BirdWatch America 2008 part 1

We had a fun time at BirdWatch America 2008. It was our pleasure to introduce new retailers to our Stokes Birding Series of Binoculars and to greet and thank those retailers who already carry our line.

It was also great to see friends in the business of birding and to walk the floor and see what products were new. Here's a interesting new product, the Seed Hoop, which catches bird seed that is dropped from a feeder.

There are many folks who do not want the mess from feeders to fall on their deck, patio, lawn or landscaping. So this is a neat, literally, idea. Since it has a screen surface, it will drain water. Seems easy to wash off and clean, which it would be important to do to prevent build up of debris and bird droppings. This and many feeders are not squirrel proof, so remember to put your feeders on a pole with a squirrel baffle and place 12-15 feet or more away from any place a squirrel can jump, to keep the furry bandits off the feeders. Speaking of keeping landscaping clean from feeder mess, we have an article coming out in the next issue of Birder's World Magazine on bird feeding on decks and patios.

Tilley Hats

An important, but often overlooked, part of a birder's outfit is a hat. Hats are not just about pretty, even though these are very nice looking hats. Hats protect a birder from the sun's harmful rays and they help keep your pupils more dilated, which helps you see the birds better through your binoculars!
Coming tomorrow, BirdWatch America part 2.