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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