for those that are interested, i have a BIRDS google earth file that
contains many local birding areas, and wouldn't mind acquiring more in an
effort to learn new places...
00 caren
http://www.parkgallery.org

-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu]On Behalf Of
Pterodroma at aol.com
Sent: Friday, 2006 February 17 07:48
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Cc: Ladyshrike at aol.com; roger.rowlett at citigroup.com;
roger.rowlett at americasroof.com
Subject: [Tweeters] google earth


As Yvonne Bombardier kindly mentioned privately yesterday and others may
have noted as well as I was merrily going about commencing the Great
Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) before being scuttled by distraction, aka: "the
dive noise," the GBBC period doesn't begin until TODAY, Friday, Feb 17.
Well, at the time I *thought* yesterday was 'today', Friday, Feb 17. I was
wondering how this week went by so fast, so I guess that means I get a
'bonus day' in a month that's already too short.

I think the problem was in having gotten lost and absorbed in my new
computer toy, "google earth" and losing all track of time. I don't know if
this topic has appeared on tweeters yet, probably has, but if not, THIS is a
pretty amazing thing. You can zoom in from space and find your favorite
birding haunts with a bird's eye perspective; find your own house even. You
can 'fly' all over the state of Washington or anywhere in the world, view
the lay of the land, adjust the tilt and angle to see and examine the real
topographic features, and just plain get a fantastic overview of your
favorite birding areas, your own house even, and lots more. It's very user
friendly and it's a FREE download at: http://earth.google.com/

Images vary in resolution due to satellite limitations in some areas,
fairly excellent in common populated areas and familiar landmarks such as
Mt. St. Helens as you fly right into the crater. On one of my 'flying
sorties' I was apparently too low when I 'crashed' into Mt. Rainier; ooh,
total white out. Areas where I found resolution very poor were out in the
mid tropical Pacific where I spent this past summer and fall on and around
Palmyra and Johnston Atolls south and southwest of Hawaii. I think
resolution is highest in areas of most common general interest and less so
in very remote areas.

Another that tweaked my interest was Antarctica. Resolution there wasn't
great, but okay for what I was looking for; the Ross Sea and Ross Ice Shelf,
and specifically the "Bay of Whales," the absolute southern most navigable
waters in the world where I've had the good fortune to actually visit on two
occasions onboard a Russian whaling vessel while conducting minke whale
research way back 20 and 25 years ago.

So, if THIS download is FREE, I have to wonder what you get for the $400
pro version. Maybe that's the tv show "24's" CTU version :-)) No doubt the
Defense Department has an even greater enhanced version we can only covet,
the $400-billion version, which might even locate and identify individual
inbound or settled rarities, project destination, show locations, trees, and
find the exact branch where it's perched, ...and view the bird! Just think,
maybe it would have been possible to 'tick' that Olympia Redwing last winter
without having to ever leave the comforts of your own home :-))

To download and enjoy google earth, it is recommended that your computer
be no more than two years old, the newer the better. If you've got that,
then go have fun. But be warned, until the novelty wears off, this toy can
be very very addicting!

****************************************************
Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA, USA

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what
nobody has thought" --Albert Szent-Gyorgi (1893-1986).
****************************************************
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