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Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3191
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Posted: Jan 20 2006 at 4:23am | IP Logged
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I received a "Birdsong Identiflyer" for my birthday last week. It is absolutely wonderful!
It's a small hand-held device into which you insert sound cards. These sound cards have small bird pictures on them. When you push the button next to the picture of a bird you hear what that bird sounds like! Incredibly realistic sounds.
What I like about this gadget is it helps me identify birds by song, rather than just by sight. A lot of the songs we heard we would all look at each other and say "Oh! So that's the mockingbird (or other bird) making that sound!!"
It came with two cards (with 10 birds on each) but there are other cards you can buy (for about $10 each) with various types of birds, and even frogs. I am eager to get the frog one because we hear a lot of what I think is frog music in the early spring out back and I'd love to help the boys figure out what's making all that racket!
I am trying to think of ways to spark a bird study this year and this might be a way to do it!
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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Donna Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 25 2005 Location: Pennsylvania
Online Status: Offline Posts: 1151
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Posted: Jan 20 2006 at 5:55am | IP Logged
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Dawn wrote:
I am trying to think of ways to spark a bird study this year and this might be a way to do it! |
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We're reading The Burgess Bird Book as a read aloud. My daughter, 8yo, sketches the new bird that is introduced in each chapter. When we are through with the book, we'll make a lapbook from her drawings.
We also use Common Bird Songs from Rainbow Resource. The book includes a CD with field recordings of 60 common birds.
__________________ Donna
DH, Keven
Jason, Stevie, Marie, Jackson, Clara, and Aaron
Jacob, Sam, and Regina with God
Grandbabies Leigha and Elsie
Moments Like These
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Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3191
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Posted: Jan 20 2006 at 5:49pm | IP Logged
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Hi Donna,
I just got the Burgess Bird book off our shelf and flipped through. What a gem! I think we will start reading a chapter a day, and I like your idea of sketching the birds as they come along. I may have them sketch as I read.
I also remembered another fun way to learn bird songs ... we have been collecting the Audubon Society birds (soft, stuffed). When you squeeze them they make their particular bird call. A good excuse to keep collecting (that and my boys love playing with them ).
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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lapazfarm Forum All-Star
Joined: July 21 2005 Location: Alaska
Online Status: Offline Posts: 6082
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Posted: Jan 22 2006 at 6:25pm | IP Logged
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Oh, I've seen those identifiers and wondered about them for years. Thought of getting one, but didn't know if the sounds were high quality or accurate. It's nice to know they are, so I can go ahead and get one!
Lapazfarm Home Learning
__________________ Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
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Posted: Jan 23 2006 at 4:44am | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
Thought of getting one, but didn't know if the sounds were high quality or accurate. |
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Hi Theresa,
I'm not a gadget-person, but I am really impressed with the quality of the Identiflyer! I am eager to get more cards, but at $10 each, we will collect them slowly .
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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tovlo4801 Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 28 2005 Location: Minnesota
Online Status: Offline Posts: 386
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Posted: Jan 26 2006 at 11:01pm | IP Logged
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My little son (recently 6) saw them at the Department of Natural Resource store in our local science museum. We had to drag him away from it. We invested in it for his 5th birthday last year and he fiddled with it constantly. We took it out on nature walks last summer and he'd listen for bird sounds and then try to find a matching one. It was a great investment here at our house.
There are also stuffed birds from the audobon society that make bird sounds. He's got a bit of a collection of these started too.
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Dawn Forum All-Star
Joined: June 12 2005 Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline Posts: 3191
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Posted: Jan 27 2006 at 3:45am | IP Logged
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tovlo4801 wrote:
There are also stuffed birds from the audobon society that make bird sounds. He's got a bit of a collection of these started too. |
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We love these birds too! Do you know of a good resource for finding them online? I can pick one up now and again at our local Wild Oats, but their supply is usually depleted, and what's left over is pretty man-handled .
My boys have come up with some fun identification games too .
__________________ Dawn, mum to 3 boys
By Sun and Candlelight
The Nature Corner
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