Such a huge topic!
On the binoculars. I birded for over 35 years with an old pair of Nikon 8x30.
Fine binoculars. A group of people gave me money when I left California and
moved to Washington. (No, they didn't give me the money to encourage me to
move, they gave it to me as a tribute. But I digress.) I bought a pair of
Leica 10x40s. Couldn't believe the difference. Remarkable clarity and light
gathering abilities. I love them. My biggest problem was getting used to
wandering around with glass that costs that much ($1100). I have adjusted.
But I do cradle them and I am very protective of them. We also have a newer
pair of Nikon 8x30 that cost $300. I have not seen good binoculars for less
than $250. But then I haven't had reason to look over the past six years.

I also have an old Bushnell scope with a 20x eyepiece. For shorebirds it
really is necesary. I have looked through the newer Kowa scopes and some of
the others and they really are great. I used to teach birdwatching down in
California and it seemed that all my adult students had scopes so people
wanting to field test them had no problem doing that on the field trips. I
don't consider scopes to be toys but great tools. I think if I never got out
of my backyard (and lately I don't much) having a scope would be a bit
extraneous. But as soon as you are trying to separate a Western Sandpiper
from a Semipalmated Sandpiper I think a scope is necessary. But most of the
scopes that I liked were about $1000 and up. My old Bushnell cost $300 new
but that was more than 20 years ago. (Probably even more than 20 years!)

I have also heard scope owners speak of scopes as friends of birds because
the scope allows them to sit back and watch the birds without having to get
physically close to them, thus causing the birds less harrassment.

Jim Rosso
Sammamish
425-392-8440
jlrosso at aol.com