Seeking Refuge

Birds and Landscapes of the Pacific Flyway

In addition to numerous and varied field guides, children’s books, and gifts, the Altacal Bookstore offers a selection of books that invite us to ponder the big questions and to seek an understanding of the history, the “hows” and “whys” of these places we treasure—the Refuges, the Pacific Flyway, the Central Valley, the Sacramento River. Though I’d rather spend time with binoculars than books in hand, I am discovering that my relationship with the natural world—and my birding skills—can also deepen and come into focus as I turn the pages.

As Robert M. Wilson points out in Seeking Refuge, the contrasting geographical scales of flyways and refuges are a potent reminder that the boundaries between the human and the natural exist far more in our minds than in the real world. So, how do we “protect nature” when nature perennially ignores the places we’ve set aside for it? A different, though not incompatible, thought posed by Bob Madgic in The Sacramento: A Transcendent River is that “humankind has learned that there are no substitutes, no technological fixes, which sustain the health of the planet better than nature functioning on its own terms.”

The Sacramento

A Transcendent River

Bob Magic

And then there are “just for fun” questions to be explored. What did the Sacramento NWR look like less than a century ago? Have we restored wetlands that once existed there? Or, was this land ever a wetland before the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps began work on the site in 1937? (This site used to be an arid plain of alkaline land, with short grasses and no trees.)

We know that “over a million birds can’t be wrong,” one of many reasons to visit our Refuge. But how many waterfowl wintered in this area 75 years ago? 

(Ornithologists estimate that fifty to sixty million waterfowl may have wintered in the area during the late 1940s.) What are the 16 focal species of birds that are important indicators of the health of riparian habitats? (I’ll let you discover this answer on your own …).

Leica -- 10x42:

Reveiw by Mary Muchowski, Executive Director

These are my favorite binoculars and I have been using this pair since 2005. They are built like a tank, and have been able to withstand brutal working conditions. I always have them on and my work as a field biologist for the Forest Service has me trudging through brush, climbing cliffs, walking in streams and working in all kinds of different weather conditions. They are finally beat up a little - the eye piece has a crack in it that I need to get replaced (however the thought of living without them while they are being repaired has kept me from sending them in). These optics are super clear and great in low light conditions. The downside to these binoculars is that they are super heavy! They also don’t have very close focus, and sometimes I find myself having to back up a few feet to look at something that is too close. I’ve heard the newer models are a bit lighter and have closer focus. I have a short interpupillary distance, and these binoculars work fine for me. I bought mine off of a friend of mine for $900 (I think they were selling new for about $1500 at that time). However, $900 divided by 15 years equals only $60/year, so, well worth it!

Nikon Monarch 5 -- 8x42

Review by  Carol Anderson

Altacal Audubon Society Member

These are my backup pair of binoculars. Often, I have them sitting on my dining room table in case a different bird shows up in my backyard. These optics are lite weight and the focus knob is quick. They are clear and have pretty good close focus. These binoculars are usually in the $300 range, and I think they are great for the price. One downside is that they are known for having eyepiece problems. The eyepiece extends up with a twisting motion for people without glasses, however it will tend to slide down while using it, which can be highly annoying. The eyepieces also can come off and be lost (especially if hiking in heavy brush a lot). They are probably will be great for people who wear glasses, or for those who are more careful with their binocular than I am.

 Nikon Monarch 5 -- 8x42

Skip Augur

Altacal Audubon Society Member and Volunteer

I have Nikon Monarch's, one pair of 8x42 and one of 10x42.  The 8x42 pair is my original and they get rough treatment around the yard.  Nikon replaced them once when the loop for the strap broke.  Although the replacement was free it was very time-consuming and I was going on a trip.  So I bought a cheap (~ $50) pair which I now keep in the car so that I always have a pair available.  Last year I got the 10x42 and only use them on birding trips.

I think the monarchs are in the $300-$400 range.  I can't really compare since I have not owned any on the "top notch" brands.  I like what Roger Lederer said about having cheap ones so that when you drive off having left them on the top of the car it’s not a tragedy.

I actually have a few pairs that I use on a regular basis.

P.S.  The harness type strap is a big improvement over the neck strap if you are walking with them but I find it cumbersome when kayaking.

