I'm of the opinion that compasses often work against finding a bird, especially since so many factors can result in an incorrect reading. If the compass is near any metal, forget about an accurate reading. Then there's the magnetic deviation factor, different across the country. A slow pan of the southern horizon will find your target faster than any compass, provided your elevation is close. Checking the aim of nearby DirecTV and Dish Network dishes can narrow down your panning area to a small part of the sky.
