Which hobby allows you to meet people and at the same time study birds and their species? Only ornithology! In case there is some one you know who shares similar interest, you could buy them something which would help them with their leisure pursuit. What gifts would please the bird watching community?
Perhaps the most easily accessible and inexpensive present is a hat. This would not only prevent hair disturbing their line of vision, but prevent possible sunburn also. The next item could be a pair of cargo pants with many pockets so they can put snacks and other items inside.
A bird watching vest is another item which has more areas to store items than a pair of combat pants. Instead of retrieving things from the back pack, they can use the pockets to keep everything they need for the day. When you know their old backpack is in a dilapidated condition, you could get them a new replacement. These come in different sizes and you don’t have to get a heavy duty one because these people are supposed to travel light. The gift which costs most for a birdwatcher is a pair of decent binoculars. Quality binoculars are expensive because of the optics involved which allow the bird watcher to see the birds from a distance with great clarity. There are even some models that allow the person to interchange the lens while the more high tech ones allow you to see in the dark, capture images and video. Bird watching journals are used by most enthusiasts, after all how else would they keep account of what birds they have seen and where; this could be a great gift.
Another great idea is to get the person a one year subscription to a bird watching magazine. These are beautiful magazines published every month (or quarter) and carry information and pictures of birds which live in remote and exotic places. How about making a collection and buying a bird watching vacation for your friend to send them somewhere they haven’t been like South America or Canada for instance; providing you have that kind of money! The US is home for many species of birds but still more have their habitat outside of this continent and can only be seen when traveling.
What does the person need and which places have they not visited are the questions that need answering before you can decide on a gift. You could get plenty of new ideas if you have a chat and then buy a gift which is affordable and meaningful to your friend. Who knows? Instead of just watching them from afar, you could always join them.
