[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: An idea for learning to bird by ear



I have birded for quite a long time, and have a pretty good reputation for
birding by ear.  Many times I have been asked for advice about learning bird
songs, usually from people who say they have found it difficult.  They
usually want to know which tapes/CDs are better than others, or something
along that line.  They are after a technical solution to the problem, and
your posting certainly suggests one of the better uses of this technology.

I think that the ability to learn and recall bird songs depends a lot on
your genetic inheritance.  Some folks just find it much easier to do than
others.  But, the case can certainly be made for learning such things based
on dedication and desire.

I also have collected a few bird song tapes and CDs, but I have never used
them all that much except in  preparing for trips after lifers away from my
home turf.  In my earlier years of birding I thought the best way to learn a
bird song was to hear the unknown bird in the wild and go crashing into the
woods after it until I had the opportunity to see it.  On many of those
occasions, the memory of the whole experience -- unknown song, the chase
(including briars, wet feet, etc), seeing the bird -- was enough to plant
the song within my brain.  I still think that is the best way to learn bird
songs, especially if you are young and eager and don't mind loosing a little
sweat and blood.  Unfortunately, many birders these days take up birding in
their thirties rather than their teens, and have already lost the desire to
go crashing into the woods after an unknown chip note.

But, by whatever method you arrive at your goal, birding by ear is certainly
one of the very best things about birding.

John
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
John and Paula Wright
1953-A Quail Ridge Rd
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 756-5139


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Argentati" <johna@blue-lizard.com>
To: "Carolinabirds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 6:25 PM
Subject: An idea for learning to bird by ear


> For Christmas I got both Thayer's Birding Software and the Stokes Field
> Guide to Bird Songs CDs (3).
>
> I wanted to use commute time to learn how to bird by ear, however I found
> that the Stokes CDs were not very effective for a number of reasons:
>
> 1. At the moment, I don't care about learning the bird songs that do not
> occur in my geographic area.
> 2. I don't care about learning bird songs of birds that I typically
identify
> in other ways, e.g. I usually ID ducks by sight not by their calls.
> 3. I can already identity some birds by their song and don't need to waste
> time listening to them again.
> 4. Stokes always announces the name of the bird BEFORE playing it's song.
I
> wanted something more akin to flash cards - where the birds song would be
> played before I am told what it is.
> Note that the .wav files that come with Thayer's Software ONLY have the
> bird's song.  The bird's name is never announced.
>
> What I wanted was a recording of selected birds which would play the
bird's
> song first, then would announce the name of the bird, then would play the
> bird's song once again.
>
> Here's the solution I came up with.  It's a little technical, but if you
> have a PC and both Thayer's Software and the Stokes CDs, you could do the
> same thing.
>
> I converted the stokes CDs to wma files using Microsoft Media Player 7.
(I
> own stokes and these files are for my sole use.)
> I created a play list (birdsongs.m3u file) which is just a text file of
the
> file names in the order that I wish to hear them.
> Note that in the play list, I first play the Thayer's file (which does NOT
> announce the name of the bird), then I play the corresponding Stokes file.
>
> This is a little bit of an over simplification, but this is kind of what
it
> looks like:
> C:\BirdSongs\Thayers\FieldSparrow.wav
> C:\BirdSongs\Stokes\FieldSparrow.wma
> C:\BirdSongs\Thayers\SwamSparrow.wav
> C:\BirdSongs\Stokes\SwamSparrow.wma
> C:\BirdSongs\Thayers\GrasshopperSparrow.wav
> C:\BirdSongs\Stokes\GrasshopperSparrow.wma
>
> When I play this play list, here's what happens (remember Thayer's
> recordings do NOT have the bird's name announced.)
> 1. Thayer's recording of a field sparrow is played.  I try and guess what
it
> is.
> 2. Stokes recording announces "FIELD SPARROW" and then plays a field
sparrow
> song.
> 3. Thayer's recording of a swamp sparrow is played.  I try and guess what
it
> is.
> 4. Stokes recording announces "SWAMP SPARROW" and then plays a swamp
sparrow
> song.
> 5. Thayer's recording of a Grasshopper sparrow is played.  I try and guess
> what it is.
> 6. Stokes recording announces "GRASSHOPPER SPARROW" and then plays a
> Grasshopper sparrow song.
>
> I recorded this onto a tape and play it in my car.
> Actually, I have a number of tapes each has the songs in a different
order.
>
> It was a fair amount of work to do all this, but now I have some really
good
> tapes.
>
> Hope this is helpful.
>
> John Argentati
> Greenview Pond
> Raleigh, North Carolina
>
>