Birding

[AlmostThere]

Can anyone post the link to a really good bird ID website?
Just a bit ago I saw the most amazing bird and it took quite a bit of weeding thru some awful websites to finally find it's ID.
Ended up being a male yellow rumped warbler in his summer plumage!

[kdmac]

That is so weird!!!! I just emailed my sister and friends telling them I just saw a new bird that I haven't seen before....A yellow-rumped warbler!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am about 200 miles south of you...I have lived in the Northwest all my life and this is the first time I've seen it.

[Liz]

Here's one I have bookmarked. I'm sure there are others.
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478

[Birdie]

Here is a good reference for you.

http://www.sibleyguides.com/

David Sibley does one of the best jobs on writing Bird ID guides. He has an Eastern, Western and a large combined Eastern and Western book,, for those of you who might like a field guide to take on the road with you. There is an app for this for Andoid's on his web site. Don't know anything about the app. Have all 3 of those books and a couple of other books he has written.

This one is better if you subscribe as it gives you more information. But you may not need that much data.

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna

I just binged (google) Bird Identification....had a lot of options - here is one of them. Identify birds by color. It has the yellow-rumped warbler (commonly referred to as a butter butt) but only shows you one of the subspecies - a book would would you both the Myrtle and the Audubon bird and depending on which bird you see you could ID as they are different. But you have to search thru these birds based on their descriptions. I just like the books better - said the old birding lady!
http://www.birdnature.com/identification.html

My take is if you are intersted, go to a used book store and get a good book for the area you will be birding in. The computer doesn't give you the option of looking at many birds all at once and checking the map location......just my 2 cents. Any way surf your hearts out.

[AlmostThere]

That is so wild, Kathy!!

Liz/Nancy, thanks for the websites and info. I always used the Audubon bird book when I lived in Alaska, but haven't a clue where it is, but it was geared for birds mostly in Ak. I loved that book but with the electronic age I thought I might try something online. There is an app for the iPod/iPhone called Birdjam, but looks like you have to be a member first to download their software.

[Liz]

Thanks, Birdie, got those bookmarked too, but I mainly use the book you gave me. I do go to the websites for bird songs though. Need to get a CD.

[AlmostThere]

Yes, I love the songs, too. The app for the phone also has that.

[Birdie]

Bird Song ID's

Don and Lillian Stokes do some of the best CD's and they are based on area. You don't need the Western birds for the Eastern US. Really you don't. It will just confuse you.

Then if you bird in specific area(s) that have birds only in that area, i.e. Arizona, you would want the birds of AZ CD. Only a few states that you would want to restrict yourself for those CD's. Maybe AZ, AK, HI. Birders in SoCal might want the AZ CD or probably CA has a CD for CA birds. It's that the states that border Mexico will many times get strays from Mexico and further south that won't be anywhere else. Or like TX and AZ get birds that don't go other places, not even NM or CA. But I wander and babble bird stuff.....Really I usually try not to get down into the bird feathers too far unless YOU ASKED FOR IT.

[AlmostThere]

That is so weird!!!! I just emailed my sister and friends telling them I just saw a new bird that I haven't seen before....A yellow-rumped warbler!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am about 200 miles south of you...I have lived in the Northwest all my life and this is the first time I've seen it.

Perhaps you and I need to start a birding journal! I love birding.

I just came across this website. Looks promising.

http://lewisriver.com/birdingtrail.html