We Started Using Binoculars for Birding (At The Perfect Time!)

In this video we experience and incredible day of birding and bird photography at Point Pelee National Park. The annual spring songbird migration was in full swing, and this time we were ready with a new pair of binoculars.
Here is the beginning of our unforgettable trip to one of the best birding locations on Earth.
Pentax Z-Series ED Review: birdphotographylife.com/penta...
#birding

[@TheRealJohnMadden]

So amazing to see people getting into birding, it's so wonderful to watch such an amazing creature.

[@mdees88]

Those eyecups on the binoculars should extend. You just rotate them counter clockwise. The way ya'll are using them is for people who wear glasses. You have to hold the binoculars away from your face. With them extended they rest against your face....

[@sphexes]

I hung out with John today at Magee Marsh. Great guy.

[@mikewilkins5538]

May 9th was legendary!! Great shot of the Kentucky warbler. Also, when using the bins, you will want to open the eyecups unless you are wearing glasses (this will maximize your field of view)..I noticed you guys had them closed. Good birding!

[@raymondkilminster2194]

Nice video guys , although I noticed that being you don't wear glasses you didn't have your eye cups pulled up for viewing .

[@slyfox720]

I am just getting into birding. I picked up a pair of Leupold BX-1 McKewnie HD 10x42 at my local sportsman warehouse. I am going to use these for about a year then upgrade. I was looking into the Pentax as I used to use older Pentax DSLRs and loved their glass.

[@StefanoIaniro]

I learned the same thing as you guys, always a good idea to have both your "binnies" and camera. Sometimes there's skulky birds you just want to ID. Trying to see them through the camera viewfinder was always a headache. Binoculars help so much. I can't believe you guys had that great of a day! Warblers are my favorite, I need to go to Point Pelee one day. I'm just East of you in Montreal.

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Stefano Ianiro Wildlife agreed!

[@adamkerr8586]

Great video, and may the great Pelee fallout of 2019 be forever remembered! I can't believe the number of different birds we had in our backyard in Leamington that day, amazing!

[@larryrudnick1519]

Great shots and what a list!

[@alessandrocastagnaro6168]

Wow!!!! Bellissimo!!!!!

[@mith.8343]

Beautiful pictures! I lovesd listening to all the different birds. It has to be so amazing to actually be there.

[@MannyG32968]

Wow bins do really make a difference! Thanks!

[@yunsuiwuyue]

Very like

[@BirdinginMalaysia]

looks like a great birding adventure. nice photographs as well!

[@LooseEnds]

Awesome guys! I loved seeing some of those same birds in Kitchener and at McGregor Point last weekend, but not nearly so many as you guys. Hope to see more from you soon.

[@peterlebengood7160]

Wow. What a trip! Really enjoy your videos. Pentax makes superb optics. Their cameras and lenses are equally as good. Hope to see more videos.

[@roman2011]

Wow. So many varieties

[@adonaimorales3560]

Dude! This is my friend’s new hobby that I got into by spending time with her! My hobby is astronomy and I follow astrobackyard! How wild is it that you and your lady share the same two hobbies! This is awesome.

[@rexdalemartin3958]

Love the videos

[@davearchbell9921]

I'm really enjoying your vlogs. With the purchase of a 150 to 600 lens I've really started birding. I live in Dundas so your vlogs are very relevant. Thanks for sharing.

[@cpupton]

I ordered the Pentax ZD 8x43 WP (non ED) binocular to use for birding and hopefully more nature walks. I have a fondness of Pentax binoculars in spite of the narrow FOV compared to competitors so they are always my 1st choice. I have a a couple pairs of Pentax porros I use for stargazing too. Funny that I had no idea that this was also a channel of Trevor and Ashley. Ive been a follower of the Astrobackyard channel for a while and recognized the faces as I was watching this as a result of a "Pentax ZD Binocular" search. Well at least now I know that if Trevor and Ashley are also fans of Pentax bin's my decision was a good one. ;) Love the work you both do. Thank you and keep it up.

