I have seen nuthatches here before. I have become fascinated by the smaller Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla.
Since most of my birding days have been in northern or western climates this is a relatively new bird for me.

This little nuthatch is more the size of a chickadee than the white-breasted nuthatch that I am more familiar with.  It favors pine forests in the Southeast US.  There are about 5 tall pine trees in my neighbor’s yard and one snag that once was a water oak. I believe it is nesting in one of the cavities in the snag. 

According to the information at All About Birds, the Cornell University site, 

The Brown-headed Nuthatch may sleep in a tree cavity or in the open on pine branches. The female or the breeding pair roosts in the nest cavity before the eggs are laid and throughout the nestling period.

They also may share their nest space with other brown-headed nuthatches, though no one knows yet if they are last year’s young or how they are connected.  

I found it fascinating to learn that they sometimes will use a small piece of bark to life another section of barck in search of food. I have observed other nuthatches stuffing sunflower seeds into cracks of tree bark as a food cache so this makes sense to me too.  I also like the fact that they are so close I do not even need to use binoculars for a terrific view.

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This season the chickens are running free range and covering a much wider territory closer to the fields where we grow produce. But not in them. On this day they were very active close to the barn and house.

I looked up. There was my reward. Soaring above was a solitary bald eagle just a little north of our field. As it soared on the thermal current spiraling upwards I observed its white head with each return until the Bald Eagle soared above the clouds and out of sight. I had no binoculars on me and my spotting scope was in the trunk of my car. So the entire magical moment was a naked eye sighting. My favorite kind. Perhaps my most common viewing of wildlife is without assistance. It is often just noticing something different and focusing my attention on it. This is what birding and birdwatching is about for me. Taking moments from each day and appreciating the aerial escapades of whatever birds I happen upon.

Of course when I have my binoculars (Bushnell compact) or my spotting scope (also Bushnell) I can spend a little more time exploring the details of the scene and the bird. Those are the times when I wish I had a Swarovski spotting scope and Leupold Katmai Compact binoculars with me. That day shall come my way but it must wait until some household essentials are purchased first. In the meantime I share the joy of birding with you today, another magnificent sunny (that is unusual) spring day in April.

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Recently I shared about my favored Leupold Katmai Compact Binoculars, so you know I have a preference for compacts.   These are 10X32.  So they are a little larger, weigh a little more and have more magnification and more field of vision than the compacts do.

Remember what the numbers mean? The 10X means you see the object 10 times the size it is. The 32 means the size of the lens opening,  32 mm. You can see more about what these numbers mean here.

Gold Ring Binoculars YES.

Made in America. That is nice. I have heard birders discussing how that is a genuine sales feature because so many binoculars are made in in Europe.  I guess there is a bit of pride in having good optics here too.

Who uses them?
Birders, hunters, outdoors enthusiasts, security people, and more.

What are their special features?

• All Leupold binoculars are Waterproof and Fogproof
• Second-generation argon/krypton waterproofing
• Extraordinary brightness in low-light
• Anti-reflective lens coatings – Plasma Coat
• Interpupilary distance lock enables fast one-hand use.
• Comfortable, twist-up eyecups with long eye relief.
• Lifetime guarantee like all Leupolds

What are users saying about them?

I will share some excerpts from a  other user reviews here because I do not own a pair myself.

• After my research, I was down to Leica, Swarovski or Leupold Gold Ring.
• These have excellent clear image and good range and depth of field
• These are cheaper than the others in terms of money not quality.
• I got great clarity, good contrast, easy focusing and low-light use.
• I got what I wanted and more. Leupold is mine now!

Shop the best selection of binoculars worldwide at Binoculars.com!

I believe these Leupolds are a good buy.  Actually any Leupold binoculars will be worth your cash and time. Smaller and lighter than the popular size  10×42 binoculars.  It becomes a matter of personal preference when it comes down to making this kind of choice between all excellent quality binoculars.  10×32 is a nice compromise size.

Shop the best selection of binoculars worldwide at Binoculars.com!

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Binoculars have become very popular in recent years. They have moved beyond military, police and surveillance use and become a common piece of equipment for recreational purposes. Beyond bird watching, they are increasingly being bought for use in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, in fact they can add to the pleasure of most outdoor pursuits.

You can do most of these activities, in poor light or even in darkness. This makes night vision binoculars an attractive proposition. But they vary widely in price and function and you could easily make a costly mistake.

