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 <> 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
> 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" <>
> 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:
> > 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.
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--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
I want to be with the 9,999 other things.
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