Birds of Mississippi v3.9
October 19, 2008
Version 3.9 was released on July 31, 2007. Birds of Mississippi v3.9 contains 313 species regularly seen in the state. This Windows CD-ROM includes color photos, songs for all species from the world-famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology, range maps, abundance maps, ID tips and more. The CD-ROM includes an ID Wizard to help you identify the birds, even if you do not know the bird’s name. Just enter colors, size, habitat and location. The ID Wizard will show you photos of all the birds that match your description. Petey the Parrot will pronounce each bird’s common and scientific name for you. Also included are over 300 quizzes, including Christmas Bird Count Quizzes for Jackson, Natchez, Tupelo and Vicksburg. The CD-ROM lets you compare two birds side-by-side and shows you the similar species. With version 3.9, you can: Share Custom Lists with your friends Download songs and photos to an iPod for your own personal use Add your own comments and photos for each bird Identify birds by sound in the ID Wizard Use the new “Pick One” quiz — see four bird photos and pick the right one. And most important of all, The Birder’s Handbook is now included (a $20 value) System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Pentium 4 processor or equivalent; 512 MB RAM; CD-ROM drive; 1 Gig on hard drive; plus hardware and software required to support multimedia applications. Some features of this CD-ROM require an Internet connection. Buy from here…
Birding (Nature Company Guides)
October 19, 2008
Customer Review: An interesting bird book for beginners
I’ve sent this book along with a wren birdhouse to my friends to enjoy backyard birding. I send it to those who have a tree or an eave for the birdhouse. They’ve delighted in the book and have had wrens in the house. It’s very exciting for them to know so much about many common birds they see. They’ve had fun with this book.
Customer Review: Birding
The first three chapters (83 pages) deserve a top score. The remainder of the book has problems that would barely earn a two on a one-to-five scale. Overall, a three is generous.
The first three chapters are as good a tutorial on birding as you will find anywhere. It begins with a chapter on understanding birds. Some readers may find it dry but should read it anyway. They are probably the same readers that have skipped the front material in every field guide they ever owned. Next comes a section on birding at home. For a beginner living anywhere other than a cave in Manhattan, observing neighborhood birds is a great start. This second chapter then provides ideas for attracting more birds to your backyard. The material on feeders and feeds is excellent and the information on planting and landscaping will get you started.
The third chapter is on actual birding. It is practical and covers all aspects of importance. There isn’t any need for birding to be complicated and it should be available to everyone. It is difficult to conceive of a handicap that would preclude a person from enjoying birds. For starters, binoculars and a field guide is all that one needs. Some sort of notepad is a good addition. The book covers these basics, and then expands to a discussion of spotting scopes, birding by ear, photography, and getting more involved in bird study. Conservation should be mandatory in any discussion of birding and this book does not disappoint.
The remainder of the book is a sort of field guide arranged by habitat. The concept seems to be that an inexperienced birder can choose a habitat, look over the book’s subsection on that habitat, and be better equipped to identify the birds found there. The problem is that birds do not always respect habitat. Every habitat I have visited has had birds not particularly identified with that habitat. Certainly, a beginning birder will find the order used by most field guides confusing; but it is better to have the hawks together, the sparrows together, etc. than to have them separated.
This “Birdfinder” section has 148 pages, each highlighting a species. Since this is far short of even the common species of the United States, many species are added as adjuncts to a related species or omitted all together. The golden-crowned kinglet becomes a footnote to the ruby-crowned kinglet. The red-breasted nuthatch is added to the white-breasted nuthatch’s page, with no mention of the other nuthatches. Woodpeckers are a strange case. Downy woodpeckers get a page in the urban habitat and hairy woodpeckers get a mention on the same page. The rest of the woodpecker clan is represented solely by the acorn woodpecker and the northern flicker in the woodlands habitat.
Another objection is that the Birdfinder section is oriented to eastern birding without admitting that is the case. For example, the eastern phoebe gets a page but the Say’s phoebe doesn’t get a mention. Meadowlarks are represented by the eastern species, although the western species gets a mention. The same is true of the Baltimore and Bullock’s orioles. Bluebirds get a page devoted to the eastern bluebird; the western bluebird gets a mention and a picture, while the mountain bluebird that is dominant in some areas isn’t mentioned. Bluebirds are identified in the woodlands habitat; I find all three species more associated with grasslands, although they are cavity nesters.
While teaching a class on birding, I held up this book and said that it included nearly everything I had told them. To cover my conscience in even showing it, I added most of what I have covered in this review.
