My little binoculars seem to have broken. I can’t get both eyes in focus at the same time. I will have to buy new ones; my “normal” binoculars are simply too heavy to carry around, and even if I try to use them, they’re not ergonomic.
Unfortunately, this brand isn’t sold in the US (I bought this pair in New Zealand 2 years ago), though I suppose the fact that they broke so soon means they weren’t a very well-made product. But they were tiny and light and I’m not sure I can find another pair that portable.
Problem solved!
I bought two (fairly inexpensive) new pairs of binoculars–one very tiny pair of 7×18 binocs (which means they make things look 7 times closer/larger, and the lens is 18mm which has to do with how much light they let in which affects how well you can see what you’re looking at, but also affects the weight and size of the binoculars), and one small pair of 10×25 (which makes things look 10 times closer/larger, and lets in more light with the 25mm lens, but it’s still pretty small and light). Yesterday I tried out the tiny pair down by the bay, and saw some fun birds including black-necked stilts, a snowy egret churning up the muddy water with its feet and then eating whatever it had disturbed, some black phoebes, a whole flock of red-winged blackbirds, and a very disgruntled-dinosaur-looking great blue heron.
Today I tried out the 10×25 pair in my neighborhood. They’re definitely not quite as portable as the tiny ones… but… wow, I was surprised at how good they are! I was able to identify a very distant red-tailed hawk, and had an incredibly detailed view of a Steller’s jay. I’m also pretty sure I saw some tree swallows. I have struggled to identify swallows, but I could hear these ones as they swooped around, and Merlin describes tree swallows as “often giving cheery gurgling calls” which is an accurate description of what I heard.
I’ll have to tag @lies to make sure he sees this post that is very relevant to his interests!
Thanks for tagging me in! I’ve been extra-busy lately, which has been interfering with my ability to keep up with my dash, but updates on your birdwatching are very much at the top of my priority list when I have time for Tumblr.
Binoculars are very important. Having a pair (or pairs) that fit well with your needs makes a huge difference in your birdwatching. Your setup sounds pretty good: a tiny pair that you can have pretty much whenever, so you can take advantage of casual/unexpected birdwatching opportunities; and a larger, but still reasonably light and portable, pair that gives more enjoyable views for when you are doing dedicated birdwatching.
Misaligned binoculars are a real problem. Especially with less-expensive bins, it is very easy to knock the barrels out of alignment. In extreme cases that can make them essentially unusable. In subtle cases it can make viewing uncomfortable and lead to eyestrain and headaches with extended use. Ugh! No one needs that.
Cost is always a factor, at least for someone like me. Growing up I used whatever binoculars I could get, hand-me-downs and fairly unsuitable pairs that had the virtue that they were a) available and b) better then nothing. For much of my adult, casual birdwatching “career” I used a pair of Nikon Monarchs, which are probably the bestselling birdwatching binoculars of all time; there are different models but they tend to cost around $200-$300.
Four or five years ago, as I started getting more into it, I invested in a somewhat more expensive pair: Vortex Viper 8x42s, which cost about $550. The difference it made in my enjoyment was very noticeable. At one point when I needed to return them to the manufacturer for a repair (Vortex’s warranty is amazing) and went back to using my old Nikon Monarchs for a few weeks it felt like a dramatic step down.
When I replace them (which I’ll probably do at some point in the next few years) it will probably be for a really nice pair up in the $1k range, assuming I can afford it. It would have sounded ridiculous to me-of-the-past, but at this point my feeling is one should have the best binoculars one can afford. The difference is real and noticeable, and my birdwatching is important enough to me that I won’t regret paying that price.
I’d love to hear more about your experiences with the new bins!