[@shayndelshofar4648]

Wonderful share. thank you. Happy Birding from Retired Backyard Birders

[@ToToWildlife]

Great video my friends! 👍🎥

[@birdcanoe3084]

Love these videos! Glad you finally got bins 😂

[@skakdosmer]

Let’s hope they’re not garbage bins.

[@EstherCooke]

I bought these binos based on this review! Love them!

[@RachaelDeBruin]

Ohhh Point Pelee! I went there last year for the first time, but been to Rondeau PP several times...so fun!

[@bonilsson3161]

I have similar Pentax ED bino but the 10x50 instead of the 8x43, I love them. Mine is just on the edge of being handholdable though, at least for extended use , I try to find something to support like a post, a tree or something. But they are really rugged and have an incredible image quality. Bo Nilsson Sweden

[@Stevelarge1]

Always love your videos! Keep up the great work. Off to Kamloops again for spring birding here in BC. Wish I could afford a trip out your way. Even if all I got was a scarlet tanager it would be worth it. Keep rockin the great videos and using your "bins" to best effect. The Owl Man

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Thanks Owl Man - appreciate your comments and continuous support. Happy west coast birding, we'd love to make it out that one as well!

[@absonus]

Hi from the UK .Lovely series of vids .Been a birder for over fifty years and also a photographer but not ,until recently put them both together . I understand the binos /camera dilemma :)

[@mrmaxaxl]

A cute couple having a cute hobby together :)

[@MrSeedi76]

How is it possible that I just found out now that one of my favourite KZbinrs has another channel besides Astrobackyard? Please -- if you have yet another channel, tell me now :). And thanks for all the great content! Found your Astrobackyard-channel in a rather dark time in my life and it brought me a lot of joy.

[@leighann5308]

You guys are so lucky to see so many beautiful birds. I need to move to Canada. I went once on vacation it was amazingly beautiful. I’m stuck here in California. Ugh.

[@mith.8343]

Hey you have Kites in California!!

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Leigh Ann one of our favourite things about birding is the variety of species around the world. Where possible, it makes for a great excuse to travel!

[@markz8252]

Great Pictures! What equipment do you use?

[@LieslHuddleston]

You absolutely can go out in the rain with your camera! :) Order some rain sleeves for your camera and lens, best $11 I ever spent on Amazon. I go out in the rain all the time with my camera, the sleeve is big enough to cover my 100-400mm lens even with the hood on. I don't have any trouble seeing the settings and getting shots in the rain. There are probably better ones than the cheap one I bought, but it does the job.

[@LieslHuddleston]

Great video by the way, such beautiful birds and images captured!

[@LisaSaffell]

I just realized you are Trevor from Astrobackyard. I'm a little slow sometimes, lol!

[@internationalbirdingadvent3163]

Hey Nerds, awesome video and some really excellent shots. I always have bins and camera while birding here in The Okanagan Valley. In Niagara this week for work, hope to see some of the warblers you have recently seen, any recommended areas around Niagara?

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Thank you!! Not sure how long you're in the area but check out our Global Big Day blog post for some of our go-to locations in Niagara.

[@gelatinejaap]

I went to Pelee this year for the first time. Amazing birding for sure but the amount of people with just a camera is just staggering. How can you not want to see the birds doing their thing instead of just making a still image you can look at at home. I got 19 species of warblers, very happy with that considering i'm from Holland and wont be able to go there any time soon. Great video and i'm happy you finally found the use of bino's :)

[@thebirdnerds9475]

We were those people for years. Nicely done on your warbler count!

