may be the same day or at times even after a month or year. The pigeons can fly 90+ miles in an hour. Indeed, the pigeons sets landmark on its way to return to the same place. It is due to these features of the pigeons there are many pigeon racing events are conducted across the world.

 

The racing birds are fed with special care. There are many varieties of pigeons available for the racing competitions. The fanciers and owners will not have less than 30 pigeons for racing. Most of these birds will be trained from a very young age. It is better to train at young age as it must is fascinating to watch. Every pigeon fancier will love to see the young ones come and go. There are many factors related to training pigeons for racing at young ages especially when they can be vaccinated at once together. The main factor to consider while training a pigeon is the ability to make it migrate and return home. However, it is not wise to conduct the training during fog, heavy winds and rain.

Most of the racers would release racing pigeons at 7 AM in the morning. Following a systematic training procedure will help you to get better results in the events. Always have food and water ready for the returning pigeons. Special care has to be taken while weaning young methods. This is the time to identify the best and the lazy ones. During the weaning period, if the youngsters do not eat, drink and bather properly, it is better to dispose them. Such birds will become weak and breeder of diseases. This could affect the remaining birds as well. The best and the healthiest youngsters can be noticed within 24-30 days of age.

In the racing events, the fastest bird to return travelling maximum miles will be awarded the winner's prize. This is the main reasons racing pigeon fanciers and owners train the pigeons focusing on distance travelled. The birds in the races will have a small band around its leg, which helps to identify to whom it belongs. These bands are placed at a younger age.

Ensure your racing pigeons supplies are safe and secure. The best method to find a best supplement is to avoid products that mainly contain man made ingredients. Even though, supplements with natural ingredients are expensive, they will help the birds to remain healthier and perform better in the races. You can notice the changes in the pigeons in a week's time after feeding the supplements with natural supplements. These are interesting birds, having pigeons and racing pigeons have become more than a passion today to the pigeon fanciers. This is why pigeons are cared very much by its fanciers.

Want to learn more about pigeons and racing pigeons? Visit http://www.pigeonsandracingpigeons.net for more information.
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