BIRDWATCHING

Your lifetime ticket to the theater of nature

To start birding, the first thing you need is a good pair of binoculars.

Good deals on Vortex Diamondback HD binoculars

Maybe the best buy in binoculars anywhere, ever!

The Vortex Diamondback HDs are high-quality binoculars, with the best warranty a person could imagine. They come in a range of sizes and magnifications, for around $200, depending on the model. These binoculars perform more like binoculars in the $400-plus price class.

There is no better warranty. If your Diamondback HD accidentally breaks, even if it's the owner's fault, the manufacturer will repair or replace it for free. No time limits. (All we can say is WOW.)

At the Birdwatching Dot Com store, for a limited time we have discount coupons for most of the Diamondbacks, which sweeten the price even more. See them HERE.

Click to visit our online store

Visit our store, Birdwatching Dot Com.

We have good deals on binoculars, spotting scopes, tripods, and optics accessories. There are bird books, backyard birdfeeders, hummingbird feeders, and accessories.

We have a great selection of purple martin housing. And much more.

Find our online store HERE.

Who we are

We're Michael and Diane Porter. We love to celebrate birds with all who treasure them. Birdwatching is a very good thing. For the people. For the birds. For the planet.

For people who are just waking up to the wonderful world of birding, we like to help. The more eyes are open to the beauties of nature, the better the prospects for our civilization. Indeed, our mission at Birdwatching Dot Com is to help human society evolve toward a sustainable relationship with our planet.

Good birding optics

Birdwatching requires excellent optics. To identify a bird, you need to see fine details. Your binoculars need to be sturdy and weatherproof. If you wear glasses, they need to be eyeglasses friendly. And hand friendly! So that it's easy to reach the focus knob without fumbling. You need quick optics, or you may miss the bird.

Questions?

If you could use advice about which binocular to get, you can call us at 800-779-7256 and talk to a real live person. We're happy to talk with you and help you determine what optics will work for your particular requirements. We're also familiar with the books, bird feeders, and audio CDs we sell. We have tried them out personally.

Birding Optics

This page leads to inks to Michael and Diane Porter's reviews of binoculars and spotting scopes. You'll also find articles on the basics of birdings and fine points of using binoculars and scopes.
OPTICS PAGE

Diane's Nature Newsletter

My Gaia focuses on personal contact with nature. Especially birds, native plants, and other wildlife. Diane often writes about the land where she lives, in rural Iowa, but her posts have relevance everywhere. There is a free subscription option, which give access to all her posts. Nothing is behind a pay wall.
My Gaia, by Diane Porter

Birding Tips

Here are a few techniques for enjoying birds more. Suggestions on how your back yard can attract birds by providing food, water, and shelter. There are also identification tips for birds that can be tricky to recognize.
TIPS PAGES

Binoculars of Note

Eagle Optics Shrike 8x42

A long-time favorite, still available, only from Birdwatching Dot Com ~ A great starter binocular. Find out how much fun it is to see birds through binoculars. Schools and organizations use this binocular for group birding experiences. It's easy to use, and it won't break the bank. Here's a plus — it's covered by an unconditional warranty that covers accidental damage -- even you drop them! There are special prices for groups wishing to buy The Shrike for classes and clubs.
Regular price: $129.95
Birdwatching Dot Com Special Price: $99.95
HANDS-ON REVIEW
SEE IN STORE

Swarovski NL Pure

Hands-on Review ~ It's stunning! We've never seen a binocular with a shape quite like the NL Pure — as if made to fit your hand. It has the widest field of view of any top binocular.
HANDS-ON REVIEW
SEE IN STORE

Zeiss Victory SF 32mm

Hands-on Review ~ It knocked her socks off when Diane first looked through a Zeiss Victory SF binocular. How it felt in her hands! How it fit against her eyes! She only wished it came in 32mm. Now it does. Here is Diane's report.
HANDS-ON REVIEW
SEE IN STORE

Spotting Scopes Reviews

Swarovski ATC Scope Review

Hands-on Review ~ It's a new choice in a pocket scope with top optical quality. At 34.2 ounces and 10.2 inches long, the new Swarovski ATC scope is a smaller version of the esteemed ATX scope line. Rest your elbows on a table and you can get by without a tripod at all. It fits in a photo-vest’s cargo pocket. (2022)

Kowa 99mm Prominar

Hands-on Review ~ Kowa's new high-end spotting scope embodies the fluorite crystal objective lens and the fine engineeering that put Kowa Prominar scopes in the top tier of birding optics. With a 99mm objective lens, this is the biggest Kowa spotting scope. See how we like it compared to the 95mm Swarovski ATX scope. (2021)

Kowa TSN-553 Travel Scope Review

Hands-on Review ~ In 2018, Kowa came out with a new 55mm Prominar travel scope. It is a remarkably small scope. It features the esteemed Kowa fluorite objective lens which has made the 88mm Kowa Prominar so popular. Here we compare the TSN-553 to four other travel scopes, including the economical Vortex Razor and the high-end Swarovski 65mm ATX.

New Swarovski BTX Review

Hands-on Review ~ The new Swarovski BTX Ocular Module lets you see through a superb spotting scope while using both eyes! Your brain is designed to compare images coming from two eyes to construct what you see. Using two eyes makes the image more real, richer, and more natural. Here is a guided tour through this revolutionary optical product.

Swarovski reinvents the spotting scope

Hands-on Review ~ Before Swarovski came out with their ATX/STX oculars scope system, the usual approach was to make a small eyepiece and a long body. Swarovski's completely new approach is a modular design divides the scope in a new and unique manner. With many advantages. This article reviews looks at the construction and performance improvements of Swarovski's design.

Zeiss Conquest Gavia vs. Vortex Razor HD

Hands-on Review ~ The Zeiss Gavia scope bears comparison to the Vortex Razor HD, both of which became availble around 2017. Both have 85mm objective lenses. Both focus using a textured band around the middle of the scope. Both cost in the $1500-$2000 range. This article compares their design and quality.

Using Optics

Here are short, illustrated pages full of the lore of how to use optics. Find out how to adjust your binoculars so you get one coherent image, and how to set them for your glasses. How to clean your optics without degrading them.

Learn how to know if your binoculars are in alignment, so that they work without straining your eyes. Understand how the field of view varies from binocular to binocular, and why it matters. Ponder the advantages of angled vs. straight spotting scopes.

An overview and a link to each of these topics are on the OPTICS PAGE.