Gary and others, I'm a novice, but my understanding is: some microphones are
more sensitive to sounds directly ahead (and above) and others have wider pick
up fields, and omnis I think pick up sound equally around the full 360 degrees
(on a 3D plane). An omnidirectional microphone can alert you to the presence of
the bird (which would help if your brother isn't with you) but a directional
microphone will also help him locate it if you're not with him, as the sound
simply gets louder if it is pointed towards the bird (and of course if you move
closer to it). To make an omnidirectional mic directional you can put it in a
parabolic reflector (or a wok!) and wave it around. I haven't tried this yet,
but apparently it works (not only does it cut out some of the sound coming from
the sides but it should also amplify those sounds in front of you.
Alternatively a directional mic waved around.
It is interesting birding with a microphone running, and I imagine in the case
mentioned it would be very handy as those higher frequencies would be
amplified, so people with hearing loss in the upper frequencies might have a
chance of hearing them (but after a while they may not be able to - if they
can). However listening with a mic sounds a bit unnatural, expecially with the
handling noise and footsteps etc. which can be so distracting that I prefer my
own ears most of the time. It is a little disorienting if you are used to using
your ears to locate birds i.e. waving your head around rather than waving a mic
around. Also the danger is if you have louder noises mixed in (such as a flock
of cockatoos screeching as they take off nearby) you can risk adding noise
induced hearing loss to the age related issue (though this is more likely to
affect lower frequencies)!
OK, I was just about to post and then I remembered I had seen something
somewhere, a bit of digging and here it is:
an article on hearing loss and bird sounds on Nathan Pieplow's Earbirding
website: http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/2105
Which then has a link to a review of a very interesting sounding, SongFinder:
http://earbirding.com/blog/archives/1538
And here is the link to the SongFinder website for those who want to go direct:
http://www.nselec.com/
In a nutshell I think it will play back all the sounds above a set frequency
(input by the user) at a lower frequency (also set by user), so you can
actually hear the sounds you would normally hear without any distortion, and
the sounds you can't hear would be at a lower frequency than normal so you can
hear them. Withough looking into it in too much detail it seems a very useful
device - though not cheap. I would be very interested in feedback if anyone
goes down that route. Incidentally the husband of a friend of mine has
developed an app which is supposed to show you what your children will sound
like when they are adults (iGrowUP) - so I wonder then if there is an app like
SongFinder - there's an app for everything these days - might not be far away.
Regards, Arwen
.........................................
Arwen Blackwood Ximenes
> Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 18:09:17 +0930
> From:
> To:
> CC:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Grey Grasswrens and how to boost high frequency
> hearing
>
> Hi Judith
>
> Thanks for info. I have been assessed as borderline for hearing aids so
> haven't gone that path. My hearing loss is in the high frequencies. My
> brother is completely deaf in one ear but can hear well out of the other.
> We are like Mac and Myer for hire when we go birdwatching together as he
> can hear the bird but doesn't know where it is(only one ear hearing) and if
> I could hear it I would know where it was! When you say the recorder is
> directional I assume it wouldn't help in his case, but only mine?
>
> Gary
>
>
>
> On 24 July 2012 17:38, Judith Hoyle <> wrote:
>
> > Hi Steve and anyone else suffering the dreaded loss if hearing high
> > pitches.
> >
> > This is not in response to Grey Grasswrens but to comment on your loss go
> > high frequency hearing.
> >
> > I know there has been a thread about hearing aids in the past (a pretty
> > expensive option, and
> > one that is resisted by many) so I thought you might be interested in my
> > experience with a recent dabble with recording bird calls.
> >
> > A hearing test I had last year was 'normal'. Normal hearing is not age
> > related ie if you are 60 you will not be told that you have normal hearing
> > for a 60 year old. It is either within normal range or it is not (apols if
> > I am teaching you how to suck eggs!)
