When
we are out in nature we often want to identify and photograph what we see so we
can share and learn from the experience. Well, the elves at the phone &
tablet store have been very busy making and improving on the tools you can use
on your iPhone or Android and now even on your tablets.
Here
are some applications that may interest you, and they are all free.
BirdLog NA
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| Colton Robbins enters our bird sightings. |
At
the Apple store or Android store you can find the free app for the Bird Log
North America (other continents available). It’s a simple to use application
for recording your bird sightings. When
you complete your hike (it asks how many people were contributing to the list
and how long/far you hiked) you can submit the list to eBird which is the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and National
Audubon Society database.
There’s
lots of help and FAQs (frequently asked questions) are available to guide you
through the process. All of the apps
have a website that offer additional information and guidance. On your home
computer you can spend more time at www.ebird.org
but it’s really an easy process.
If
you are birding in Hays County please submit your sightings to eBird. The Hays
County Master Naturalists are working on a multi-faceted project to identify
good, public birding spots -- your list works toward that goal.
iNaturalist
This
app, designed by two biologists, allows you to access guides, record sightings,
and share with your group or everyone that is plugged-in. The website www.inaturalist.org is the place to go for an explanation of what
this powerful app can do.
Did
you know that under the ‘Projects’ tab there is a whole library of projects for
Texas? “Skunks of Texas” and ‘Species of Hays County, Texas” made by high
school science students are but two. Wild Basin in Austin also has a couple
projects posted.
Merlin Bird ID
This app is from the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology and is so easy, I can use it! The app starts by asking where you
saw the bird, when you saw the bird, what was the size of the bird, what were
the main colors, what was the bird doing and then creates a list of possible
birds complete with photographs to confirm. http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
Texas Invasives
We
are a large state and are constantly being invaded … by plants, animals,
insects and diseases that wreak havoc on the natives. The recently redesigned
app couldn’t be simpler to use. In the field, identify the plant, take a
picture, save it and the automatic GPS location, answer three or four simple
questions and then upload when you’re ready.
I use the Wi-Fi feature on my tablet when I get home. There’s an on-line course that you can
take. Chapter 11 of the Citizen
Scientist ~ On Line Training can help with any questions. You do need to
register as a user. This information
will help as the different armies make their way across the state, whether it’s
common salvinia or Emerald Ash borer. The website is www.texasinvasives.org/
–
Lance Jones lancej1s@gmail.com
