A Day Outdoors

A day outdoors brings a smile to my face.  But let’s face it: a day outdoors is not the same as a two hour walk in the woods.  It takes a bit more preparation and requires some gear.  A two hour walk in the woods you can prep for with hardly any thinking and requires maybe a bottle of water and little else.

A day in the woods, well… have a seat and let’s think this through.  First, are you going somewhere you’ve been before?  You know it’s a thought.  You’re already remembering sometime in the past when you were traversing that gentle slope; the breeze was calm and the sun was just right in the sky.  And you looked down the slope and saw your first White-headed Woodpecker.  That’d be a good day again.

Red  Rock 25

 If it’s to be somewhere new, that’ll be just fine, as well.  However, a little more preparation is required.  You’ve heard of this new (to you) place from your friends or you’ve read about it on the blogs.  Perhaps, it’s that fact that there is a particular bird, such as the Golden Cheeked Warbler, found breeding in only that area.  Maybe its geology makes it good hiking and exploring.  Maybe the land has an interesting history having been farmed by a very tough pioneer.  So you start the list.  Going to do some birding; need binoculars and field guide. Might need a camera, too.  Going to be sunny; need to get the sunscreen and hat.  Going to be hiking; get the hiking boots out. It’s spring; better get the bug spray out.  Oh, going to be out all day; need to pack a lunch and carry plenty of water.  Take the compass and get a map; don’t be so cavalier.  Grab a length of rope; you never know, it might come in handy.  Pack the travel first aid kit.  Be prepared, scout.  Pack it all in your day pack, a Mountainsmith Red Rock 25.  You got it for this coming day.    You got it because, with all its compartments, you would be able to organize all this and keep it so. You got it because Mountainsmith is doing its part to be eco-friendly by recycling plastic water bottles, turning them it to a durable cloth like material, and making day packs, lumbar pack and all kind of gear.  Okay, you got it because it’s affordable, too.

Are you gone yet?  Okay, see you when you get back. Or…I’ll just go with you.

A New Way of Seeing



 

A New Way of Seeing

Vortex Recon 15x50 Spotting Scope

Combines the portability of binoculars with the range of a spotting scope.  Hand held or used with a tripod. Lightweight and packable.  Grand features .

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Visit us at www.kingbirdfeeders.com for quality binoculars, spotting scopes, bird feeders, bird houses, field guides, and gear. 

Get up, Get Out, Go Birding

These are the days of crisp mornings and mild afternoons. The redbuds have bloomed and their heart shaped leaves are now replacing their flowers. Dogwoods splash their white flowers throughout the forest. The oaks are decorated with new leaves. Daffodils have come and gone. Bluebonnets, Paintbrush and Evening Primrose line the highways and country roads.

The Sandhill Cranes honking high overhead are now a distant memory. Some ducks are still on the ponds, but most have headed north. The same is true for Snow Geese, Canadas and other Anserines.

Though the Goldfinches are on their way north, Pine Siskins still frequent the feeders. They are joined by Chipping Sparrows, Titmouses, Chickadees, and Cardinals. Red Bellied and Downy Woodpeckers gather at the peanut feeders. In the trees, Black and White Warblers dance about. Carolina Wrens are actively seeking nesting places.

Still, it’s time. Get up; get out; go birding! Grab your best binoculars, field guide, and gear. Take to the forest for the Pileated Woodpeckers and Pine Warblers. On the forest/field edges the Eastern Bluebirds you’ll find. Walk the path along a stream and you might hear a Kingfisher or glimpse a Prothonotary Warbler. Take to the wetlands for Marsh Wrens, Greater Yellowlegs, Little Green Herons, and Great Egrets. Seek the lake and find shorebirds as well as the Osprey, Bald Eagle, Cormorant, and Ringed Billed Gull.

Beyond our doorsteps are the pleasure we all seek, the solace we all need, and the wonder we have required since childhood. Birding is akin to discovery as well as saying hello to an old friend. An accomplished birder revels as much as the novice in seeking and finding a new species to add to his life list. Likewise, the accomplished and the novice can be found grinning at the sight of a bird with which they are equally familiar.

The experience can be enhanced by the good friendship of a companion and the good natured banter during the identification of an unusual sighting. Yet, time alone enjoying creation has its allure. There are the serendipitous events, too. Once, this author walked along a path thinking he was alone and came upon an older gentleman. The man stood in the middle of the path, hand out. In his hand was some bird seed and sitting on his thumb was a Chestnut Backed Chickadee. And yes, this author added a new bird to his life list.

The opportunities are limited only by you, your time, and your imagination. Find a friend, a group, or go by yourself. Enjoy the moment, celebrate the day. Go!

Birding and Hiking or Biking Binoculars

The trails beckon and the birds await and you know you’re ready. The problem has been what to carry that is lightweight but capable of rendering a good sighting. Problem solved when you carry the Vortex 8 x 28 Fury. This binocular weighs in at a scant 11.8 ounces. It measures 4.7” x 4.5”—small enough to fold into a pocket. It’s compact, durable and the optics are great. It is argon purged for water and fog proofing. Silver coated, phase corrected prisms and advanced coatings deliver superb images even in low light conditions.

Consider this gem of a binocular for travel, too. Every airplane ride causes us to consider total weight of our luggage. Yet, the Fury won’t add enough with which to be concerned. And when you get there, you still will have a great time in the field chasing down those species not found in your neck of the woods.