Birdrace

4 birders, 4th May 2014, Bedfordshire, 110 species.  Ordinary.  Birdrace: The Movie.

BirdTrack app

Finally some great news for UK birders with Iphones - there is now a BirdTrack app!

It was released on itunes on Saturday 2nd Feb and finally catches up with everyone with an Android phone who had the app months ago.

So far it looks really easy and quick to add sightings from the field.  I took it for a test-drive round Broom yesterday and adding casual records was a doddle.  I've still got to give the species list function a run through, but that might be more attractive to use if it's as quick as entering casual records.

There are also two extra functions on the app - 'Local Species' and 'Local Hotspots'.  'Local Species' lists sightings that anyone has entered in to BirdTrack and you can their location on a Google map.  Local Hotspots does a similar thing but lists sightings by location first.  These might be the least used function of the app for me, but I guess others will find them interesting and useful.

The app can be found on the Apple store or on Google Play for Android users.

Birding iphone apps

Here are my five 'must have' birding apps for the iphone.  These aren't id guides or the like, these are for increased birding productivity - how to make the technology in the iphone work for you.

FiRE 2
A fantastic sound recording app.  Has the ability to add gain to your recordings, and also upload them straight to Soundcloud.  Has been very useful to record Sibe Chiff calls while out birding and I'm hoping to use it during this coming vismig season too.

Clicker+
A really simple counter app.  One click adds one to the counter, its as simple as that.  It's much quicker than a traditional metal clicker and great for counting roosting gulls!

Camera+
Just a bit better than the standard camera app.  The biggest benefit of this one is that you can set a separate exposure area to the focus point.

Outside Maps
The official OS app where you can download the very useful 1:50,000 scale maps.  These give you all the footpaths and tracks you need when out birding.

MyMedia
This is simply an app to help you store downloaded files on your iphone.  I find this most useful when I want to find a song or call from the excellent xeno-canto.org website.

Are there any I've missed?  Please leave a comment if you have found an iphone app that might be of use while our birding.

Instagramatics

I've recently got myself a new phone - an iphone 4s - and the camera on it is great!  I've been messing around using Instagram which has yealded some nice results.  Below are the instagram shot, then the oringinals.

Crests of a feather

Firecrest by Steve BlainGolden-crowned Kinglet, Vancouver Island by Steve Blain

Willowchiff

Willowchiff at Hawkesbury Meadows by Steve Blain

Willow Warbler or Chiffhaff? From what I've read, these 'mixed singing' birds are probably late arriving Willow Warblers. Where from, I wonder?