Gone are the days when all you needed to bird watch were a guide book and a pair of binoculars. Today there are so many more accessories at our disposal, such as spotting scopes. This is one of those luxuries that I don't know how I lived with before they came along, like DVRs or cell phones, or the internet for that matter. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you can't tell what kind of bird you are viewing, a spotting scope may be worth considering.

The field is growing and it's important to be able to change with the times. Owning spotting scopes is almost as essential as binoculars nowadays.

There are many factors in deciding which scope is right for you. First of all you need to decide if you want a straight scope or angled one. The second consideration is the scope's ability to gather light, especially in dark conditions. Typically, the bigger the objective lens, the better the scope can bring in light. However, bigger lenses are also costlier and heavier. For typical bird watchers, lenses in the 60 millimeter range will do just fine.

As far as price goes, of course think about your budget and go from there. There are some super high end scope companies like Leupold and Swarovski, and then there are scopes that offer more bang for your dollar, like Leica spotting scopes. It's all a matter of taste and preference.

Make sure to take all of these things into consideration, and also portability and zoom capability, when buying your next spotting scope. Once you have decided on one, simply enjoy it to its full potential!