Which to Choose?! (1 Viewer)

So its my birthday coming up! And ive got a choice!

Either!

A top range bird feeding station for the garden (I already have 2 cheap ones but would like a more sturdy one if you get me)

OR

a Budget spotting scope, i have binoculars which are decent enough but i find it hard sometimes to spot the more further birds..

Im really stuck on what to get, Got probably £100 to play with.

Anyone out there help me decide?

Thanks

Chilt

Bird station feeder pros.
This is what helps you look after the birds in your garden and brings them regularly to an area where they can be be seen. A good station will last for years whereas cheaper ones will need replacing sooner I guess. I'm sure you supply a varied and good quality range of foods. I prefer a separate bird bath so that any food doesn't enter and spoil the drinking / bathing water.
Telescope cons.
For your budget I'm afraid you won't get a very good telescope and tripod. Best to drop as many hints as possible for forthcoming birthdays etc to build up a bit more to spend in the future.
Binoculars. The most important bit of kit, apart from a field guide.

PYRTLE said:

Bird station feeder pros.
This is what helps you look after the birds in your garden and brings them regularly to an area where they can be be seen. A good station will last for years whereas cheaper ones will need replacing sooner I guess. I'm sure you supply a varied and good quality range of foods. I prefer a separate bird bath so that any food doesn't enter and spoil the drinking / bathing water.
Telescope cons.
For your budget I'm afraid you won't get a very good telescope and tripod. Best to drop as many hints as possible for forthcoming birthdays etc to build up a bit more to spend in the future.
Binoculars. The most important bit of kit, apart from a field guide.

Click to expand...

Thank you for that great input! So the Bird feeding station is 1-0

Thanks

Chilt

Have to agree with Pyrtle on this one.

£100 will get you a real rolls Royce of a feeding station with a range of feeder types for the various foods (mixed seed, nuts, fat balls, suet pellets etc etc). I would go for the sturdiest, squirrel proof cage type ones you can get within the budget.

unfortunately the same amount of dosh will not get you much in terms of a scope. Whilst there are some budget models available, I fear that you would end up frustrated at the poor quality. Also a decent tripod is a must unless and this item alone is going to swallow up half of the budget. I would concur that the best tactic would be as Pyrtle suggests and save up the credits until you can afford something of a reasonable quality. Its always worth scanning the second equipment threads. You may pick up a decent set up second hand that way.

Spending hard earned on a poor quality scope would simply be a false investment as you would end up replacing it sooner rather than later. That does not mean that you need to spend a fortune on top end gear such as Swaro or the like. There are many excellent pieces of kit to suit a much lower budget such as Hawke (which I have) or some of the Chinese manufacturers on the market. A visit to the equipment review threads and talking to your local optics dealers will give you a pointer. The most important thing to remember is to try before you buy. When you are in the market a visit to Birdfair would be a good idea. You can try and compare all the major manufacturers gear in the same place.