Thanks for the info. The Thayer software looks pretty good. I’d contact them to confirm that you will have to wait until the 64-bit version is released. The current version might work fine. let me know what you find out and definitely let me know what your impressions are if you end up getting it!

“I have used the Thayer’s Guide to Birds of North America: http://www.thayerbirding.com/

This may be a good choice because it is a program for Windows and Mac that allows you to easily put the bird calls on an ipod. You can also choose which bird calls you want on there. If birding only in Mass, you can have only the species that have ever shown up in Mass on there, including the rarities which you may need.

When playing the song on the iPod, a picture of the bird is displayed.

Another plus to this route is that on the comp. you can use the program to set up quizes, which can be by pic, video, or song or pic and song. As with the songs, you can be quized on just common backyard birds of Mass, all birds of Mass, or shorebirds etc. Or just sparrows of N America and so on.

It’s ~ $80, which may be a lot more than the birdjam or ibird, but you get a great deal more.

The con is that some of the selected bird recordings are of sub-par quality and some are extremely short, like the Eastern Screech-Owl song they have is only about 45 seconds which is a bummer when using it in the field. However, when using that in the field, just set the iPod to repeat and let it roll.

To some this may be a con, but the name of the bird is not said before the call. The name of the bird is clearly displayed but this may be inconvenient if using it in the car. Though having the name of the bird said before the call in the field can be a nuisance. ”

The website states they will be coming out with a “64 bit” in mid 2009 as oposed to the “32 bit” that is currently on the market. I am not real knowledgable in the computer tech department, but my laptop is Vista~64 bit…So I would assume I should wait!

I have been doing quite a bit of research on this “new birding tool” e.g. iPod Touch, and have stumbled upon “Thayer Birding Software” that has a whole lot of other features, but includes being able to upload pics and songs on you iPod. It, too, is expensive but it seemed to offer a whole lot more than the ones that you were referring to (many tools that would be used on a pc/laptop). Are you familiar with this program at all? And if so, have you heard positive feedback on it? Thanks!

Glad you found the blog and like it. Thanks for reading!

I’m sure that when you get the iPod Touch/iPhone you will enjoy it. We plan on doing a little more in-depth review of birdJam and ibird explorer in the next week or two so stay tuned for that.

We live in the Northeast area of Atlanta, just outside the perimeter. If you are familiar with the “perimeter” that encircles the city then we are between 1 and 2 o’clock, while the airport is at 6 o’clock. We are a couple of miles away from the Chattahoochee river.

Sandy

Thanks for reading!

Yeah, I guess birdwatching can be like any other hobby. There’s always something you can buy or upgrade. But, think of it like I do, it’s all for the benefit of the birds! Birdseed is going to be the biggest ongoing expense but the iPod is definitely a little pricey. I use it primarily for a lot of non-birding activities so I guess the cost is spread out a bit.

Have a great day!

Mark

Good luck and keep reading!