What birders take on every walk, and a few things they rarely buy themselves. Based on birders’ forums and Reddit, binocular tests and years of use.
Prices from shops in Czechia.
Birders are happiest with things to use when they’re out watching, more than with things that have birds on them.
The binoculars are the big gift, for someone still using a basic pair. The rest comes along on every walk, whatever pair they carry.
Brings birds eight times closer, with wide lenses that stay bright at dusk and a broad view that’s sharp to the edges. Cornell University’s bird lab rates it a top pick.
CZK 11,190 expertnadalekohledy.cz
Carries the binoculars on the chest instead of the neck, in a case that keeps off rain and dust, with pockets for a phone. Fits full-size pairs such as 8×42 and 10×42.
CZK 790 redarms.cz
A blower and brush lift the grit first, then fluid and microfibre clean the lenses without scratching them. There are wipes for the field, and it does glasses and phones too.
CZK 568.70 softcom.cz
A pocket notebook whose paper takes pencil in rain and cold, for the day’s list of birds and notes. Small enough for a jacket pocket or a binocular harness.
CZK 270 militarysklad.cz
The field guide Europe’s birders use to tell species apart, each bird painted beside its text and map. The third edition’s new pictures make it welcome even next to an old copy.
CZK 764 martinus.czThe book and the game are for evenings in. The two nest boxes suit different birds: the round one tits and sparrows, the open one black redstarts and wagtails.
Not a guide to telling birds apart but stories from research: how birds find their way, remember, sing and build. Easy evening reading for someone who watches them.
CZK 372 martinus.cz
A card game about attracting real birds to your reserve, each card a painted species. It takes about an hour, solo too. If they have it, the add-on box of European birds is next.
CZK 1,399 tlamagames.com
A nest box of woodcrete, a mix of sawdust and cement that doesn’t rot and that woodpeckers can’t break into. The 32 mm hole suits great tits, nuthatches and sparrows.
CZK 699 obchod.cso.cz
A half-open woodcrete box for birds that won’t nest behind a small hole, such as black redstarts and wagtails, sometimes robins. It goes on a house or shed wall.
CZK 649 obchod.cso.czEverything you want in one place. We show you where each is cheapest and tell you when the price drops.
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