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Last week at work, we were chatting over where I am with my desire to go birding and what my next step should be. Having had a couple of weeks entertaining a new strain of covid, I had time to consider lashing out my hard earned cash on a pair of binoculars of my own. We were discussing the options within my price range when my boss (40 years younger than me) suggested that I get a move on as starting a new hobby at my age (70) doesn’t leave me much time. Now, I'm sure it was said in jest but it got me thinking...

During our lifetimes, there have been some major revolutions in the equipment used in the field by birdwatchers and wildlife observers. The performance of affordable binoculars and telescopes has improved exponentially in recent decades, even tripods have become lighter, sturdier and much more practical (especially with carbon fibre models being used). Then there was the dawn of digital cameras, after which every wildlife watcher could now be a photographer (whether via digiscoping, phonescoping, DSLR or bridge cameras and more recently mirrorless systems). Birdwatchers have started becoming bird listeners with high quality digital audio equipment and brilliant apps to match.

And now, the use of thermal imagers is sweeping the world of wildlife observation.