A Dunnock has recently taken up residence in my garden. It's not the most uncommon bird but it's a first for me at home. Several times I have grabbed a pair of binoculars to have a closer look and the easiest ones to get at quickly are my old Zeiss Jenoptem 10x50s. Every time I have lifted them to my eyes, however, the bird has shot off instantly.
I think it has happened too often to be a coincidence and I am sure the bird spots the big lenses and is spooked. This led me to wonder if more compact binoculars, for example 8x32, are less noticeable and scary to birds than full size models. It could be another point in favour of smaller binoculars.
Any views on this or am I being silly?
Ron
[QUOTE=NoSpringChicken;1115167]A Dunnock has recently taken up residence in my garden. It's not the most uncommon bird but it's a first for me at home. Several times I have grabbed a pair of binoculars to have a closer look and the easiest ones to get at quickly are my old Zeiss Jenoptem 10x50s. Every time I have lifted them to my eyes, however, the bird has shot off instantly.
I think it has happened too often to be a coincidence and I am sure the bird spots the big lenses and is spooked. This led me to wonder if more compact binoculars, for example 8x32, are less noticeable and scary to birds than full size models. It could be another point in favour of smaller binoculars.
Any views on this or am I being silly?
Ron[/QUOTE]
It's perfectly sensible. Bird in general have much better eyesight than we have. Big lenses look like giant eyes to them - eyes of a big animal that may be dangerous.
Try something smaller, very much smaller if possible, from the same spot and tell us what you observe.
Thomas
I've had exactly the same experience, many times, with different species, even at some distance (I'm sure everyone has). I've often wondered if a bird seeing binoculars being raised, and looking at the objectives (which after all must be reflecting light as eyes do), thinks it's looking at the two eyes of a predator, perhaps an owl....