Firstly, there is a difference between binoculars designed to make the best use of very low light conditions and a true night binocular. If you will be operating at dawn or dusk, low light binoculars could suit your purpose. You can get an idea of how well a pair of binoculars will perform in low light from its Exit Pupil.

This refers to the diameter of the beam of light that leaves the eyepieces. Hold the binoculars at arms length and you will see the small circles of light on each eyepiece. To find their size, divide lens diameter by magnification. If the binoculars are 12×50, 50/12 equals just over 4mm. A higher figure means more light, but there are other factors.

For true nighttime performance, you need an infrared light source to be able to see when there is no natural light. The effective range of these varies, so buy what you need. For hunting, a range of 10 yards is useless.

Different optical devices have different uses. A monocular, sometimes known as a spotting scope, does just that. Do a quick sweep of the terrain or the sea. Spot movements in the trees.

A binocular feels more natural with two eyepieces, but still only has a single front lens.  It is a compromise. A true night vision binocular, with two front lenses, allows the adjustment of each eye to the night vision viewfinder. This is more comfortable for long periods of use.

Before deciding to purchase night vision binoculars, consider what your needs are. What lighting conditions will you mainly be dealing with. Will they be used often and for long periods. A true night vision binocular is an expensive item, maybe more than you really need to pay.

If you’re like me, you probably thought they would only be necessary for someone who was an avid fisherman or bird-watcher, and that a regular pair of binoculars would be fine for your occasional binocular needs.  However, I learned last summer that waterproof binoculars can come in handy when you least expect it. I went whale-watching with my best friend on a day with very rough seas. I had been looking forward to this trip for years and couldn’t wait to get my first glimpse of live whales in the wild.

(Sometimes Birdwatchers go whale watching too!)Due to the poor visibility, we were three hours into our five hour tour before we saw our first whale. Our tour guide explained that because we had been at sea for three hours, we would only have about half an hour to watch the whale before we needed to head back to shore.
I excitedly got out my digital camera and started taking pictures when I realized that it was an impossible task. My glasses kept fogging up and my camera lens kept getting wet. I tried cleaning them, but before I could get the whale back in view, I was fogged up again, and my lens was wet. I was dejected – I had been looking forward to this trip so much. My friend saved the day for me – she handed me a pair of binoculars and told me to try them. I was so surprised when I could see the whale frolicking about so clearly!! She explained to me that I was using her waterproof binoculars, which she had brought along just in case we encountered rain. She told me they were made so that they would not fog up or be affected by water.

She told me that she had received them as a going away gift from her mother before taking a cruise. Her mother had been on a cruise the previous year and had been upset that she could not use her regular binoculars on many occasions because the lenses kept fogging up. Another passenger noticed and recommended that she get a pair of waterproof binoculars. Needless to say, she bought a pair at the next port and never had any problems with fog or spray for the rest of the cruise.

She decided to buy a pair for her niece, who is in a wheelchair and likes to watch birds from her deck. Her niece had mentioned that her regular binoculars would fog up a lot when she brought them outside in the early morning.

I didn’t know how handy waterproof binoculars would be until I bought my own pair. A few weeks later I was out canoeing with my brother. While he was enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, I was enjoying looking at the birds. Then, suddenly, another canoe bumped ours and I found myself in the water!    After fishing me out, by brother was surprised that I could still use my binoculars (which, thankfully I had strapped around my neck). I explained to him that they were waterproof and could still be used after they got wet. After that, he borrowed them every time he went fishing until I got fed up with it and bought him a pair of his own for his birthday.

Who knew a pair of waterproof binoculars could become such a necessary item!

by L. DeGruttola, guest author UAW.

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If you are a marketer please do take a look, the launch is Jan. 13th at noon http://dobirds.webprosperity.com
It is a unique hybrid of mlm distribution and internet marketing tools in a well orchestrated suite. It is a money saver and a residual income builder.
Just thought I would mention it here in case some of my birding friends are also looking for second incomes in these tough economic times.

Meanwhile, other family things have interfered with getting my next binocular reviews out to you, I apologize.

My sister got RUN OVER BY A BIG DOG. That is not a joke. She broke her back on the pavement and has been recovering at my house for 6 weeks. Mom had a tumble but did not break any of her 93 year old bones. One rainy night I wrenched my back going out the ramp to the patio, slipped, almost fell and essentially RAN (holding injured cat)into ankle deep water. LOTS of rain and flooding here. Poor dear cat ran out of dry places in her protected shelter and climbed up on a box on top of the table. Meanwhile, the dishwasher broke down and that involved lots of deconstruction of the cabinets and installation of new ones(the one that died was a 30 year old portable one that my sister inherited!)

