A is for Africa

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When I visited Tanzania with my Dad several months ago, I knew we would be seeing animals. That was a given. Equipped with my Zeiss Victory FL 7×42 binoculars and a Nikon D40 camera, I had flawless views, and as evidenced above, I came home with some really nice photographs. But almost as much as the memory of this giraffe family, some of my most favorite and lasting memories of Tanzania would be of the remarkable trees. Case in point: The incredible Baobab tree.dsc_0118

The Baobab grows to be so enormous that they were completely different from any tree I knew or had seen before. I was mesmerized, and took every opportunity to photograph them: the denizens of the Tanzanian landscape.dsc_0126

Even the tallest animals were dwarfed by the Baobab’s majestic presence.  This individual Baobab must be hundreds of years old. Radio-carbon dating has shown they can live to be over a thousand!dsc_0096

A stem-succulent, the Baobab tree has the ability to store water which is tapped by elephants during the dry season. When our guide drove our vehicle closer, we could see evidence of the elephants’ scapings along the length of the trunk in their quest for water.  Truly magnificent!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Binocular Anatomy 101

Today’s binoculars are pleasingly streamlined, user-friendly, and with their often rubber-armored bodies, are more durable than ever. With waterproofing being standard on most models, it’s easy to take them along without a second thought, no matter what the weather. Yet if you’re confused as to which is the eyepiece which is the eyecup, here’s a handy review of The Anatomy of a Binocular.

There are precious few moving parts on a binocular: the center hinge, the eyecups, the focus knob, and the diopter. Each of these parts move in order to customize the fit to the individual user. The center hinge moves the barrels to line up perfectly with your eyes. The eyecups are the rubberized mechanism your face touches while you are looking through the binocular: eyecups extend up to give the proper distance from the eyepiece for non-eyeglass wearers (if you wear glasses, leave the eyecups down). To focus on an object, the center focus knob focuses both barrels simultaneously. The diopter fine-tunes just the right barrel, which accommodates those of us with differences in vision between our eyes. For a greater understanding on the fit of your binocular, see our video, Understanding Binoculars: Fit and Focus.

Lenses: The ocular lens is part of the eyepiece, where the magnification of the binocular is located. The accessory used to protect these lenses is called a rainguard. The larger objective lens is located in the front of the binocular. Its function is light gathering. Tethered objective lens covers reduce the risk of losing the covers in the field. However, both objective lens covers and the rainguards can usually be ordered separately.

The removable tripod adapter plug, in the front of the center hinge, conceals standard-sized 1/4″ x 20 threading on which to attach a tripod adapter, in case you want to tripod-mount your binocular for hands-free viewing.

So there you have it, folks. Now go out and impress a friend with your newfound knowledge!  As always, we’ll be happy to answer any questions about your binocular.  Just give us a call at Eagle Optics.

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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2011: Looking back on a great year!

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It was a big year for us at Eagle Optics, with exciting things happening in nearly every area of the business! We’d like to share these highlights:

Staff news and changes:

Our dear Katie Vandegrift left our team and moved on to the higher calling of being a MOTHER. She and Nate welcomed Mara Marie to their family in July.  While we certainly miss her, we were fortunate to hire Parker Reynolds to replace Katie.  In a few short months, Parker has become a valuable team member, and has appeared in many of our Eagle Optics product videos. He also made a convincing Gilligan (below left, center) during our staff Halloween party!

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Speaking of big year, in 2011 the movie The Big Year catapulted birdwatching into the mainstream media with A-list actors Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson. “We are thrilled the birds are getting their first starring role in a major Hollywood film since Hitchcock,” said Audubon President and CEO David Yarnold.tby1 “The film tells an entertaining story, and its stars capture the enthusiasm that birds inspire in nearly 50 million Americans.”

