• First, purchase the right equipment, specifically a pair of binoculars that best fits your eyesight, and that fits your intended purpose. Second, investing in an appropriate field guide. Binoculars come in two basic styles; roof prism and porro prism, and have a wide range of magnification and lens coating features. What you really need to pay attention to is the ability to use them effectively in the situations you'll most often encounter. If you'll be primarily watching duck on the lake, a larger magnification (10 power) will be more suited to your liking, while those walking through the state parks will want a the wider range of view that comes with lower power binoculars (7 or 8 power magnification. Those who wear glasses will also want to purchase a pair that has appropriate eye relief (the distance from the pupil to the binocular lens) so that eye strain does not occur.

• Field guides come in all shapes, sizes and geographic coverage.