Digiscoping at the Randall Davey Audubon Center (Santa Fe, NM)

May 4, 2022

^{“We’re meant to be finding galaxies, but the man won’t stop bird-watching.”}

I left my camera and binoculars at home in California during a recent trip to New Mexico. It seemed like a reasonable decision at the time; I was sick of lugging them around and didn’t think I’d have any time to birdwatch. Fast forward a few days, I was surprised with a Wednesday off of work. How many times would I have to learn this lesson? Always bring binoculars.

Sick to my stomach (dramatic, I know) and full of regret, I began racking my brain trying to figure out a way I could get my hands on binoculars. With no camera, binoculars, or even glasses, I was empty-handed as far as tools went. I considered camera rental options, but it was already Tuesday and mail-in services would take a few days. Plus, I was craving a casual day of local birding and renting a camera felt too complicated.

I wasn’t super eager to buy another pair of binoculars but was also desperate to appease this dilemma. Come to find out, Randall Davey Audubon Center lends binoculars to visitors for free! It’s just as much of a bird sanctuary as it is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Imagine: hummingbirds, towhees, grosbeaks, and thrashers all ten minutes from downtown Santa Fe. I enjoyed myself so much that I returned the very next day.