Pizzey & Knight Digital Edition review

Dear all, Just to add to the debate. I confess to “lazy thinking” when it comes to the botanical aspects of birding. I have for decades enjoyed the company of a botanist who is the fount of knowledge when it comes to tree/plant ID. I should have learned by now, but when I have a “walking encyclopaedia botanica” there, only a few of the most common plant species names have sunk in. Shirley Cook —– Original Message —– From: “John Tongue” <jspk@iprimus.com.au> To: “Dave Torr” <davidtorr@gmail.com> Cc: “Birding-Aus” <birding-aus@vicnet.net.au> Sent: Friday, November 22, 2013 3:55 PM Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Pizzey & Knight Digital Edition review >I guess the solution is that if you don’t like them, don’t use them. > > But to claim they lead to “lazy thinking”????? > > Cheers and happy birding all – with whatever particular aids your choose > to use, > John Tongue > Ulverstone, Tas. > > > On 22/11/2013, at 3:05 PM, Dave Torr <davidtorr@gmail.com> wrote: > >> I expect bins and scopes were once thought of as “gadgets”…… >> >> >> On 22 November 2013 14:01, Tony Russell <pratincole08@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Well said David, you sort of agree with most of my own thoughts. I think >>> that mostly the old ways of birding are still the best. Nothing like >>> getting >>> out there and learning from others. Gadgets are mostly unnecessary and >>> just >>> lead to lazy thinking. All one needs are a scope, binoculars , and a >>> field >>> guide (book). >>> T. >>> >>> —–Original Message—– >>> From: birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au >>> [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of David >>> Adams >>> Sent: Friday, 22 November 2013 12:52 PM >>> To: Birding-Aus >>> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Pizzey & Knight Digital Edition review >>> >>>> I personally don’t use any of these electronic gadgets for bird IDs, >>>> in >>> fact >>>> I wouldn’t know how to switch one on, let alone cart the thing around >>>> with me. Isn’t it better to really get to know your birds?, then >>>> these thingamajigs are not needed. Having to carry binoculars is bad >>>> enough as >>> it is. >>> >>> Gadgets aren’t for everyone but one more great tool for getting to >>> really >>> know your birds. Below are a list of good ways that I’ve tried, use >>> regularly, seen others do or heard about: >>> >>> * Put a seed tray near your window and watch what comes in closely. (How >>> so >>> many of us first saw birds as children, I’d assume.) >>> >>> * Go out with binoculars and watch birds from a hide, shore, etc. >>> >>> * Go out with a guide or group and learn from others. I can’t think of >>> anything more effective. >>> >>> * Take others out and show them what you know. >>> >>> * Write about what you know, meaning field notes on behavior and field >>> identification. I don’t learn much from saying “I saw a Square-tailed >>> Kite >>> today” but I would from writing up how I would try and distinguish a >>> Little >>> Eagle from a Whistling Kite. >>> >>> * Sketch or paint what you see! Probably the best technique of all for >>> individual study…I’m sadly wretched at it. Even still, just making the >>> effort to transcribe visual details visually can be a real help in >>> improving >>> your “seeing”. >>> >>> * Buy better optics 😉 Man, I wish I’d gotten good binoculars sooner. >>> >>> * Use a camera to snap pictures and then go home and study the results. >>> I’ve gotten a lot from this: >>> >>> — It’s very helpful for harder groups as you can often narrow down >>> something like a pair of peeps to one of 2-4 species. From there you can >>> study the guides and figure out what field marks are relevant for the >>> next >>> time. >>> >>> — Huh. I. Could. Have. Sworn. It. Had. Two. *White*. Wing-bars. And. A. >>> *Yellow*. Bill. Yeah, a picture can keep you honest. A fish-watching >>> friend >>> said that with the fishes, it is incredibly easy to remember colors in >>> reverse – she pops up to the surface and narrates a description to try >>> and >>> get it fixed in her head. >>> >>> * Build a database and collect images, sounds and text about the birds. >>> I >>> don’t think this technique is broadly useful but since I’m a programmer, >>> I >>> end up putting a lot of time into this several times a year. >>> (Particularly >>> before a trip to a new place.) Apart from helping to learn species, it’s >>> helped me *enormously* learning larger taxonomic and biogeographical >>> relationships. Anyone can make themselves a series of folders to collect >>> info about a species, if they like that sort of thing. >>> >>> * Go out into the field and wait until you can match sounds to birds. >>> (I’m >>> really not great at calls..but I slowly get better.) >>> >>> * Sonograms…or so I’m told…I’ve managed to get a copy of “The Sound >>> Approach to Birding” but it’s still sitting on the desk. >>> >>> * Get and use an app. Why not? When I first saw a good birding app, I >>> realized they’re the future. They’re better than paper: >>> >>> — Integrated sounds. >>> >>> — Plates *and* photographs. I’ve never loved an all-photo paper guide >>> but >>> I >>> love my apps with pictures. >>> >>> — Off-line access. (Well, paper has that…) >>> >>> — A structured information space. A lot of phone/tablet apps are, well, >>> sort of pointless but not apps that create a nice, tight information >>> space. >>> With a birding app, you can move through data hierarchically, laterally >>> (like similar species or groups of related birds), geographically (if >>> the >>> app has the data), or non-sequentially (search for a bird.) >>> >>> — Particularly useful when you travel to a new country where you don’t >>> know >>> the birds. You can study up before you arrive and have a good idea about >>> calls of common birds and what various groups look like, what habitat >>> they >>> prefer, etc. Yeah, apps are great for this…paper guides too. >>> >>> There are a few advantages to paper guides that are hard to beat: >>> >>> — No batteries. >>> — Not so expensive. >>> — I find it easier to flip through a paper guide somehow. Particularly >>> for >>> a country where I don’t already know the birds. There’s something >>> hard-to-replace about feeling “wow, 16 plates for raptors!” that just >>> doesn’t come across electronically. >>> >>> I’m hoping to get the new iPad Mini because I suspect that it is the >>> ultimate birding gadget. I still buy, use and carry paper guides…but >>> I’m >>> reluctant to travel anywhere that doesn’t have an electronic guide. And, >>> I >>> carry fewer paper guides than I used to. >>> >>> With all of that said, to each their own. If you find electronic guides >>> useful, great. If not, that’s fine too. Also, no all electronic guides >>> are >>> created equal any more than paper guides are of identical quality. >>> =============================== >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >>> send the message: >>> unsubscribe >>> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >>> to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au >>> >>> http://birding-aus.org >>> =============================== >>> >>> =============================== >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >>> send the message: >>> unsubscribe >>> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >>> to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au >>> >>> http://birding-aus.org >>> =============================== >>> >> =============================== >> >> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, >> send the message: >> unsubscribe >> (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) >> to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au >> >> http://birding-aus.org >> =============================== > > =============================== > > To unsubscribe from this mailing list, > send the message: > unsubscribe > (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) > to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au > > http://birding-aus.org > =============================== > > > —– > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG – www.avg.com > Version: 2014.0.4158 / Virus Database: 3629/6856 – Release Date: 11/21/13 > =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au http://birding-aus.org ===============================