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Monday, March 01, 2010Spotting scopes out westFolks who live in the eastern part of the country or, anywhere forests dominate the landscape, rarely think about spotting scopes as a necessary tool for observing distant birds or other types of wildlife. Binoculars are the observing too of choice for easterners. This is a natural outlook on optics, given that observing distances in the eastern half of the country are often on the shorter side and a binocular does a more than adequate job in most cases. Still, even in the East, a spotting scope can be a very useful tool. Things change as we head west, as many easterners discover when they cross the Missouri. Out on the Great Plains and the intermountain country, the horizon stretches for miles in many directions and observing distances are often beyond the reach of a good binocular. Spotting scopes are a very necessary tool in the great wide-open spaces and, in fact, birders in the open country of the western states often use birding spotting scopes more than birding binoculars over the course of a day. I can remember many a day on a western marsh when I never touched a binocular; a spotting scope did all the work for me. Out in this country, you can make positive bird identifications at enormous distances with a good spotting scope. Spotting scopes are also a must for up close and personal views of some wildlife. For instance, folks heading to Yellowstone, specifically, to observe wolves and grizzlies always pack a spotting scope. Many of the questions I used to receive in sales were from people who needed a spotting scope for this very application. Spotting scopes allow an observer to observe these animals from a discreet and also a safe distance. Spotting scopes also make excellent tools to take pics, via technique called digiscoping, which is nothing more than attaching a small digital camera to a spotting scope. By all means, pack a binocular when heading west, but you might want to add a spotting scope, too. Comments: |
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