Birding Optics

A new month brings a fresh start for those who decided to join in on the Bird-a-Day Challenge. The official challenge, taking place on birdaday.net began on New Year's Day. Since then I have been trying to play along, just for fun, counting how many days in a row I can find a “new” bird. (New = recorded for the first time in this game.) So far, I’ve lasted five weeks. Making it this far has already been tough, and it’s only going to get harder.

Plenty of people are playing along, some from as far away as the UK. And a number of new people recently started counting from Feb 1.

“That was the thing about Levantin: He loved the birds, but he really loved the places they brought him. When you spend your career in the confines of a gray suit, the pipits at dawn above timberline are even more wondrous,” wrote Mark Obmascik, author of The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession.

I am not obsessed—not even a little. But I get what Obmascik was saying. For some birders those little feathered creatures fluttering in the bushes are a tick in their notebooks. For others, they are a reason to take in the spectacles that most of us miss.

Despite my tradition of renouncing New Year’s resolutions, I’ve made several this year. Yes, the normal lose five pounds, get organized, consume less caffeine, exercise more often… but also to beat last year's record: 80 days. That’s how long I lasted in 2011’s Bird-A-Day challenge, a contest to see a new bird species for every day of the year.

Whether you fancy yourself a serious “lister,” a novice birder, an outdoor enthusiast, or a hard-core competitor, you may be interested in a challenge that is about to begin when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve.

It’s called “Bird-A-Day.” The objective: Count how many days in a row you can find a “new” bird. (New = recorded for the first time in this game.) The rule: You must never repeat a species, nor go a day without seeing a new one. If you do, you are out of the challenge.

The birding fanatics and engineers at Swarovski have been acting as if their hair is on fire. More accurately – they seem to be channeling Steve Jobs. Introducing one great product after another, Swarovski has been doubling down its bets on the premise that greatness creates its own market.

The Big Year, a star-studded, endearingly quirky look at the world of competitive birders, hits theaters Friday. Here at Audubon, film-fans and birders alike are all aflutter. Click through to watch the exclusive interview with the film's stars Jack Black, Steve Martin, and Owen Wilson...

Photo by Jim Wright

Look at that eye. Can you ID this bird? Click here for another clue.

 Review: Swarovski EL 10x50 SV Binocular

For you 10x devotees I have some good news and some bad news. First the good news. Swarovski has added a 10x50 model to its incredible EL SV line. The bad news? If you look through them you will never be content with your current binoculars again, so don’t look or get ready to shell out some shekels.

 It’s been two whole weeks since I last posted on The Perch about the Bird-A-Day Challenge, which began on the first of January—and has been getting tougher by the day. But I’m still hanging on. (Even if only by a thread.) Everyday lately I wonder if it will be the last day to officially participate in The Challenge. Then miraculously something new appears and I have another species to add to the list (click through to see the 56 species so far).