Welcome! We are so glad you’re here!

Central Westchester Audubon Society, in loving memory of Jeanne Alpert and in honor the work she and her devoted husband Frank did for the County of Westchester in the area of habitat preservation, not to mention fostering a love of the outdoors to all who were lucky enough to have been in their company, have put together this backpack as well as this guide to help you get your start in birding. We hope you enjoy it.

The Alpert Birding Backpacks will be available for circulation from the White Plains Public Library and come complete with 2 pairs of binoculars as well as guides for the birds, trees and flowers you are likely to encounter. These backpacks were made possible by the generosity of those who wanted to support the work that Jeanne and Frank devoted so much of their time and attention to. Thank you.

If you’ve never used binoculars before we suggest you make sure to adjust them to your eyes. You can find resources for learning how to do that with just a few quick and easy steps; here is a very short lesson adapted from BirdWatchers Digest.

“The most useful binoculars for bird watching incorporate a few basic features. They have a central focus wheel and a diopter focus adjustment. The diopter is often part of the right-hand eyepiece on a binocular. The purpose of the diopter is to compensate for the differences between your two eyes (because no two eyes are the same or have the same ability to focus.) Adjusting both the diopter focus and the central focus is how you get the clearest possible image from your binocular.

Tip: Always use your binocular’s neck strap. Carrying your optics around in your hand by the strap is asking for trouble. The strap keeps the binoculars safe around your neck and against your chest, within easy reach of your hands.

Focusing

Start by adjusting the distance between the two barrels of the binocular so that they are the right width for your eyes. Too far apart or too close together and you will see black edges in your field of view. If you have the spacing right, your view will be a perfect circle.

Next, find something to focus on, such as a dark tree branch against the blue sky, a street sign, or an overhead wire. Focus with both eyes open by turning the central focus wheel.

Now it’s time for the fine focusing. Close your right eye and, using only your left eye, adjust the focus wheel. Next, close your left eye and, using the diopter adjustment, bring your view into sharp focus.

Now open both eyes and see if your focus is crystal clear. If the image is not clearly focused, repeat these steps, making small adjustments using one focus wheel or the other.

How can you tell if your focus is correct? First of all, the view through your binoculars, with the diopter adjusted, should appear almost three-dimensional. It should really pop out at you and be crystal clear. Also, your eyes should not have to work hard when using your binoculars.”

Also from BirdWatcher Digest we learn how to find a bird with my binoculars? -

“The one problem birders typically encounter more than any other is getting their binocs pointed right at the bird. This can be a problem even when the bird is sitting still, perched in an obvious place. Fortunately, this problem can be easily overcome with a bit of practice. Here’s how:

Looking with your naked eyes, find a bright leaf in a distant tree, or a certain spot on a distant building, and lock you eyes onto it. Now, without removing your eyes from that spot, bring your binoculars up to your eyes and into alignment with your view. Did it work?

With practice you’ll find that locking your eyes in place and bringing the binocs into alignment really works. This will make it easier for you to find birds with your binocs, even if a bird is moving.

Tip: When locking your eyes onto a distant bird, note some other feature or landmark near the bird’s location. This can be a notch in a tree’s outline, a brightly colored leaf, or even a passing cloud. Note where the bird is in relation to this landmark and it gives you another reference point to use when your binoculars swing into place.”

Now the question is “Where do I find a bird or birds to watch?” This one is easy! Everywhere!

Take a moment out to stop your movements and just listen. The act of listening will help your eyes see what’s there to be seen, through clues like the chipping, chatting and chopping sounds that birds make when they are busy finding mates, warning others about a danger or looking for food.

We hope you just get outside and take a look around. There are falcons, song birds, ravens, waterfowl and ‘local’ birds right here in your yard and neighborhood if you just take a minute out to notice them.

Want even more help? This is one of the most comprehensive guides available:

https://www.audubon.org/birding/how-to-start-birding

Hope to see you out and about one day soon!