New Product: We introduced a fabulous new binocular, the Eagle Optics Ranger ED, in February. Available in 8×42 and 10×42, it has been an extremely popular addition to the Eagle Optics line. The 8×42 captured “Best Birding Binocular 2011” honors from the Best Binoculars & Binocular Reviews Website. ranger-ed_8x42-award_xlarge

Social Media:  As a result of a summer sweepstakes conducted on the Eagle Optics Facebook page, we reached and surpassed a total of 4,700 friends, and two winners were awarded binoculars. Since then, we have continued to post links with birding news, information about optics, and challenging quizzes on our Facebook page. We invite you to join us by clicking “Like” and receiving our updates.

ABA Membership Promotion:  In 2011, we strengthened our partnership with the American Birding Association (ABA) by offering a year’s membership at a significant discount with the purchase of select binoculars. This promotion is ongoing!  For $15, you can receive a 1-year ABA membershiplogo_home (a $45 value) for yourself or to give as a gift.  As a member, you’ll receive the ABA’s outstanding publication, Birding,  while supporting North America’s only organization that caters specifically to recreational birders.

Media: It was an exciting year for the Eagle Optics website as we launched our new Product Videos. Now, instead of just a photo, our customers can see a video where that product is shown in detail. Find the product video, and other videos relating to that product, by clicking the Media tab on a product page. Videos will be added on an ongoing basis.

Festivals: Did you catch us on the road in 2011? Tom and Ben of the Eagle Optics team were kept busy traveling to various birding festivals from Alaska to Florida, Ohio, Texas, and New Mexico, including the annual  ABA Birding Conference in Half Moon Bay, California.  c48aff393058318641cd170fdc1cedb21 Our intrepid travelers always look forward to meeting and talking with customers around the country, and helping outfit them with the best optics. Yours truly got to attend her very first festival, the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival in Harlingen, Texas in November. It was a blast! You can see a complete list of festivals we attend here.  We look forward to seeing you at the festivals in 2012!

The best thing about 2011 for all of us here at Eagle Optics is you, our customers.  We enjoy talking with you on the phone, reading your e-mails, receiving your feedback, welcoming you in our Wisconsin store, and meeting you at the festivals. Thank you for a fabulous 2011, and all the best to you and yours in 2012!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Posted in ABA, Audubon, Binoculars, Binoculars for kids, Birding, Birding Festivals, Birding Videos, Blog, Blogroll, Digiscoping, Eagle Optics, Leica, New Products, Nikon, Optics, Optics videos, Spotting Scopes, Swarovski, Vortex | No Comments »

The Christmas Bird Count Wants You!

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Calling all birders! Would you like to be a part of a long-standing tradition, a real census? The annual National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC) takes place Dec. 14-Jan. 5. During this time, over a 24-hour period, thousands of citizen scientists throughout the U.S., Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere take to the woods, fields, and their own backyards to count birds. My local count always falls on a Sunday between Christmas and New Year’s. This year it takes place on Jan. 1, and I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t missed a Christmas Bird Count in many years. It’s a great way to get out and see which species overwinter in my part of the world.389557_harmony-heron1986285092_n

The CBC welcomes all levels of birders to volunteer for their local count. You’ll need to check the Audubon Society website to find the count area near you. Because it is a real census, your local compiler will assign you and your group a specific area to cover. Each individual count is one calendar day, covering 15 square mile circles. You’ll be following one of the specified routes through the circle. Audubon Society CBC’s only cost $5.00 to participate, and your participation really makes a difference.

Over the years, the results of these CBC counts have helped researchers understand changes and shifts in bird populations, and monitor the long-term health and viability of individual species. Click here to learn more about how CBC data have been used.389554_hamony-scope_601382411_n

Thanks to the Harmony, Florida CBC participants (pictured) who shared this about their count day: “Harmony is a community predicated on living intelligently with nature, with 7000 acres of Florida that will never be developed. We had great weather, great friends, neighbors, and visitors from the local Audubon Society. There were hundreds of American Robins and Yellow-Rumped Warblers, and lots of lovely Pine Warblers. We saw numerous alligators and tons of butterflies on the butterfly trail. At the end of the count, our Conservation Director took us out to the orange groves and we picked oranges, tangerines and lemons in the rain that hit us at the end of the day. With a rainbow overhead, and we saw a giant kettle of about 3500 Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures, from horizon to horizon.”388015_harmony-guys_1245304854_n

Start making plans now to be part of one of the world’s oldest and most influential Citizen Science programs –Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count. It has been a much-loved tradition in my family. Perhaps it will become a tradition for yours, too.

