On Mon, 8 Apr 1996, Nathan Smith wrote:

> Am interested in any information regarding approaches to "birding by ear"
> for individuals with high frequency hearing loss. High frequency hearing
> loss is common among "age-advantaged birders"; particularly males.
> Conventional hearing
> assisting devices are not effective in dealing with this problem. Am just
> beginning to investigate the problem and would be interested in any
> information sources and resources. Many thanks Nathan J. Smith M.D. 206
> 523 3057 nathanj. at u.washington.edu

Nathan, I too am missing all those high frequency calls. Below is more
information about 'the birder' hearing aid developed by Barbara Hass
specifically for high frequency.

I just reached her at the 800 number listed below in the old Birdchat
message I had archived. She now also has email:
pabirds at redrose.net

By the way her husband has page on the Web that lists bird tours:

http://www.birdtours.com/

and a link is now in from the Birding Links page:

Dan Victor, Seattle, WA <dvictor at u.washington.edu>
Birding Links = http://weber.u.washington.edu/~dvictor/other.html
===========
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 09:25:44 PDT
From: Duane Carmony <carmony%purdd.hepnet at LBL.GOV>
To: Multiple recipients of list BIRDCHAT <BIRDCHAT at ARIZVM1.BITNET>
Subject: HEARING AID FOR BIRDING

About this time last year Don Henise posted a note about a hearing
aid specifically designed for birders. This note mentioned being able
to hear Grasshopper Sparrows with the hearing aid. I had just left a
field where I had clearly heard Dickcissels and Bobolinks, but had
stood 20 feet from a singing Grasshopper Sparrow without hearing
a thing.

Late last fall, I first tried for about a month a pair of Argossy
hearing aids. They were supposed to be high qualitity and seemed very hifi as
far as conversation and classical music goes. They made certain bird calls like
house sparrows very loud but did not help on truly high sounds.

My audiologist talked to the audiologist in Pennslyvania that was mentioned
by Don Henise on the Chat line I then tried the "birder" for about two months.
Initially I had both brands of hearing aids and listening to tapes clearly
established that even one birder picked up a whole lot more high
frequency stuff than two conventional aids. The birder and the conventional
aid seemed about the same for normal conversations.

I finally bought two Birders at the end of February.

The rub is the price. The Argossy at $600 for each ear was already at the
high end of the conventional hearing aids. The birder costs $1200 for one ear
and $2200 for two.

As soon as I bought the birder, I went to West Mexico on a Wings
tour. I was amazed at how well I was hearing Blue Gray Gnatcatchers and
I was soon identifying Waxwings again before I saw them. I barely hear
Waxwings or gnatcatchers without the hearing aid.

The good news was that after the two weeks in Mexico, the
price was down to $36 per life bird (about 335 species, 61 lifers which would
have been 105 if I had not previously been in Costa Rica).

Yes, I can hear Grasshopper Sparrows again: I heard my first
Grasshopper Sparrow when it was at least 15 fence posts away. It was far enough
away that it was a marginal view with 10 x 40 binocs. I also heard
another high pitched song that I had been missing--Black and White
Warbler.

The audiologist mentioned by Don Henise is Barb Hass in Narvon PA.
Her phone is 215 445 5010 or (800) 762-6360.

Duane Carmony, W. Lafayette IN 47906 carmony at physics.purdue.edu