I can think of many uses for the enormous selection of spotting scopes and binoculars at the Audubon Shop, birdwatching among them. Men like this kind of thing—my husband is constantly straining to see the various wildlife that inhabit our field, so perhaps a new and stronger pair of binoculars should be on his list. While the shop is famous for its broad range of optical instruments (starting at $170 and topping $3000), there’s tons of other great stuff here: bird houses, bat houses and squirrel baffles (?), wood carvings and watercolors by local artists, and for the real fanatics, a selection of jigsaw puzzles, books and bird-printed socks. Or consider a gift certificate for an upcoming Eagle Watch. The zealous and charming owners have been at it for 25 years and are happy to spread their wealth of knowledge and love of all things birding around the Shoreline.