packer@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov (Charles Packer) (06/14/91)
Has anyone produced a CD of bird calls, to be used for reference purposes? It would be nice to be able to learn to identify birds by their calls, considering that I don't know when I'm ever going to have the time to sit in my back yard and watch for them.
pratt@paul.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) (06/14/91)
I can't recommend more highly a package of tapes and a booklet called
``birding by ear''. It's a wonderful introduction to the calls and
songs of 85 species, and is available in both Eastern and Western US versions.
You can probably purchase it through the ABA or at your local birdwatcher-
supply store, or if you want I'll get the publisher name when I'm next at
home.
We've had the Peterson Field Guide to Bird Songs for a couple of years, which
is just a tape of each call. The narrator says ``Rose Breasted Grosbeak'',
then you hear one. ``Birding by Ear'' is completely different, because it
gives you ``handles'' by which to remember each bird, pairs confusing birds
together, gives little ``quizzes'' for tough distinctions. It was always so
frustrating when the Peterson man told us what were about to listen to
*first*, so we could only practice our identification in the field. Now we
can hone our skills in the car on the highway. It's opened up a whole
new dimension to bird watching, especially now that the trees have
leafed out. We have definitely become qualitatively better birders since
listening to this set of tapes.
--Lori
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L. Y. Pratt Computer Science Department
pratt@paul.rutgers.edu Rutgers University
Hill Center
(908) 932-4634 (Hill Center office) New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
(908) 846-4766 (home)roca@seqp4.sequoia.com (Michael Roca ) (06/18/91)
In article <Jun.14.09.05.19.1991.7967@paul.rutgers.edu> pratt@paul.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes: >I can't recommend more highly a package of tapes and a booklet called >``birding by ear''. It's a wonderful introduction to the calls and >songs of 85 species, and is available in both Eastern and Western US versions. >You can probably purchase it through the ABA or at your local birdwatcher- >supply store, or if you want I'll get the publisher name when I'm next at >home. I am relatively new to both birding and rec.birds and would like to buy the tapes, 'birding by ear'. My skills in voice identification of birds leave much to be desired and I could use something that would "quiz" me all the way to work and back. Please do post the publisher name, etc. when you find it. Thanks in advance, Michael Roca (roca@sequoia.com) Sequoia Systems, Inc. 400 Nickerson Rd. Marlboro, MA 01752 (508)480-0800 x1234
horvath@granite.ma30.bull.com (John Horvath) (06/21/91)
In article <796@seqp4.UUCP> roca@sequoia.com (Michael Roca) writes: > (Lorien Y. Pratt) writes originally: >>I can't recommend more highly a package of tapes and a booklet called >>``birding by ear''. It's a wonderful introduction to the calls and >>... >... >way to work and back. Please do post the publisher name, etc. when you find >it. > The Tapes/booklet are part of the Peterson Field Guide series. The East and West versions are "Birding by Ear" by Richard Walton and W.Lawson. (the East coast version has a green cover and the west coast is blue). Both consist of 3 tapes and a booklet. The first tape side is an introduction and the last tape's side is a quiz. The rest are bird songs with excellent descriptions of how to distinquish and remember them. In the past month, Walton put out another tape/booklet for the Peterson series called "Backyard birding" (or similar). Its number 43 if your counting. Its a smaller package then the other two with less tapes and half the price. (its a red cover). You should be able to find any of them in the nature secton of any bookstore. The publisher is Houghton-Mifflin.
pratt@paul.rutgers.edu (Lorien Y. Pratt) (06/22/91)
An excellent mail-order source of birding information is the American
Birding Association (ABA). I believe that they have the Peterson series,
as well as the ``birding by ear'' tapes. They are located in Colorado
Springs, CO, and their toll-free number is (800) 634-7736. We've found them a
good source for hard-to-find books like the Lane's guide. Ask for their (50+
page) catalog along with your order.
--Lori
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
L. Y. Pratt Computer Science Department
pratt@paul.rutgers.edu Rutgers University
Hill Center
(908) 932-4634 (Hill Center office) New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA
(908) 846-4766 (home)