So… Lots happening, but not all of it is birds or binoculars.

People tell me that blog readers want to get to know you, so tell  stories of your life adventures. Here is a current one!

A friend of mine was telling me about Canada Geese in migration. Soon I will visit the wildlife refuge to see how many ducks have arrived.

And we had a few flurries of snow today.

But it is the stores and the decorations that tell me Halloween and Thanksgiving are behind me now. I was waiting until October to put this post up.

And then I waited a little longer.

This is a concern for me. I do not want to commercialize these holidays. Yet, I do want you to know about places where you can find some really fine gifts for your friends and families. Yes, even bird binoculars or bird guides for the bird lovers on your list. As winter approaches in the north it is time to prepare for serious bird feeding and I have some bird feeders you can enjoy and appreciate as well.

So, instead of waiting to alert you to some possibilities, I am posting this series of small banners to serve as a mini-window shopping experience for you. Also, these sites are either mine or from friends of mine. Right now we only need 2 more sales to be able to move into the next level of sales. Of course that means a tiny bit more commission. And truth be told, that does help pay the bills. I hope you will choose to shop with me this season.Sure, you can give us the boost to the next level if you choose.
Enough words today. Here are the banners to places where I shop too.

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If you intend to spend any money on a telescope, do not buy a cheap one – it really will be waste of money and won’t help you enjoy your new interest at all. Imagining you buy one of these, the revolution of the earth could make the star vanish from your screen in such high speed that you could completely lose track of it and start your search from where you started. There is no need to be disappointed by this, the star will back the following night so instead of putting the scope away, focus it on another. If you’re ready to buy, a Meade telescope is very good.

My second suggestion which can make astronomy for kids a distinct possibility night after night is to beg, borrow or buy the usual 10×50 set of binoculars. This can enable you to view the total constellation, the star bunches, the moon along with several other planets. Luck is also on your side as almost every school, but certainly each town has a library and this is your best resource for free literature on the stars, astronomy for kids, the Universe and the Solar System.

Look for books that contain star charts, preferably pull-out versions and don’t worry if the book is quite old because the stars won’t have changed. Before you go into too much depth, locate the Southern Cross or Scorpio in the book and then see if you can find it in the night sky. The Southern Cross lies in the south and Orion you’ll find pretty much moving from East to West over your head as the night progresses. Note that it may not be conspicuous as you look for it since it may rise towards the later part or early in the morning.

Most people seem to think there is a lot to learn before you can enjoy it and while this is true, it is not necessary to enjoy it but in all probability you will want to know more as you start to recognise stars. You can acquire plenty of such information in books meant for children which would provide you with some basic knowledge. To summarize, when star gazing you need at least a star chart and at least one eye and you are on the verge of discovering the Universe. And then you get yourself a pair of binoculars and once you have grasped the basics, invest in a good telescope. Buying a Meade telescope is well worth the money spent.

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What might they say? Hmm.  Perhaps they would NOT say. Instead they would give us something else to think about.

I saw this slide show and could not pass it by.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Of course, you can always leave me a comment to let me know!

For example, most reviews include the Nikon Monarch 10×42 as a standard for comparison because they are good and so many people use them.

This is also true for the Stokes DLS bird binoculars which are really appreciated by so many birders. The model that is favored is DSL 8X42. And it is easy to see why when you try them out.

Applying the same format for reviews as before

• Who makes them: Stokes Binoculars are named for Don and Lillian Stokes who are renowned birders who have written many field guides. The binoculars are made by Vortex Optics since the 1980′s in Wisconsin. Vortex is considered to be a premier manufacturer of quality optical instruments for outdoor use.

• Who uses them: Birders, Hunters, Outdoorsmen and women, outdoor activists, families.

• What are they like: The Stokes DSL bird binoculars are extremely versatile. Essentially they use state-of-the-art technology and were designed by and for birdwatchers. They are used and enjoyed by professionals and backyard birders alike.

• What are their Special Features: Excellent resolution and reliable color with the most current prism coatings with a high reflectance ratio. These binoculars are considered to provide the “total optical performance system” and still be affordable. They work well in twilight and have excellent ergonomic design for long periods of birding. They have an excellent range of focus up close and for long distance with 8X magnification

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