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Birds & Blooms

final_backyardgiveawayWant a chance to win cool prizes?  Go to the Birds & Blooms Magazine Facebook page, hit “Like,” and sign up for the Great Backyard Giveaway.  Now through Dec. 16, prizes will be given away every day to some lucky winners.  On December 7, the prize will be one of 3  Eagle Optics binoculars! We are happy to be a sponsor of this Birds & Blooms sweepstakes.  There is no cost to enter. In addition to daily prizes, all names entered will be eligible for the grand prize:  a garden makeover from Burpee Home Garden, valued at  $2,500.00!  Click on this link to go the Birds & Blooms Facebook page, then look for the Great Backyard Giveaway.  Come on: you can’t win if you don’t enter!

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Here’s what you call the the Whachamacallit on your binocular!

Which is the objective lens? Where is the diopter located? Is it called an eyepiece or an eyecup? Knowledge is power, right? Well, this handy diagram won’t be like a binocular and make you 8x smarter than you were before, but hey, it’s a start. So have at it, and brush up, folks. Oh, and when we say a binocular has bells and whistles, we don’t really mean that!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Check off your list at Eagle Optics!

christmas-shopping-bagWe aim to make your gift giving simple and satisfying, because we believe our customers deserve the best. Eagle Optics promises:

1.  Unparalleled selection. As an authorized dealer, Eagle Optics carries most major brands of binoculars and spotting scopes, at competitive prices.
2.  Fair, competitive pricing. If you find a lower price on an identical product from a legitimate competitor, contact Eagle Optics to take advantage of our Price Match Promise.
3.  Prompt shipping. If it’s in stock, we ship the same day if your order is placed before 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Any order over $50 is shipped Fed Ex Ground for free.  Upgrades are available.
4.  Exceptional, personalized service. Can’t decide? Our knowledgeable sales team is happy to recommend a model for your hobby, in your budget.
5.  Easy returns. You have 30 days (from the time the gift is opened) to try the binocular or scope. If it isn’t right, simply return to us for a refund or exchange. For details, see our Extended Holiday Gift Return and Exchange Policy.
6.  An honest, reliable, established company. Eagle Optics is family-owned, in business since 1986.

Check out our Holiday Gift Guide for ideas, then call our sales team for assistance. We’d love to hear from you!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Out of Africa (but I want to go back!)

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A year ago, I had the great fortune to spend two weeks in Africa with my dad. We went on a overland journey, or safari, in Tanzania. Was it a trip of a lifetime? Well, yes it was, so far! I’m determined to return to Africa in this lifetime. The memories: the smells, the sights, the feel of our vehicles bumping over African roads, are still vivid and have a permanent place in my mind and my heart. dsc_0090

Dad and I traveled as part of a group totaling 14 people, mostly from the U.S. and Canada. Along with our Tanzanian trip leader and two guides, and we traveled in 3 Land Rovers. I’ll never forget getting our first close look at African wildlife during a game drive in Tarangire National Park. Our guides accommodated us by pulling over and stopping whenever we asked them to. While we watched, enraptured, and took photos, the skilled young men used the time to teach us about the animals and their habitat. We were seeing the animals up close but from a respectful distance; they did not run away, seeming to know they are in a protected environment. It was truly thrilling.dsc_0085

dsc_0087I brought my Zeiss Victory FL 7×42 binoculars on the trip, and never once regretted bringing and carrying a full-sized binocular with me every day. Indeed, it was worth it to see this spectacular land and its inhabitants so effortlessly. The 7x magnification afforded an exceptionally wide field of view, and the incredible clarity and vividness of the image was everything I needed, and more. Stay tuned for more about my Tanzania adventure!dsc_0078

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Would you like an ABA membership with that?

web_aba_certificate_2009-1Thinking of getting or gifting a binocular? Eagle Optics and the American Birding Association are teaming up to make a special offer: buy a binocular from this select list and get a 1-year membership to the ABA (a $45 value) for just $15! The membership is transferable: a great gift for yourself or that bird lover on your gift list.

