I can't resist adding my two cents.

Tapes/CD's are somewhat helpful but my experience is that you can't rely on
them alone. I've spent many hours using BirdPod in the car and sometimes in
the field with some success. During a trip to Maine early this summer I had
some success identifying Warbler calls using BirdPod.

But the best way to learn how to bird by ear is to spend time with
experienced birders who are willing to help. In the last 18 months of so
I've greatly improved my birding by ear by joining the Marymoor Wednesday
bird walk whenever I can. Michael Hobbs, Brian Bell and Matt Bartels are
always willing to help folks connect the sound with the species when
asked...even if asked repeatedly. :) At least for me, nothing works better
than repetiton. All you need are patient co-birders.

Mason Flint
Snoqualmie, WA

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Regan
Wensnahan
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 5:11 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Which songs to learn first?

Hi All,

As a fairly new bird watcher, I have decided that it is time for me to take
time to learn some bird songs. The problem of course is which ones?

I have the Stokes CDs and took the time to make a CD of the subset of
"common" Seattle birds. This trimmed the list from ~500 to ~90. This list is
still too long to seem like a good starting point. I'd like to trim things
to perhaps 20-30 that I would try to memorize and perhaps another 30 that I
would listen to occasionally for familiarity. It seems like the place to
start is with common birds that sing regularly, i.e. those birds I am likely
to hear. It also seems to make sense to focus on birds that I amlikely to
hear but not see or be able to identify easily otherwise.

So, I was hoping that you folks could give me some recommendations.
Where do I start?

Thanks, Mark

Mark Wensnahan
Ballard/Seattle
reganw at rockislandDOTcom

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