> >
> > For Christmas last year I was given an Olympus LS 3 recorder. I started
> > using it almost straight away with ear phones. Boy what a difference it
> > makes to picking up calls! Even in windy conditions it makes a huge
> > difference. Wrens that I can't hear because of the wind are audible with
> > the ear phones plugged in. For example, on a very blustery day, I was able
> > to locate 2 Dusky Grassrens and even without the earphones the mic is
> > sensitive enough so that you can pick up calls from a long way off. Also,
> > as it is directional it can give you a more accurate fix on the bird if
> > they are not sitting up nicely for you.
> >
> > The recorder is smaller than the average mobile phone and you can just put
> > it into recording standby, shove it in a pocket and forget about. It costs
> > about $200 but that is much cheaper than hearing aids.
> >
> > Anyway, just thought it was worth relating.
> >
> > Kind regards
> >
> > Judith
> >
> >
> > > From:
> > > To:
> > > Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:07:21 +1000
> > > CC:
> > > Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Grey Grasswrens
> > >
> > > Hi Tom,
> > > I've just returned from a trip to west Qld. I spent some time looking
> > for
> > > Grey Grasswren at 2 sites without any luck. On both occasions I was
> > alone &
> > > I have poor high frequency hearing, so I was essentially relying on my
> > sight
> > > to find the Grasswrens.
> > > Firstly at Cuttaburra Crossing on 11/7. Was pressed for time so only
> > spent
> > > about 90 mins here searching around the rest stop area & on west side of
> > > main road. Best bird here was 50+ Flock Bronzewings.
> > > I then spent about 10 hours searching the Cooper Crossing (Adventure Way)
> > > area - GPS 27°30'4"S, 141°55'57"E. Arrived about midday on 14/7,
> > > searched until dark, & then again until midday on the next morning. The
> > > limited research I did suggested most people find the Grasswrens looking
> > > from the road, at the far western end of the crossing, so I spent all my
> > > time there. I mostly walked up & down the road between the bridge &
> > > Tennappera HS access road, with short walks into the lignum. Over the 2
> > > days here I found 4 families of White-winged Fairy-wrens, 8-10 families
> > of
> > > Variegated Fairy-wrens & a few Little Grassbirds, among a total 59 bird
> > > species, but never saw anything that I thought might be a Grasswren.
> > i.e. I
> > > was lucky enough to identify pretty much every little brown bird sneaking
> > > thru the lignum, so I didn't leave wondering 'maybe I saw one'. Bird of
> > > interest here was a pair of Plum-headed Finches, on the edge of their
> > range
> > > (getting close to SA!).
> > >
> > > I noted a report of Grey Grasswren across the road from Noccundra Hotel,
> > but
> > > I didn't have time to try there.
> > >
> > > BTW, I noted a good patch of lignum near Nockatunga, where the Adventure
> > Way
> > > crosses the Wilson River, about 4km east of the Noccundra turnoff. Has
> > > anyone ever found Grey Grasswren here? Have many people tried here?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Steve McBride
> > > Ballina
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From:
> > > On Behalf Of Tom
> > Tarrant
> > > Sent: Tuesday, 17 July 2012 5:21 PM
> > > To: Birding-aus
> > > Subject: [Birding-Aus] Grey Grasswrens
> > >
> > > Two of us are planning a whirlwind 4-day trip to SW Qld in a fortnight's
> > > time and wondered if anyone had reliable sites for Grey Grasswren? (...or
> > > any other SWQ specialities) There have been a number of reports on B-A in
> > > the last couple of years and I would love to get coords for us to plan a
> > > route. I have spent quite a bit of time in the Thargomindah, Cunnamulla,
> > > Charleville in the past but haven't been out that way in the for a
> > > while....not since all the wet years started anyway.
> > >
> > > Look forward to some great gen,
> > >
> > > Tom
> > >
> > > --
> > > ********************************
> > > Tom Tarrant
> > > Kobble Creek, Qld
> > >
> > > http://kobble.aviceda.org
> > >
> > > http://picasaweb.google.com.au/aviceda/
> > > ********************************
> > > ===============================
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