[@joeshmoe7967]

um..why not do both?? You can look at birds through a camera, my rig acts as a 13x scope. Besides I have to travel over 2000 miles to get to see birds like that, I sure want a few good photos to remember. Also shooting video of birds doing there thing is very enjoyable and makes it fun to share with others. Cheers

[@shaunferguson8782]

You two are hilarious, birding for 7-10 years without 'bins' and only now have discovered how essential they are. Keep up the good work your pix are amazing from what I saw in the vid. Hope to get out there one day from London, hopefully in May.

[@joeshmoe7967]

I have been at it for 5 years now and still use the camera/telephoto. If I see a bird I want at least an ID picture and might miss it if I have to switch. There are times when using binoculars would definitely be an asset, but the pair I have are just average and I find it hard to stomach the $1000+ price tag for ones like in this video. The other problem I have is I don't really see well with them, the 2 sides don't align well for me. I end up just using one side. A small bright yet affordable spotting scope would be better, but I haven't seen one that fits my budget. I would be interested in anyones input regarding spotting scopes that don't cost a small fortune. Yes I know quality comes with a cost, but I bought my Canon 60D and 300 F4 IS USM + 1.4 TC for $1600 CD. Spending that on binoculars/scopes just too much. Bird wise, looking forward to Snowy Owls arriving, as well as rough legged hawks. I am in Calgary, where are you and what do you look for fall/winter? Cheers

[@shaunferguson8782]

@@joeshmoe7967 Hi Joe. I live in Chessington South London. Believe it or not I have Snowy Owl on my British list too by far my best bird seen in the UK. Here in the UK we have rare migrants fly in from the States and from the east anything can turn up at any time. Just had a Yellowbilled Cuckoo turn up on the south coast but unfortunately it didn't last long and dead shortly after arrival. But we look forward to our returning geese from the North, Merlins, Waxwings, Hawfinch, Thrushes etc We are lucky to have 2 birding seasons a year summer and winter migrants arriving.

[@shaunferguson8782]

@@joeshmoe7967 re bins and scopes. I used a £300 pair of Terra HD Zeiss bins (bloody excellent and don't break the bank) but did splash out on my scope Vortex Razor HD BUT I bought it 2nd hand off EBay for a 3rd off. You really need a scope for birding here in the UK.

[@joeshmoe7967]

@@shaunferguson8782 Snowys are such a gorgeous bird. Here is about snowy arrival time. Usually go out looking many times during the season. My best day is 7 in one outing. Mostly see them on power poles, so mymphots all look about the same. My dream is to see one on a hay bale or somewhere on the ground. Of course a killer in flight shot would also be great.

[@shaunferguson8782]

@@joeshmoe7967 Here's a vid of my sighting... kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnmZoqaQYrl5pNU

[@AustinALiboiron]

Gonna fill my camel back with coffee now. Thanks for the idea, Trevor.

[@endows2k]

What an amazing place for birding. Makes me want to go there. Anyway, since you carry both a binocular and a camera hanging from your neck, I recommend getting a camera strap made by the BlackRapid. I use one myself and it's really good.

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Toshihiko Endo we have both been considering alternatives to our current camera strap, thanks for the recommendation.

[@edmcgee3512]

I use an over the shoulder sling for the camera since it is heavier and the regular neck strap for my binoculars. This setup relieves stress on the neck and keeps the camera and binoculars out of the way of each other. The real puzzle is which to grab first when I see a bird.

[@ZaberAnsaryOfficial]

Do you guys update on EBird? I mostly do it with 70D + 400mm 5.6L. Birding and Photographing for one year so far. On 141 currently.

[@aitorzm]

In order to carry both the camera and binoculars comfortably I attach them to my backpack shoulder straps. The camera goes on the sternum strap using the tripod ring. I added a tent pole clip "like a hook" to the binocular so that I can put it in one shoulder strap. The other shoulder strap is for the smartphone which I use for ebird list and Merlin Bird ID. In one belt pocket I have a small microphone for the smartphone. On the other belt pocket a small flash. Everything is ready to use at any moment.

