>From my yard in Fall City today, I saw: a peregrine falcon, a red-tailed hawk, a young bald eagle, great blue herons, robins, spotted towhees, 4 kinds of swallows, western goldfinch, cedar waxwings, blackbirds, red-winged blackbirds, belted kingfisher, house (and other) sparrows, rufous hummingbirds, turkey vultures, some kind of flickers, a pileated woodpecker (I think) and many, MANY other birds and waterfowl I can't identify because I have so little experience with birds AND...I don't have the right equipment. What're the best (affordable) binoculars and cameras all you experts (and current perts) recommend? I've finally gone out and purchased a couple of more, up-to-date, bird books...but if I can't see them clearly, I can't see them clearly. I think I've see Oregon Juncos and (maybe) a dark-eyed, slate-colored Junco this year along with numerous others every day but, aside from my chickens, I'm at a loss to make certain identification. Also...since I've been reading abo!
ut all the Purple Martins...if I just place a proper gourd out there...will they show up?Thanks in advance for the advice!Tomas WalshFall Cityitomas at onebox.com