Good report Doug!
Something magical about binocular tours of the sky that you don't get with a telescope - they're the next best thing to naked eye, gazing up at the stars and watching the Milky Way arch overhead....
Anyway, you inspired me to go out late last night with 12x50 binocs, and I had a great time touring the southern skies. So much to see, not just open clusters but rich starfields, nebulae, galaxies, globular clusters etc. All at a wonderful scale that gives so much context. Thanks!
And good luck with the "birding" - one of my interests too, not that I've done much in recent years!
Cheers -