Binoculars are the window to a new perception of your surroundings

Binoculars make the experience of birding come alive. Without binoculars, especially if you haven't begun to distinguish among bird species, looking out on the creek or the ocean  shore will give you a vague sense of the presence of birds. But when you can see their finer features and behaviors magnified through good binoculars, you suddenly become more attuned to the incredible diversity and natural beauty that these birds represent. Seeing these birds up close gives you the feeling of being a part of your natural surroundings and puts you in touch with all the non-human animal activity that had been happening around you but that, until now, you had been largely ignoring.

Imagine if you went to a party and all the people looked like they were 100 feet away. You would feel detached from your surroundings. Humans, especially modern age humans living in cities, have a hard time feeling the proximity of nature when aided only by the naked eye. Binoculars are a balance shifting game changer. With binoculars you suddenly feel like you and the birds are at the same party. With a super close-up view of a Great Blue Heron you can imagine yourself being much less distant from this amazing creature.