“They’re the best pair of binoculars I’ve ever picked up,” said TV presenter, naturalist and wildlife guide Iolo Williams when we asked him how he was getting on with his new 10×42 Noctivids.
“I was at RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk recently watching a barn owl until dark. The light got so low that I could barely see it with my eyes alone but looking through the Noctivids every detail was still crystal clear. The close focus limit is also fantastic and I’ve been able to switch from watching bitterns and marsh harriers at a distance to a late common darter 1.5 metres away with no loss of image quality or clarity.”
“Another one of the Noctivid highlights over the past couple of months was at Avalon Marshes in Somerset. It’s a combination of lots of reserves run by Natural England, the RSPB and Somerset Wildlife Trust and is the most amazing place for bitterns, common cranes and marsh harriers. I had the car with me so had no restrictions on equipment and took the Noctivids with me along with my APO-Televid 82 spotting scope – a combination that made for superb views.
“I stayed on until the evening to watch a massive starling roost through the Noctivids as the light faded. There were over half-a-million birds there – it was so spectacular that I actually put the binoculars down for a while and reflected on how fantastic it was that people all over the country are able to see this kind of thing for free. Then a peregrine swooped down and I brought the Noctivids back up to my eyes again to watch every twist and turn in incredible detail.
“These binoculars have really knocked my previous views on the head – they’re streets ahead of everything else out there. Twenty years ago, there was certain weather that meant the light was so bad there would be no point going out as you couldn’t bank on being able to see anything. With the Noctivids, you know that even in dreadful conditions you’ll still be able to sit in a hide and enjoy getting excellent views of whatever wildlife is brave enough to be out.”
