Wishlist

New stuff to spend your hard-earned cash on this month

Birding-related goodies you can buy this month include sandals, jackets and tripods

NOVO T-SERIES TRIPOD KITS, FROM £219 (£179 LEGS ONLY) These carbon-fibre tripods have reversible legs for shorter pack-size, four leg sections, three leg angles and fast-release twist locks. One leg can be unscrewed and added to the centre column to create a monopod, the centre column can be reversed, and you can hang extra weight from a hook to increase stability. Available with a ball and socket head, or as legs only. The T5 weighs 1.42kg and extends to 1610mm; T10 1.78kg/1730mm; T20 2.29kg/1880mm. novo-photo.com MOUNTAIN WAREHOUSE OWL BAG £4.99 If your youngsters are just starting to take an interest in birds, then Mountain Warehouse has exactly the thing for them. The Kids Owl bag is a bright, playful backpack that’s ideal for school or day trips. It’s made of durable polyester fabric, with two zipped compartments (a main and a smaller one), a bottle holder, and adjustable, padded shoulder straps. And of course, your little one will love the print – owls are always among the most popular species with younger birdwatchers and naturalists. mountainwarehouse.com RSPB CLEANING KIT, £13.23 You may well be feeding the birds in your garden, but how good are you at keeping your feeders, bird table and bird bath clean? Hygiene is important and will help to keep the birds in your garden on top form. Most diseases birds can catch in gardens are transmitted by droppings so guarding against infection is vital. This kit includes a long-handled ‘bottle-brush’ – use with plenty of warm, soapy water on your tube feeders, and a scraper and mild disinfectant for cleaning up the bird table muck. shopping.rspb. org.uk KEEN MEN’S RIALTO H2 SANDALS, £89.99 It’s nearly sandal season and Keen make some good ones. The Rialto is put together in Oregon, has closed-toes, so offers some protection, is designed to fit the contours of your feet and has bungee laces for adjustment. The footbed is removable, the mesh lining is hydrophobic and you even get Cleansport NXT™ natural odour control – that could be useful! The soles are grippy too. keenfootwear.com KIKKERLAND OWL CONTACT LENS CASE, £3.99 A novelty case to keep your contact lenses safe, with twist-on caps that don’t leak. You can use it with hard lenses or soft lenses, and can take your pick from blue, green or pink cases. It’s 7cm long, 3.8cm wide and 1.6cm high. Important note: storing your lenses in one of these won’t make your sight as good as an owl’s. birdfood.co.uk SNUGPAK TORRENT JACKET, £149.95 The Torrent is Snugpak’s first insulated, waterproof jacket. Made from nylon and polyester, it has a comfort rating of -5°C and comes in black, forest green or electric blue. The hood can be rolled away or removed, there’s thermal lining in the hand pockets, a deep chest pocket inside, brushed polyester to keep your neck warm, and underarm ventilation. XS-XXL. snugpak.com SCHOFFEL MEN’S OAKHAM FLEECE GILET, £129.95 A classy-looking gilet made from Polartec Thermal Pro 200 fleece with ‘Alcantara’ trim. This gilet has two zip-up pockets and a drawcord at the hem for a better fit. It’s tough, machine washable and fast drying. The Oakham provides ‘thermal air pockets’ that hold heat but don’t restrict breathability. Available in various colours including dark olive, aubergine, kingfisher, burgundy and navy in chest sizes 32-54. schoffel.co.uk PATAGONIA LIGHTWEIGHT BLACK HOLE DUFFEL 45L, £80 Here’s a lightweight, tough, water-repellent, nylon bag for your next wild adventure, or even a weekend away. A diagonal zip gives good access to the main compartment, there’s a small pocket inside and webbing handles for carrying in the hand, over the shoulder or as a backpack. There’s also a haulage handle on one end. In sporty orange, Big Sur blue, nouveau green or black. 510g. Folds into its own pocket. patagonia.com TICK-OUT TICKS-2-GO, £3.99 A tick remover that weighs just 25g that can be kept on your keyring! A simple sliding action is all it takes to remove ticks safely and quickly, whatever their size. The Ticks-2-go has two notches and enables you to easily remove even stubborn ticks, without squeezing the tick or ‘tearing off’. Once the tick is out, disinfect the bite area. Well worth considering – Lyme Disease is a birding souvenir none of us want. steppingout. co.uk