Buy from here…
Bushnell Legend 10×50mm Waterproof/Fogproof Porro Compact Binoculars
October 19, 2008
Bushnell Legend w/Rainguard 10×50 191050 . For those who prefer the traditional style of a porro prism bino, here’s a welcome addition to the superior Legend series. Like the Legend roof prism models, Rainguard and premium BaK-4 prisms top the list of features to brag about - delivering nothing less than crisp, clear images in rain, snow and fog. The textured, grippy rubber-armored housing not only stands up to hard use but provides a firm grasp in fall and spring’s notoriously wet conditions. Buy from here…
Binoculars, Sheltered Wings Audubon 8×25 Compact (M)
October 19, 2008
Wider field of view and slightly brighter image during dusk and dawn situations is preferred. It comes complete with a protective carry case and neckstrap. Precision ground lenses for sharp image resolution. Buy from here…
Birds of Michigan v3.9
October 19, 2008
Version 3.9 was released on July 31, 2007. Birds of Michigan v3.9 contains 302 species regularly seen in the state. This Windows CD-ROM includes color photos, songs for all species from the world-famous Cornell Lab of Ornithology, range maps, abundance maps, ID tips and more. The CD-ROM includes an ID Wizard to help you identify the birds, even if you do not know the bird’s name. Just enter colors, size, habitat and location. The ID Wizard will show you photos of all the birds that match your description. Petey the Parrot will pronounce each bird’s common and scientific name for you. Also included are over 300 quizzes, including Christmas Bird Count Quizzes for Ann Arbor, Detroit, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, Holland, Huron County, Kalamazoo, Petosky, Traverse City and Whitefish Point. The CD-ROM lets you compare two birds side-by-side and shows you the similar species. With version 3.9, you can: Share Custom Lists with your friends Download songs and photos to an iPod for your own personal use Add your own comments and photos for each bird Identify birds by sound in the ID Wizard Use the new “Pick One” quiz — see four bird photos and pick the right one. And most important of all, The Birder’s Handbook is now included (a $20 value) System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Pentium 4 processor or equivalent; 512 MB RAM; CD-ROM drive; 1 Gig on hard drive; plus hardware and software required to support multimedia applications. Some features of this CD-ROM require an Internet connection. Buy from here…
Take a Backyard Bird Walk (Take a Walk series)
October 17, 2008
Awarded the “Recommended by” seal of the National Gardening Association in 2005 and The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval in September of 2003, this interactive book is the first in a series of nature discovery books. Take A Walk® Books teach readers how to find, identify and observe the treasure of nature they can find in their own backyard, schoolyard, or local park. A self-guided odyssey packed with interesting facts, funny stories, beautiful photographs, illustrations and field guide information. Sidebars include new words with definitions and pronunciations and personal stories by the other kids. Complete with plenty of space and instructions for taking field notes, drawing maps, sketching discoveries, this is a great solo, family, classroom, or group outing! Meets or exceeds many State and Federal Environmental Education standards and initiatives.
Customer Review: 2004 Writers Notes Book Award
Your backyard or a local park is a wonderland of winged creatures. Kirkland provides fun facts and lesson plans in this enjoyable and focused children’s field guide to birds. It’s great for teachers or a day out with the kids.
Customer Review: Take a Backyard Bird Walk
My whole family has spent many afternoons enjoying this book. My eight year old daughter takes it with her on bike rides, trips to the park, and walks around the neighborhood. This book is very informative and easy to use. My kids love being able to write observations and draw pictures in the book. This book is great fun for kids and adults. It can be used in or out of a classroom, for birthday parties or a scouting activity. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys birds or being outside!! Buy from here…
Birds of North America
October 17, 2008
Audubon VideoGuide to 247 Water, Prey & Scratching Birds of North America, Vol. 1
October 17, 2008
Customer Review: Audubon VideoGuide to 247 Water, Prey & Scratching Birds of North America, Vol. 1
Overall, I really like this video guide. It’s great to see and hear the birds, and the explanations are helpful. I wish there was another level of indexing to make it easier to maneuver within the DVD. Buy from here…
Guide to Birds of North America v3.9 - Windows
October 17, 2008
Version 3.9 was released on July 31, 2007. Thayer Birding Software and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have joined forces to create the ultimate CD for birders. The Thayer’s Guide to Birds of North America v3.9 features all 925 birds seen in the U.S. or Canada (excluding Hawaii). This incredible Windows-based CD-ROM includes 2,788 color photos and songs for 708 species. 90 video clips are also included. This CD can help you identify unfamiliar birds. Simply select the color, size, habitat, location or sound of your bird and the program will show you everything that matches your description! Also included are 700 quizzes arranged into “Birding Hot Spots”, “Christmas Bird Counts”, Favorite Birds” and more. Set the level at Easy or crank it all the way up to Difficult. Select Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-blank, Flash Card or “Pick One” quizzes. This CD also includes a listing and recordkeeping program to help you remember the birds you have seen. With version 3.9, you can also share Custom Lists with your friends, download songs and photos to an iPod for your own personal use and add your own comments and photos for each bird. New colorful icons make it very easy to use the CD. System Requirements: Windows 2000, XP or Vista; Pentium 4 processor or equivalent; 512 MB RAM; CD-ROM drive; 1 Gig on hard drive; plus hardware and software required to support multimedia applications. Some features of this CD-ROM require an Internet connection.
Customer Review: Thayer Guide to Birds of North America v.3.9
I was able to try the software at a friend’s house a few years ago and enjoyed the Petey the Parrot feature that pronounced Latin nomenclature. User friendly. There are good searching and cross-referencing features. The library of species is more extensive than any book I’ve seen. I like that there is geographic distribution data, population information and song files. It is so much easier to listen to a song file than read “two wee” in a field guide and get the same effect of information. This software helps with research presentations. The quizzes are great too. I like that the photos available for each species carry mulitple view whenever possible. I think in the absence of photos, drawings could have been included to cover the gap, especially since females are usually the gap and comprise 50% of the species population, so this is important information. So far that is the only short-coming I have noticed. Buy from here…
Brunton Lite-Tech 10×32 Waterproof Binoculars
October 17, 2008
Marvel at the Clarity and be amazed by the performance. The waterproof Lite-Tech Mid-Sized Binoculars deliver a clear, bright image thanks to the fully coated lenses, slip proof grip and the reliability of a little Brunton know-how. From the glove-box to the backback, take the Brunton Lite-Tech along for the ride. It’s the perfect companion outside. Buy from here…
