The BWD Optics Annual 2013!

Every bird watcher I know wants to upgrade their optics at some point. Even the best, top-of-the-line binocular or spotting scope can get a bit compromised over time, especially with a lot of usage. Dust, weather, lens scratches, body dings, and just plain old usage take an inevitable toll.

The advances in manufacturing technology for sports optics are incredible, giving us products today that just a decade ago were unimaginable. The $350 binocular that we can buy today is likely to be far superior in optical quality to a bino that cost $1,000 in 2003! While it may be hard to keep up with all the new makes and models, it's certainly a benefit to bird watchers and nature observers to have so many options available to us.

Over the past year or so, Bird Watcher's Digest has published several in-depth articles about birding optics. These articles are so good (in our humble opinion) that we feel they are worth sharing again, which is why we created The BWD Optics Annual.

The content highlights of the BWD Optics Annual include:

•  An optics buying guide based on an interview with birding optics guru Ben Lizdas of Eagle Optics.
• The results of BWD's field test of 8 x 42 birding binoculars.
• "Traveling with Optics" by Alvaro Jaramillo.

It's a whole lot of content on birding optics and it's available as a FREE DOWNLOAD!

Special thanks to the following organizations for their advertising support of the BWD Optics Annual.

Eagle Optics
Carl Zeiss Sports Optics
Swarovski Optik
Vanguard USA
and The Birding Optics Expo

We hope you enjoy the BWD Optics Annual! We welcome your comments, suggestions, and feedback. Please use the comments option on this blog to share your thoughts.

I'll see you out there with the birds!

—Bill

Top Ten Reasons to Attend the 2013 Midwest Birding Symposium

OK, bird people! Listen up!

Please look at your calendar right now and check the third weekend in September, 2013. Specifically, look at September 19 through 22. How's it look? Clear? Then grab a pen (not a pencil) and write the following in LARGE BLOCK LETTERS over those dates: MIDWEST BIRDING SYMPOSIUM.

Here are 10 reasons why you really need to attend this year's MBS.

10. The MBS only happens every other year, so it's always minty fresh, never stale.

9. We work really hard to make sure that it's The World's Friendliest Birding Event—everyone is welcome, even non-birders! Beginners, especially, are encouraged to come.

We've declared Saturday, September 21, 2013 to be Young Birder's Day—all young birders get in free! Details and registration form are here:

8. We love making connections between bird watchers. Since the 2009 MBS more than 375 marriages have happened as a result of the event. [Not really, but that sounds impressive doesn't it?] Seriously though, everyone makes new friends at the MBS. We guarantee it! If you attend and leave without making at least one new friend, we'll refund your money (please see Reason #1 below).


7. We've arranged for another appearance in 2013 by a Kirtland's warbler. You can see a photo of the Kirtland's that joined us in 2009 here. If the Kirtland's does not make the scene, we've got an passenger pigeon flock on speed dial.

6. Our list of speakers is incredible! We have lots of speakers who will be able to teach you things. And we have even more speakers who will tickle your funny bone and make you laugh, including Al Batt, John Acorn, Alvaro Jaramillo, Julie Zickefoose, John and Cathy Sill, Sharon Stiteler, and George Armistead.


5. Three words: Sunset Boat Cruise! Plus other exciting extra activities.

4. Our Birder's Marketplace features more than 60 vendors, selling everything a bird watcher could possibly want. And then some.

3. Our Conservation Raffle will raise funds for bird habitat acquisition and other worthy conservation causes. The Ohio Ornithological Society has promised to match this funding, up to $5,000! Wow! Items in the raffle include high-end optics, birding festival passes, discounted trips to amazing places like The Canopy Tower in Panama!


2. Being on Lake Erie, on the charming grounds of Lakeside in September is incredibly beautiful —just like being in Tuscany, but with better birding and no language barrier.

1. It only costs $125 to attend the Midwest Birding Symposium. Your last speeding ticket or dinner out was more expensive and less enjoyable. Don't fight the urge. Come join us!