Tools of a pastime

Bird watching is a pastime which I am longing to get back to. I used to go all over the place trying out different reserves and keeping a diary of where I went, what the weather was like, who I went with, what I saw and notes of what I had observed. So this year I am going to try to get back into the swing of things some how. The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is coming up at the end of this month which I will be taking part in.