The Essential Gear You Need If You Want to Start Birding
The meditative act of bird-watching reduces stress and increases cardiovascular health. Here’s how to gear up for spring.
Luke Seitz/Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Macaulay Library
Whether you’re a bird-watching newbie or an old pro, having the right gear on hand is going to make appreciating the rich and diverse avian world of the West an easy-to-indulge, ongoing delight. And that means the more compact and portable, the better, as you’re more inclined to, say, carry a compact set of optics in your backpack or purse than a full-size pair of binoculars. Here are the essential tools (all of them compact, all of them essential) to improve your days out in nature watching the trees and skies for winged wildlife.
Merlin Bird ID App
This free app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the go-to mobile app for a reason: Its songbird identification technology is matchless, and you can download regional databases of songs and photos specific to your region. Keep track of your avian life list wherever you are.
Nocs Field Tube
Yes, you should have a pair of high-quality binoculars, but this compact, weatherproof monocular is small enough to keep in your glove box, everyday bag, or even in hand as you walk in your neighborhood, turning your evening stroll into an opportunity for bird-spotting.
Freaks of Nature Sunscreen
If you’re going to be out for hours, you’re going to need to protect your skin. Surf legend Kelly Slater’s sunscreen brand is mineral-based, reef-safe, and packaged in plastic that was otherwise ocean-bound.
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