Swarovski EL 10x42

Review by Mary Muchowski, Executive Director

My main birding binoculars are Swarovski EL 10x42. They are quite expensive - over $2000 when I got them several years ago - but having the best optics I could afford, for a hobby I engage in at least on most weekends (and which involved also-expensive foreign travel pre-COVID), has been a great investment. If I miss a bird, I certainly can’t blame my optics. And if I use them for 20 years (as I did my first Swarovskis) the cost per year isn’t unreasonable.

They are pretty heavy, which isn’t a problem for me but might be for some (I use a chest harness because I don’t like weight on my neck). They fit my hands well. Feel is important - you really should go to an optics store or birding festival to try out a wide range, once festivals resume. 

Swarovski support is quite good, if anything goes wrong. My partner at the time got the same kind, just before a trip, and the diopter adjustment broke our first day in Belize! I loaned her mine for the trip, as the leaders had a spare cheap pair ($70 B&Ls) that they bought to give to a promising local child (something they do on every trip - a really nice tradition!). I still saw great birds but it was a bit more challenging with the cheap pair. It was easier than listening to my partner’s laments over her broken equipment though! Swarovski did repair them immediately on our return, but I would advise against getting anything really expensive right before a trip without a bit of a break-in period.

For a lot of our local birding that’s done at a distance - hawks, waterfowl, etc., I really like the 10x. The disadvantage is the more restricted field of view. For the tropics, if I had a bunch of extra money I’d also own an 8x (which are much lighter and therefore more comfortable for many users, as well as having a wider field of view). Forest birding is often pretty close-up, and the wider view makes it less likely you’ll miss a bird - especially in a large mixed flock.

Ziess Pocket Binoculars – 8x20

Review by Mary Muchowski, Executive Director

I also have a pair of “pocket binoculars” - old Ziess 8x20s. On my daily walks in my neighborhood, wearing “full kit” is generally overkill, especially during the summer when not much is around. But having a pair in my pocket that I can pull out just to look at what’s around is really handy.

Nikon Monarch – 10x50

And in my car, I keep one of my first old Nikon Monarchs - 10x50. They aren’t great but were perfectly adequate when I was just starting out. I think they cost a few hundred in the early 90s’. I occasionally pull them out if I just happen to see a bird while I’m driving… and when I was leading birding trips, I could loan them to a participant if they didn’t happen to have a pair. The eyecups are worn off… as they are on my Ziess minis.

That’s another feature to look for - my Swarovski eyecups are a hard plastic that has never had any problems. On all of my pairs with rubber eyecups, the eyecups deteriorate and fall off (I use glasses so always have the eyecups rolled up). It’s not a big deal, but the hard eyecups are, for me, a nice feature.

If I were just starting out, I wouldn’t go so high end. There are plenty of binoculars for under $500 that are really excellent. But at this point in my life I have no regrets regarding my choices of optics.

My main birding binoculars are Swarovski EL 10x42. They are quite expensive - over $2000 when I got them several years ago - but having the best optics I could afford, for a hobby I engage in at least on most weekends (and which involved also-expensive foreign travel pre-COVID), has been a great investment. If I miss a bird, I certainly can’t blame my optics. And if I use them for 20 years (as I did my first Swarovskis) the cost per year isn’t unreasonable.

They are pretty heavy, which isn’t a problem for me but might be for some (I use a chest harness because I don’t like weight on my neck). They fit my hands well. Feel is important - you really should go to an optics store or birding festival to try out a wide range, once festivals resume. 

Swarovski support is quite good, if anything goes wrong. My partner at the time got the same kind, just before a trip, and the diopter adjustment broke our first day in Belize! I loaned her mine for the trip, as the leaders had a spare cheap pair ($70 B&Ls) that they bought to give to a promising local child (something they do on every trip - a really nice tradition!). I still saw great birds but it was a bit more challenging with the cheap pair. It was easier than listening to my partner’s laments over her broken equipment though! Swarovski did repair them immediately on our return, but I would advise against getting anything really expensive right before a trip without a bit of a break-in period.

For a lot of our local birding that’s done at a distance - hawks, waterfowl, etc., I really like the 10x. The disadvantage is the more restricted field of view. For the tropics, if I had a bunch of extra money I’d also own an 8x (which are much lighter and therefore more comfortable for many users, as well as having a wider field of view). Forest birding is often pretty close-up, and the wider view makes it less likely you’ll miss a bird - especially in a large mixed flock.