Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!sid
From: sid@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Sid Johnson WB6VWH)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: More birder questions
Summary: Plover, White-crown
Message-ID: <1991Mar23.145351.8041@jato.jpl.nasa.gov>
Date: 23 Mar 91 14:53:51 GMT
References: <31315@usc>
Reply-To: sid@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Sid Johnson WB6VWH)
Organization: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
Lines: 40

In article <31315@usc> burhans@mizar.usc.edu (Mustang Sally) writes:
>Being so successful last time, heres more:
>
>Does anyone out there use birding software (e.g. Plover, Birdbrain,
>etc.)  and can you give me a review of how you liked it? I'd like to
>

Of the various birding software reviews that I have read on this net, as
well as BIRDCHAT and elsewhere, Plover gets the best reviews.  As far
as I can tell most use the program as an up front data entry program to
a dbase program.  I have not yet seen a review of the newer program
datahawk.

>
>Second question: bird identifying. In my back yard (in L.A.) I was
>watching mockers, house sparrows and house finches and juncoes and saw
>this similar bird pecking around on the ground. Seed cracking bill,
>brown body, smooth light grey head with black stripes. Four stripes,
>two thru eyes and two more on crown evenly spaced. That's all I caught
>

Well, you didn't mention size of the bird but since it was in agroup of
sparrows and Juncos, the description would lead me to believe it was
a White-crowned Sparrow.  They are quite comman here in So. Calif this
time of year and the white crown is not always that apparent but the
stripes that you mentioned are a good field mark for this bird.

I,m not sure what part of the city you live in but I recommend finding
out where the nearest birdwalk is held and joining in.  That will help
you learn the local birds in a hurry and also the key field marks to
look for.

>Thansk!
>-- 
>Jackie Burhans (burhans@usc.edu)          
>Data Stylist, USC Student Affairs
-
-Sid

ps. I think Mike tried to reply to this but all we got was his name.