Let's say you were going to study behavior in the small loose flocks of chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers that assemble in northern forests in winter, following them from late winter and as they transition into the breeding season. What type of optics would you take?
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easy,leica ultravid 7+42 for wide field of view and brightness and a small fieldscope,leica televid apo with 22 mag wide angle on lightweight manfrotto monopod,or swarovski ats with 20 mag wide angle eyepiece again perched on a lightweight monopod.matt
''sticks and stones may break my bones but
i've got a gun in the shed if you want to argue'' [shed facts]
Robert,
Except for the titmice I have the rest as regular visitors to my back yard every winter. I’ve found that they can easily tolerate human presence, especially when near feeders. Any sort of optics will do at close range during the day of course. Be sure to get a pair of bins with close focus - when they are on the feeders I find it useful sometimes to be able to identify specific birds through damaged feathers or scarred bills. If you prefer a lot of low light viewing, then I’d suggest both a compact and a full-sized binocular. I’ve noticed a lot of intricate flying behavior as chickadees begin their mating process, so wide field of view bins would be helpful. I would certainly suggest the nitrogen purged models if you will be in and out of the cold frequently. A good spotting scope might be of use for watching tree holes as the wood peckers and chickadees start to nest, and of course the nuthatches are fun to watch as they fill in the wood pecker holes with food caches. I hesitate to recommend brand names or specific models since so much is driven by personal preference and budget. Good luck!
Joe H