David Lindo – August 2008
I have a very simple view on binoculars. I liken using them to driving cars; they have to be easy to use, feel good in your hands and enable you to see things in a different light. Oh and of course, they simply have to look good. You want people to be envious of you and wish they too could have a pair of bins like yours.
The first thing that struck me when I took the Aurora BGA 8×42’s out of the box to review was that they felt substantial. They were very comfortable in the hand and looked attractive too. The second thing I noticed was the clarity of the image when I eagerly placed them to my eyes. So, I ran out of the door straight to my beloved local patch Wormwood Scrubs in west London, to try them out. I was pleased with the colour contrast, image clarity and the amazing resolution.
As you can imagine, being The Urban Birder means that a lot of my time is spent in urbanity – namely London and in particular at my local patch. So to my mind, the only way to test the Opticron Aurora BGA 8 x 42 was to take them with me everywhere both day and night for a week. Partially to get a feel for them and partially to see what species of birds I would see with them. I even slung them on my bed-head every night when I went to sleep – well, George Best used to sleep with a football!
The Week
Monday – I had a meeting at 10am so that curtailed my daily morning trip to Wormwood Scrubs. Instead, it was a quick scan up my street that resulted in a fleeting glance of my resident Dunnock. I was pleased with the image in the bins. The shuffling Dunnock looked crisp and clear.
Later that afternoon, I stole an hour to twitch a Firecrest that had been reported locally at Kensal Green Cemetery. The light was quite dull due to the impending rain clouds but despite that I was happy with the bright views I had of several of the common tit species, various corvids, an obliging drumming male Great Spotted Woodpecker and of course, the cracking female Firecrest I had sought.
Tuesday – Dawn saw me seated on a bench at The Scrubs scanning the skies for early migrants. Using the Aurora’s was already feeling like second nature. For my troubles I watched a pair of Canada Geese honk by, around 60 Carrion Crows and 3 Stonechats including a couple of gorgeous males.
Wednesday – My little flock of Stonechats had increased to at least 10 roving birds. I struggled to keep them all in vision at the same time as I celebrated the fact that this was the largest gathering of this heathland species I’d ever seen on my patch.
Later in the day, whilst in between meetings in central London, I snuck out into a fairly quiet square where I scanned the skies to count the passing gulls. I became aware of a small passerine dip onto a nearby rooftop. Thinking that I may have seen a Black Redstart, or rarer still a House Sparrow I employed my Aurora’s. When I focussed on it sitting quietly on a TV aerial I quickly realised that I was looking at a Pied Wagtail. Ah well!
Thursday – This was a complete washout thus there wasn’t much action. My Aurora’s and I jumped on a plane later in the evening destined for a long weekend in Valencia, eastern Spain. When I arrived at my B&B outside the city a quick stroll quickly clocked up singing Nightingale and Cetti’s Warbler.
Friday – Got up early and drove down to Albufera de Valencia, an area of wetlands to the south of Valencia, to watch multitudes of egrets and herons leave their roosts to head out to their feeding areas. Scanning the fields in the bright sunlight revealed tens of Gull-billed Terns scouting over the churned soil and Collared Pratincoles swirling around catching insects. It was in this bright light that the Aurora’s really shone as the images were absolutely pristine.
Saturday – I spent the morning back at the wetlands where I discovered migrants in the varying shapes of Garganey, Common Tern, Pied Flycatcher, Willow Warbler and a magnificent Black Stork that drifted overhead. In brilliant sunshine I had blinding views of around 200 nesting Black-headed Gulls and 6 plus Mediterranean Gulls from the hide overlooking the tern island. Best of all, I had incredible close-up views of a pair of obliging Slender-billed Gulls that gave me a great opportunity for some close focussing.
Sunday – I took a 130km drive further south to the ex pat, ex criminal haven known to us as Benidorm to watch Manchester United play Liverpool in a random seaside bar. On the way down I had to pull over to watch a Booted Eagle pass over being mobbed by a crow. United won and I drove back a happy man!
Monday – flight back to Blighty.
The verdict? I was very impressed. They are sleek, attractive and damn good! Go get a pair!
David Lindo
The Urban Birder
David Lindo is The Urban Birder. A lifelong birder, he is broadcaster having appeared on Springwatch and is a presenter on BBC1’s popular primetime The One Show. He is also a regular on BBC Radio London and Radio 4. David writes for various website and publications including the RSPB’s Birds Magazine and the popular monthly, Bird Watching Magazine. When not flirting with the media, you will find him birding at his west London local patch that he calls his ‘garden’ – Wormwood Scrubs.