Packing a Birding Vest

Diane's reply:

I like to keep my birding vest all packed and ready to grab as I dash out the door. I call it my birding kit. I hang it on the same hook with my binoculars. These first few things are what I keep packed in my vest all the time.

BIRD BOOK — in the front right pocket of the vest. Now I never forget my field guide. It's automatically with me. I like the National Geographic Field Guide to Birds of North America. Don't load yourself down. Pick just one and put it in your vest.

NOTEBOOK — very small and inexpensive. I like to jot down the birds I see, with the date and location. For one thing, my notes remind me of my trip when I want to relive it later on. Also, if it's an unusual bird, I make some notes about its appearance, habitat, and behavior. I might sketch the bill shape, or describe the song the bird sang.

PEN — There's one clipped into my notebook, and another in case I lose that one.

HAT — foldable or mashable. I often forget about the need for portable shade until I need it. And then I'm happy that there's one tucked in a back pocket of my vest. In winter, it's a knitted cap.

LENS CLEANING PEN — in case I need to remove spots from my binocular lenses, in case rain or salt water gets on them. Sometimes I also carry a small bottle of lens cleaning fluid and some lens cleaning tissues or cloth.

And here are some things that I keep in the vest sometimes, depending on the season, weather, and destination.

DIGITAL CAMERA — a really tiny one. I don't often try to photograph birds with it, but since birding gets me out in nature, I see many things I want pictures of — sunsets, wildflowers, snow on the creek, sign at park entrances, wildlife and their tracks, and of course my companions.

INSECT REPELLENT — always, in summer.

LIGHTWEIGHT GLOVES — always, in winter. When your hands get cold, those gloves will extend your comfort range and let you stay out longer.

SNACKS — an apple or a few sunflower seeds can provide a good excuse to sit down, have a bite to eat, and give the birds a chance to get used to you and show themselves.

GROUND CLOTH — so you can settle down in a good spot and stay a while. A small waterproof cloth just big enough to sit on is all you need.

ENVELOPE — for collecting seeds of wildflowers on my own property or where I have permission to gather them.

IFLYER — for listening to bird songs in the field. These should not be used in places that are heavily visited by birders, as they can disrupt birds' nesting activities. But used with discretion, they the iFlyer can help you to identify a bird by its song if you're not sure of it.

HANDHELD PDA GUIDE — This is a new approach to a field guide. It's a personal digital assistant, with National Geographic Handheld Guide bird information loaded into it. Many birdwatchers prefer it to a book, and it actually weighs less.

You'll think of other things you like to have with your when you go birding. And packing your birding vest with them ahead of time means you won't find yourself without them once you're out in the field.

— Copyright 2007 Diane Porter