Birding Where You Least Expect It:
David Lindo's Urban Nature Tour
Kowa recently joined Kowa ambassador David Lindo - better known as The Urban Birder - on a special guided walk through Wormwood Scrubs in West London. He fell in love with this place over the years, and Wormwood Scrubs offers more than meets the eye. This tour was a celebration of local nature, migration, and the surprising richness of city biodiversity, and of course, an opportunity to put the Kowa YFII 8x30 binoculars in the hands of birders for a real-world test.
Migration time
Much of the walk focused on autumn migration, a phenomenon that transforms quiet corners of London into birding goldmines. "You have to come to a place several times," David explained. "Every morning there's a different population of birds." He pointed out that even familiar garden birds, like blackbirds and robins, may be continental visitors. "You open your back door in November, and you see birds in your garden, you could actually be hearing Norwegian, German, Polish… But you're looking at robins.”
The joy - and sadness - of urban nature
Not everything was cheerful. David spoke with sadness about how meadow pipits, once nesting here, are now gone, driven out by disturbance from off-leash dogs and increased foot traffic. "They’re not much to look at… but this was the closest breeding colony to central London." But there's hope, too. David highlighted the resilience of urban birds and the opportunities for wildlife-friendly design: "Nature starts from our doorstep, not in some David Attenborough extravaganza, but actually from our doorstep."
Birding as mindfulness
For David, birding is far more than just ticking species off a list. "It's relaxing. It's meditative. It's not about getting a massive list, it's about you feeling good." And you don't have to travel to the Shetlands to get that feeling. Once you start thinking like that, that's when you start seeing things." One highlight? The group spotted a great spotted woodpecker and a long-tailed tit in the same tree. As the walk wrapped up, David reflected on the magic of his home patch, where he once filmed his first segment for Springwatch: "No matter where I am in the world, I'm always thinking about what's happening here." Wormwood Scrubs might not look like much on a map, but: migrants refuel here. Locals find peace. And birders, whether first-timers or lifers, walk away inspired.
Why the Kowa YFII 8x30 is the perfect birdwatching companion
Compact, lightweight, and crystal-clear - the Kowa YFII 8x30 is a top choice for birders of all levels. With an ultra-wide field of view and sharp edge-to-edge clarity, it's ideal for tracking small, fast-moving species like warblers or goldcrests. The 8x magnification offers the perfect balance between detail and stability, making it easy to locate and follow birds even in dense foliage or fast flight. The traditional porro-prism design delivers outstanding depth perception, while the rugged, waterproof body ensures durability in any weather. Whether you're walking your local patch or joining a migration watch, the YFII 8x30 delivers reliable performance, all in a model that's affordable, intuitive, and incredibly comfortable to use all day long. It's no surprise David Lindo chose it as the go-to pair for his urban birding walks!
Binocular used during David's walks:
