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Apps/Programs for Apple (1 Viewer)

SDV

Well-known member
Is there a good app/program that will run on iPhone and/or iPad for recording wildlife sightings? I need something which is good for British birds, mammals and butterflies. Ability to record foreign wildlife would be useful, as would a GPS feature. The ability to transfer data to a Mac would be essential.

Any suggestions?
 
Is there a good app/program that will run on iPhone and/or iPad for recording wildlife sightings? I need something which is good for British birds, mammals and butterflies. Ability to record foreign wildlife would be useful, as would a GPS feature. The ability to transfer data to a Mac would be essential.

Any suggestions?

Birdwatcher's Diary http://www.stevenscreek.com/iPhone/birdwatchersdiary.htm is worth a look. Essentially an iPhone app which includes GPS recording. Is being actively developed and very good support from the developer. Doesn't have a desktop version but has good export facilities.

I've been using it for over a year now and am happy with it - but have yet to find a companion desktop program native to the Mac OS to complement it, so for now am transferring sightings manually to the PC at the end of a day's birding.

BW Diary has a super easy export to Facebook option which is cool for sharing with family and friends if you're into Facebook....

John
 
I can't help with the "other than bird" wildlife sightings but I did want to mention "BirdsEye" and "BirdLog" birding apps. I just downloaded them about a week ago and have been using them extensively. I think they cost was $19.99 US each. They link directly into the Ebird database so you can not only record your sightings but also see what everyone else has been seeing in your area. Rare and notable birds in addition to other more regular sightings. The Birdseye app also has a GPS-type feature with full overhead map and sighting location.
 
Birdwatcher's Diary http://www.stevenscreek.com/iPhone/birdwatchersdiary.htm is worth a look. Essentially an iPhone app which includes GPS recording. Is being actively developed and very good support from the developer. Doesn't have a desktop version but has good export facilities.

I've been using it for over a year now and am happy with it - but have yet to find a companion desktop program native to the Mac OS to complement it, so for now am transferring sightings manually to the PC at the end of a day's birding.

BW Diary has a super easy export to Facebook option which is cool for sharing with family and friends if you're into Facebook....

John

Hi John,

Is there an easy way to make your own lists for birdwatchers diary? If I just want to record things on my patch/certain species from a select list rather than scroll through a hundred plus birds to do so?
 
Hi John,

Is there an easy way to make your own lists for birdwatchers diary? If I just want to record things on my patch/certain species from a select list rather than scroll through a hundred plus birds to do so?
The easiest way - what I've done - is to take a copy of the British List and then delete the species that you don't think you'll ever see from it and create 'My List' that way. I was worried as to what would happen when I saw something not on 'My List' but all you do in that case is use the + button on the edit a species screen to add the bird. It took me a while to get my head around this - I was convinced that I should have to go back to the British list and somehow add the missing species - but you can't do that. Seems a bit counter-intuitive but that's how it works. So your added species isn't going to have scientific name (unless you bother to key it in) but BW doesn't care.....
 
The easiest way - what I've done - is to take a copy of the British List and then delete the species that you don't think you'll ever see from it and create 'My List' that way. I was worried as to what would happen when I saw something not on 'My List' but all you do in that case is use the + button on the edit a species screen to add the bird. It took me a while to get my head around this - I was convinced that I should have to go back to the British list and somehow add the missing species - but you can't do that. Seems a bit counter-intuitive but that's how it works. So your added species isn't going to have scientific name (unless you bother to key it in) but BW doesn't care.....

Thank you John. Was hoping it wasn't going to be as long winded as that and that I could split summer and winter up but looks like that may not be the case.
 
As the developer of Birdwatcher's Diary, let me note a few things:

1) If you already have a list or can find it somewhere on the web (e.g., one region, one season, etc.), all you need to create a new list in the software is a simple text file containing one name per line of the species, which can then be easily read into the software (most conveniently using iTunes). When lists are "activated" (i.e., when you select a list from the list of lists that you have stored in your copy of the software), the software automatically appends a scientific name, so that isn't needed.

2) Another way to create a list, which may require fewer steps than deleting unwanted species from an existing list (depending on the number to be deleted!), is to recall a list, and then quickly scroll through the list, ticking the species you want included in the new list, then so to the Lists->Save screen to save the new shorter list. Since deleting a species requires many steps, and ticking only one, this will typically be much faster.

3) Another way to edit a list is to transfer the list to the desktop (a 1-step process using iTunes, although unfortunately because of the way iTunes file sharing works, you have to transfer ALL the lists, but it's still just one step). Now open the list with a text editor and just cut out the lines of species you don't want, save the shorter list with a different name, and read it back into the software.

4) Finally the question of ticking a species which isn't on your shorter list. You CAN click the Edit button, then the + button, and add a species to the current active list. But just as simply, you can go to the Lists->Recall screen, and set it to MERGE mode, and then recall a larger list (e.g., the entire country instead of just one region or whatever). That will expand your list to the larger list, but without losing your currently active ticks (although archiving before you do this is always a good idea). Yes, for the rest of the day you'll be working with a longer list, but the degree to which that slows you down (i.e., takes slightly longer to find a species on the list) is really pretty minor, and it's a more reliable method, because this way you don't have to worry that you don't know how to spell the name of the species.

5) And last but not least, note that lists can consist of anything - not just birds, but mammals, butterflies, amphibians, anything. The only limitation is that, with the latest version of the software, the software knows the taxonomic order of birds, so the list you input can be in any order and the software will re-order it (when appropriate) properly. With other types of creatures, the list must be input in taxonomic order for the software to know that order (to the extent that matters).
 
Hi Steve

Welcome to BF - you've proved my point nicely re. the level of support for BW Diary - can't beat the actual developer providing live tips - and I've learnt something more today!
 
The other thing about Birdwatcher's Diary and checklists is that the Stevens Creek Software web site has a whole bunch of lists for quick transferring to the app on your iPhone (or iPad or iPod Touch). There is every U.S. state, California counties, and a bunch of countries, plus eBird's special lists (like spuhs, i.e. gull sp.). US and UK lists are pre-loaded when you get the app. There is an online manual and an eBook version of the manual that explains how to do everything. For the basics and to quickly get started, you can view the video.
 
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Birdwatcher's Diary http://www.stevenscreek.com/iPhone/birdwatchersdiary.htmjigsaw puzzle is worth a look. Essentially an iPhone app which includes GPS recording. Is being actively developed and very good support from the developer. Doesn't have a desktop version but has good export facilities.

I've been using it for over a year now and am happy with it - but have yet to find a companion desktop program native to the Mac OS to complement it, so for now am transferring sightings manually to the PC at the end of a day's birding.

BW Diary has a super easy export to Facebook option which is cool for sharing with family and friends if you're into Facebook....

John

Thanks for your ideas and sharing!
 
Why has nobody mentioned iNaturalist? Besides eBird, iNaturalist is arguably the best and most widely adopted citizen science project for recording wildlife and plants.
 
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iObs is hands down one of the very best apps I have in my app list.
It's fast, convenient and a no-brainer to use.

I guess iNaturalist has about the same functions but I haven't used it (yet)
 
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