What could be better? You’d be upgrading your current binocular, and at the same time, supporting the only organization in North America that caters specifically to recreational birders. The membership includes a bi-monthly, full-color, award winning magazine, Birding; along with the Gear Guide and newsletter, Winging It.  In addition, you’ll be informed about ABA conventions and workshops throughout the U.S.

The ABA’s mission is to make birding fun and accessible to all by helping to conserve bird habitat and make you a better birding citizen.  Our role at Eagle Optics is simply to help you choose binoculars so you can get out there and enjoy birds!

Feel good about helping the ABA conserve bird habitat, and enjoy a new binocular for yourself or a loved one.  It’s a win-win.  We’re always happy to help find a binocular for your taste and budget.  Give us a call!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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Bird Feeding in Winter

cardinalI don’t need to tell you winter is coming. Whether you welcome it or not, winter will elbow its way in. Fortunately for birders, we can enjoy our hobby in almost any kind of weather, even it’s from a warm chair in front of a big window. In Wisconsin, we have precious few weekends left before the snow hits, so now is a good time to prepare for a winter of bird feeding. Are you ready?

Last year I finally assessed my motley collection of squirrel-chewed, semi-dysfunctional bird feeders and decided to put an end to the madness. Well, I didn’t exactly throw them away (maybe I’ll fix them someday? Yes, there is some residual madness). But I did get two large tube-style feeders with spring-loaded anti-squirrel perches. What a difference! The new feeders hold much more seed than any one of my old ones. Plus, I wasn’t constantly bursting out of the door in stocking feet to chastise the irreverent squirrels who deftly hung upside down and gulped away, with hungry birds observing from nearby branches. I heard cha-ching with every bite the squirrels took. With higher gas prices, seed is more expensive than in recent years. So by foiling those furry acrobats, I was protecting my investment. Oh, and don’t feel sorry for my squirrels. I have numerous walnut and oak trees on the property!

Clean your feeders and if you have the chance, hang your feeders near a bush, shrub, or brush pile where birds can take cover when raptors come through. It’s inevitable that you will lose some birds to raptors over the winter, but providing cover will at least make you feel like you evened the stakes (and as we all know, raptors need to eat, too). If you use a live tree at holiday time, set it near the feeder afterward, where birds will use it for cover until spring.nina-pics-034

It’s good to know that different birds feed differently. Some like to perch, some hang upside down, and some prefer to feed on the ground. (Last winter’s project, my ground feeding station, right, was made from a picnic table, lawn chairs, tarp, wood lattice, and an iron grate.)  There are also a number of types of seeds available. If you’re unsure or need a review, check this excellent Winter Bird-Feeding Guide from our friends at Audubon. Personally, I feed black oil sunflower seeds all year around, and add cracked corn and suet cakes in winter. Keep water available, too! A heated birdbath in winter is sure to bring birds to your yard. Click here for Diane Porter’s fine article entitled Winter Water for Birds.

Lastly, keep your binocular handy. Low magnifications (6 or 7x) afford a wide field of view and are more than adequate for observing your feeding stations from the window or deck. A binocular with a close focus under 10 feet is also desirable, especially when feeders are positioned close to the window.

Yes, winter’s coming. Let’s enjoy it! Bringing birds close makes winter so much more fun, so get ready!

Nina Cheney
Eagle Optics Staff
Binoculars: Bring them. See what they bring you.

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