Archive for the 'Bird Book' Category
Today I was supposed to write about the term bird book. But instead I sit in the intensive care unit at Shore Memorial Hospital one block from the bay in South Jersey. I did notice some rather large sea gulls early this morning by the marina.
My mother is not doing so well, she’s had a heart attack, and when they went to move her to do the stent, they discovered pneumonia had set in along with a blood infection. So now it’s complicated as she’s on a ventilator to breathe easier. This person doesn’t look like my mother, who walked into the hospital just last week with all her faculties about her, of sound mind, now in an induced coma.
Nature at Bird Watchers’ Fingertips!
North American Guide to Birds app now available on iPhone and iPod Touch.
Woodstock, Vt. (Nov. 20, 2009) – The best-selling series of National Audubon Society bird field guide books have gone mobile, putting the most authoritative and comprehensive birding information at the fingertips of iPhone and iPod Touch users.
The Audubon Guide bird app provides a wealth of interactive information in a mobile package, giving bird lovers a fun and exciting experience that makes bird watching richer, more informed and instantly sharable. The bird app along with others in the Audubon Guides series is now available in the reference section of the apps store in iTunes.
“Mobile platforms allow field guides to be used to explore nature in fun and interactive ways that are not possible with printed books,” said Andrew Stewart, publisher of Green Mountain Digital, the electronic publishing company that created the Audubon Guide app series in alliance with the National Audubon Society. “Features like bird calls, GPS-location and the ability to share outings with family and friends are just a few finger taps away. These new apps transform field guides as we know them.”
From Chickadees to Condors, the Audubon Guide bird app covers more than 740 species of birds with information on appearance, habitat, behavior, diet, nesting, mating, migration, endangered status and more. Features include thousands of professional color photos, more than 2,200 bird sounds, and range maps for each species. Every species in the app is described with rich and detailed information updated from the book versions: all accessed wirelessly and in real time through elegant, interactive and intuitive search features. Search parameters include common and scientific names, family, shape, range, habitat, color, and size.
“This is a giant leap forward in connecting people with the nature that surrounds them,” said John Flicker, president of the National Audubon Society. “And it’s the first step in building a commitment to protecting the wonders this app will help a new generation discover and savor.”
The apps’ geo-location search features also allow users to find which bird species are located in any zip code, state or region. A universal dashboard enables navigation back and forth between species information, search functions, sightings, and more. When loaded onto a user’s iPhone, the apps work independently of cell phone connectivity.
Other innovative functions include the ability to create personalized life lists, post GPS-enabled bird sighting lists, and upload user-created photo albums.
The Audubon Guide bird app is supported by AudubonGuides.com, a free companion Web site that syncs with the app, providing a lifetime of automatic updates. The Web site features all of the comprehensive subject matter found on the app, as well as scientific news, user forums, articles and blog posts contributed by nationally recognized scientists and naturalists.
“The Web site really adds to the overall Audubon Guide user experience because it includes all of the information contained in the app as well as contributions by app users themselves,” said Stewart. “As people share their birding experiences on the site, we’ll see it becoming an increasingly useful tool in the research and cataloging of the natural world.”
The Audubon Guide bird app is now available in Apple’s iTunes store at the introductory price of $19.99. Three additional apps in the Audubon Guides series – Wildflowers, Trees and Mammals – are being offered at the introductory price of $9.99 each.
Birds, Wildflowers, Trees and Mammals will be followed in the next few months by mobile guides to Insects & Spiders, Butterflies, Fish, Reptiles & Amphibians, Seashells, Seashore Creatures, Mushrooms, Whales & Dolphins, and many other subjects. In this way, the Audubon Guide app series looks to deliver all of nature to consumers’ fingertips.
Recently I was milling through some birding forums, and was pleasantly surprised to find some great information there! I mean real, useful, and practical tips for backyard birders.
Here’s a great idea you won’t find in bird books:
A person wrote of a great solution to the too-well known problem with tube feeders. The seed condenses and clogs at the bottom…happens all the time. This person took their bird feeder apart and placed a few ping pong balls in the bottom. Sounds kinda crazy but solves the problem of clogged tube feeders!
The seed disperses around the balls instead of clumping up at the bottom of the feeder…genius!
Whether bird watching in the wild or in your backyard, it’s human nature and simple curiosity to know the species you’re actually viewing. So many wild birds look alike, with the tiniest markings which differentiate the species. Wing bars, eye lines, beak length and color, and tail length are just a few common identifiers. It’s easy to mistake a black capped chickadee for a nuthatch, and the same for so many of the warblers.
Bird Field Guides can easily answer any question as to which species you might be seeing. Indexed and well organized, they’re full of great photos and pertinent information on just about every wild bird species out there. So whether on a field trip, or watching from the breakfast room window, it’s really handy to keep a field guide close by for that special or new bird that you may glimpse and marvel at its beauty.
These books make excellent and lasting gifts for any birding enthusiast too!
A friend recently visited Costa Rica and photographed some of the island’s amazing wildlife. Instead of my requested bird book, I received some cool wild bird photos! Here are a few of them:
Indigo Bunting
Blue Grosbeak
Today after spotting a breath-taking, vibrant little blue bird in the yard, I thought: “cool, that’s an Indigo Bunting”. Then the second-guessing started, as this little bird did not have black wings. What was it? To answer my question, I fished out an old field guide that had been given to me as a gift many years ago. There was my answer…a Blue Grosbeak juvenile! I don’t think I’d ever seen one before in the yard.
Even for avid birders, bird books always come in handy. They’re an excellent reference when trying to identify unusual species that may visit bird feeders. They make excellent and lasting gifts that will be used over the years. Stokes and Petersons are just two of the better known authors of bird books. Filled with terrific photos, and useful information, you’re bound to find your questions answered here!
Whether you’re new to backyard birding, or an accomplished veteran, bird field guides always come in handy. Stokes is just one of the well known authors for these birding books, giving amazing photos, information and insights. There are a myriad of field guides available, one to meet every possible birding interest.
Not limited to individual species, like hummingbirds, warblers, bluebirds and purple martins, there are guides on bats, butterflies, dragonflies, and even bird gardening. Field guides are baically separated into geographic regions, making the information more pertinent to you. They are also available on audio cassettes and DVD’s. These guides make great gifts for any birding enthusisast too, novice to advanced!
Although I’ve been doing my backyard birding for some 20+ years, I never really looked into purchasing a bird book. Trial and error has basically taught me what works and what doesn’t, and through the years you can pretty much identify who comes around.
The 500-page Stokes Field Guide to Birds does however sit on the breakfast room table with a small pair of binoculars. Catching a glimpse of the rare visitors is fun, but being able to identify them is better! More time to utilize these would sure be nice, as my bird food expenditures are ridiculous….they eat better than me – everyday! The yard is like a bird restaurant—buffet style. Suet, peanuts, sunflower hearts, no-waste seed mix, meal worms, thistle seed, finch mix, bark butter, Bluebird Delight and peanut nuggets…have I forgotten anything? Oh yes, 8 bird baths, 2 misters, 2 water wigglers, and 2 drippers. Wait, 3 hummingbird feeders, and the squirrel bungee for corn. This is why I am perpetually late…refills every morning!
Lately, while browsing many categories of bird books, I found myself wanting lots of them! Bird Food Recipes caught my eye, as did Stokes Guide to Bluebirds, because there is finally a brood of nestlings in my bluebird box. Now I want to learn all things Bluebirds! A bird book makes an excellent and lasting gift for any nature enthusiast, age 4 to 104…so when you’re stumped for a good gift, think bird book!