Pelican was a French warship from the late 17th century. Built in Bayonne, France, the original Pelican was launched in 1693. A 500 ton ship equipped with 44 guns and commanded by Captain Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, she ran aground on the shores of Hudson Bay a few days after an heroic battle, badly damaged by the encounter and a fierce storm. The Pelican’s life was short but glourious. She set sail from France on 8 April 1697 and ran aground on the shores of Hudson Bay on 8 September of the same year. However, in five short months of service, her place in history was assured as the victor in the greatest naval battle in the history of New France. On learning that the British were planning to keep control of Hudson Bay, Louis XIV, King of France, assembled a fleet of warships, consisting of the Pelican, the Palmier, the Wesp, and the Profond, in order to recapture Fort Bourbon as the French called York Factory, Manitoba, the heart of the fur trade. On the morning of 5 September 1697, the Pelican, temporarily separated from her sister ships, came face to face with three British ships-the Hampshire, the Dering, and the Hudson Bay-which were carrying supplies to the nearby fort. Although they were outnumbered, the crew of the Pelican engaged in battle, and triumphed, thereby earning their place in history. The Pelican, however, was also fatally damaged in the battle. Holed below the waterline, the Pelican had to be abandoned. The Pelican’s victory, later known as Battle of Hudson’s Bay, was certainly due in large part to the leadership of Captain Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. In addition to setting an example of courage and valour for his men, he fought a remarkable strategic battle with the result that the Hampshire sank, the Dering retreated, and the Hudson Bay was captured complete with cargo. Text: military.wikia.org
Shipboard life in the 17th century on Le Pelican
The boatswain using his whistle to signal commands to the crew.
The upper deck Gun Officer directing a gun crew.
Chief officers dining with the captain in the wardroom below the Quarterdeck.
The captain & 039;s relatively spacious quarter & 039;s located under the poop-deck.
The ship & 039;s cook preparing food in the ship & 039;s galley. The galley was located under the forecastle on the upper deck.
Home for six soldiers or six sailors was cramped space between the cannons. Here they slept and ate meals.
The ship & 039;s surgeon attending to a sick seaman.
The caulker resealing a seam at the water line of the hull with tar.
Sailors working aloft reefing a sail. Illustrator Francis Back.
NOTE: A full-size authentic replica of Pelican was built at La Malbaie in Quebec. Construction began in 1987, but the project was beset with problems. She was completed in 1992. The ship, known as Le Pelican, was moved to Donaldsonville, Louisiana on the Mississippi River where it became the property of the Fort Bulter (Donaldsonville, Louisiana) Foundation, but is currently grounded in poor condition and awaiting sale to a new owner. On 19 January 2008, a barge towboat struck Pelican. Fuel leaking from the towboat caused the river to be closed to boat traffic.
The yacht is an invention of the Dutch of the 16th century. And initially they were used to hunt smugglers, pirates and criminals. They were single-masted ships of 15 to 30 metres in length with a flat or none keel and a leeboard. During the 17th century the owners were wealthy private individuals or rather companies, such as the Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC), and corporations, such as the city councils of Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Antwerp.
Utrechts Statenjacht is a replica of a yacht from 1746
The “jacht” was now used to transport executives or dignitaries from place to place to carry out their business. Another use was to entertain these people and their guests. For this purpose they were equipped with cabins, galleys and other relevant amenities.
As these small agile vessels were very good sailors, were well placed in the wind and could navigate almost in all waters, they were also used as reconnaissance and dispatch vessels.
A Yacht becalmed, by Peter Monamy, 18th century
Charles II of England spent 10 years in exile in Holland, before he returned to the English throne in 1660. His return to the throne was celebrated by the city of Amsterdam, which gave him a luxurious 60-foot yacht with a crew of 20. Her name was Mary. It was a great pleasure for him to sail up and down the Thames with her. He studied navigation and even shipbuilding and built about 20 yachts in his lifetime.
A Royal Yacht, Possibly the ‘Mary’
by L.de Man 1702
One can say that he was the first yachtsman in the world. His enthusiasm
for sailing was contagious and his brother James, Duke of York, joined
him and became an enthusiastic yachtsman as well. And so a new sport was
born. Yachting stayed the Sport of Kings for over a century, but by the
1800s yachting had grown to include participants of more than just the
crown heads of Europe. The worlds wealthiest had joined in. Yacht Clubs
were forming. The first yacht club in the world, called the Cork Water
Club, was established in Ireland in 1720, followed the Lough Ree Yacht
Club in 1770 (again in Ireland), and the Starcross Yacht Club in 1772 in
England.
Yachts of the Cumberland Society Racing on the Thames, ca. 1815 by William Harvell 1815
Today many are still registered in yacht clubs and share the
love of the sport, although the design of the ships has changed over the
centuries.
