Another observation, it seems odd that you can’t resize the plates (ie open pinch to zoom in). This isn’t a problem on the ipad, but certainly is a problem on the iphone. John Leonard On 23 November 2013 14:11, Roger Giller <rgiller@optusnet.com.au> wrote: > I’m with you Peter, > The operative term is “Field” guide. I’d much rather have a small “gadget’ > in my shirt pocket than try to carry a book, even one of the “compact” > editions. That means a backpack or shoulder bag, just something else to > annoy you and get in the way as you try to sneak into a better spot for a > view. > Roger. > > —–Original Message—– > From: Peter Shute [mailto:pshute@nuw.org.au] > Sent: Friday, 22 November 2013 5:30 PM > To: Tony Russell > Cc: Birding-Aus > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Pizzey & Knight Digital Edition review > > Gadget or book, I don’t care. I just want some way to have a field guide > with me all the time. The Morcombe/Stewart guide has freed me from even > having to think about packing one, let alone carrying it. > > People rave about the calls, but they were just an unexpected bonus. The > big > thing for me was just access to what I’d normally find in a field guide, > even when I’m not birding. Access to another one is something I’ve been > looking forward to. > > Peter Shute > > Sent from my iPhone > > > On 22 Nov 2013, at 3:01 pm, “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 > =============================== > — John Leonard Canberra Australia www.jleonard.net I want to be with the 9,999 other things. =============================== 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 ===============================
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