[@lnlarxg]

Crazy sharp photos, wonder which lens is it a 300mm f4 L?

[@thebirdnerds9475]

combination of the 300mm f4 and 400mm 5.6

[@peterellarby4111]

You have a lot more varieties than we have in my part of Shropshire, UK.

[@ggwildlife]

in the UK we use the term Bins or Binos.

[@diverse_insightt.o6499]

Been waiting 2 weeks for this

[@gtilford60]

Congrats on another successful trip I know I visited Rondeau on May 15th and had that same type of experience seeing 41 species in 5 hours. So my question for you is how would you manage to get the shot of the bird you seen thru the bins if there was only one of you there. I find by the time I lower the bins most times the bird is off.

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Greg Tilford we find that each piece of gear works in different situations. If the bird is close enough to shoot, go for the camera. If the bird is in the distance and we want to ID it, go for the bins. But yes it’s a bit of a give and take with both.

[@skakdosmer]

So many birds. And not one that I've ever seen in Europe, even in my books. Some of yours look like the head of one of our species on the body of a different species. So if you guys wish to quickly expand your list, you might want to make a trip over here. Congratulations with your “bins” (what a word... it's already taken and means something completely different!). I have a small Minolta 10x25, but I’ve been thinking of buying a Zeiss. Probably will some day. Swarovsky is too expensive for me.

[@gelatinejaap]

Swarovski is worth every penny.

[@skakdosmer]

Worth every penny of the money I don’t have.

[@gelatinejaap]

@@skakdosmer My mistake, read it like "Swarovski is not worth it for me".

[@RF-nq3vi]

Where did you get the bird book to check off what you find please? Is it from the park? Fun vids

[@thebirdnerds9475]

R F Yes, this is a checklist specific to the bird in the park and surrounding area. Purchased from the park gift shop.

[@larka89]

Amazing shots! I was there on the 10th (hoped you were there to see the fallout!). 76 species that first day :D I love your blackburnian and Kentucky pictures!

[@thebirdnerds9475]

larka89 thank you!!

[@imtiazahmadwildlifephotography]

#birdlife #BrahminyMyna #wildlifephotography Brahminy Myna(Brahminy Starling)Birdlife Gilgit-Baltistan 🇵🇰

[@steviesteve750]

Do you guys aim to see as many species on a list, or watch them to learn how they behave, live etc?

[@SomeonewithaSony]

Hey, what video software do you guys use for editing?

[@thebirdnerds9475]

Adobe Premiere

[@antistiolabeo8950]

This video made me realize that I only watch birds to take photographs. I would never make a trip just to see birds through binoculars.

[@Roberuto-san]

Birding for so many years without binoculars 🤣 oh gosh

[@TheSportshermit]

BI nocs

[@stellardust6954]

In Wisconsin we call them bi-nocs...

[@joeshmoe7967]

I am in western Canada and we have a really weird name for them...we call them binoculars...LOL!

[@skepticalmechanic]

You need to screw out the eye cups... don’t you read the manual?

[@hostarepairman]

Plea from an aged, bird rapt retiree and fledgling birder: Please label ALL of your bird pictures/clips (the labels could be small, somewhat transparent, corner-located, and last the duration of the picture/clip) so that I and other similarly afflicted individuals can more easily improve our bird recognition skills. I feel (somewhat) guilty requesting this of you, because I REALLY enjoy your videos and the very good pictures/clips found within them, but it never hurts to ask/take advantage of young industrious KZbinrs. Thanks from Memphis, TN.

[@markmac4596]

Just came across your video, great job! Thanks for all in the insight and info on the bins. One thought, dump that god awfule music, don't clutter what is already spectacular!

[@darylbernard2616]

Twist those eye cups out and rest those bins against your face!

[@dandanita1692]

cool, spend $800 on binos which you use wrong, ffs

[@imtiazahmadwildlifephotography]

Wow bins do really make a difference! Thanks!