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Notebooks (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter pduxon
- Start date
Jane Turner
Well-known member
I use a police style one, sold by my local tobacconist!
"I was proceeeding in a north westerly direction when I noticed ...."
You have to imagine the accent
"I was proceeeding in a north westerly direction when I noticed ...."
You have to imagine the accent
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Spud,
I tried using a dictaphone.
About the 5th time of use, it was one of those damp, slightly drizzly days that are so good for birding on the east coast.
Needless to say, the thing packed up. £40 down the drain.
NOT recommended.
Michael
I tried using a dictaphone.
About the 5th time of use, it was one of those damp, slightly drizzly days that are so good for birding on the east coast.
Needless to say, the thing packed up. £40 down the drain.
NOT recommended.
Michael
Jane Turner
Well-known member
Happy to purchase one locally for you and post it, should there be no supplier near you.
There used to be a great shop in Fishguard that sold them. I stocked up on my occasional trips to Strumble Head!
There used to be a great shop in Fishguard that sold them. I stocked up on my occasional trips to Strumble Head!
My original dictaphone, which I mainly used only on foreign trips when weather ranged from hot and very humid with monsoon rain to sub-zero temperatures high in the Himalaya worked without fault for ten years and cost me about £15.
I recently replaced it with a similar but more compact machine costing £34 which has a couple of extra gadgets included and have had no problems yet, nor do I have any real reason to anticipate any given my prior experience.
Also, so long as you make the recording level high enough when making a tape of bird sounds, the same device can be used to lure skulking species out from cover. It's because of this latter use that I go for machines that use standard size tapes rather than the little fiddly ones.
I do know of people who've had trouble with minidisc machines due to damp conditions though.
Spud
Jasonbirder
Jason-occasional-twitcher
I like the small spiral bound hardback books you can get at WHS Smith - the spiral binding is ideal for sticking your pencil down (and incidently I use a propelling pencil - much easier just to keep extending the lead than sharpen your pencil in the field!) and the bindin means you can fold it back on itself giving you a solid platform to lean on.
The ones I purchase have an elastic strap round which you can use to hold the pages down at the page you are using
The ones I purchase have an elastic strap round which you can use to hold the pages down at the page you are using
Edward woodwood
Member
Aldwych - long the birder's fave but so hared to get now? Anyone know where I could get a few?
Hi Pete,
While I have a designated notebook,I don't always have this with me(in particular,if I see something of interest while only "casually" birding),and have been known to take notes/draw rough sketches on shop receipts,borrowed pages(asked Dave Daly for a page to sketch the Tacumshin Citrine Wagtail,as my notebook was back in my bag!),bank statements etc.
Harry H
While I have a designated notebook,I don't always have this with me(in particular,if I see something of interest while only "casually" birding),and have been known to take notes/draw rough sketches on shop receipts,borrowed pages(asked Dave Daly for a page to sketch the Tacumshin Citrine Wagtail,as my notebook was back in my bag!),bank statements etc.
Harry H
Michael Frankis
conehead
Hi Harry,
A lot of my notes are on old used envelopes as well . . got a stack of them stashed away. After all, why waste paper?
Useful in a way too, because the lists of numbers from wader counts, etc, I can chuck after the details have been submitted to the bird club/BTO, while the rarity descriptions I can keep taking up less space than the whole lot would.
Michael
A lot of my notes are on old used envelopes as well . . got a stack of them stashed away. After all, why waste paper?
Useful in a way too, because the lists of numbers from wader counts, etc, I can chuck after the details have been submitted to the bird club/BTO, while the rarity descriptions I can keep taking up less space than the whole lot would.
Michael
Edward woodwood
Member
Watcha folks
like Spud I used a dictophone for a whole year in Indonesia and it was ace - 20 quid.
It did eventually pack up but was faultless for the rest of time which included pretty heavy use. And yes, I'd also agree, very good at pulling out skulkers
never thought about it in the UK though - don't know why.......
like Spud I used a dictophone for a whole year in Indonesia and it was ace - 20 quid.
It did eventually pack up but was faultless for the rest of time which included pretty heavy use. And yes, I'd also agree, very good at pulling out skulkers
never thought about it in the UK though - don't know why.......
Michael Frankis
conehead
So can anyone recommend a dictaphone that is (a) cheap, and (b) proof against drizzle and salt spray (seawatching!!)?
Michael
Michael
Edward woodwood
Member
Watcha Michael
ooo-errr a seawatcher!
a braver man than me! :clap:
I used an Olympus M20 or something like that in very damp and humid conditions Michael.....but nothing like those encountered on a north-east Seawatch
ooo-errr a seawatcher!
a braver man than me! :clap:
I used an Olympus M20 or something like that in very damp and humid conditions Michael.....but nothing like those encountered on a north-east Seawatch
Grampy Bustard
Well-known member
Dictafone
I used my dictafone once, but found it much easier to use my finger... :h?:
I used my dictafone once, but found it much easier to use my finger... :h?:
I use a policeman kind of NoteBook I don't lnow were I got it cus My Mum got got it for me but I think she said she got it at WHSmith so try there
Doug
Well-known member
Tim Allwood said:
Tim
For Alwych note books I go straight to the source - you can order from the web site
http://www.alwych.co.uk/
I have no connections with them etc - but they are excellent field books
Doug
I used to use a dictafone to count birds on my local patch, though I did used to get a bit self-conscious near dog walkers, especially if they were female and I was sorting out a tit flock.
The drawback with dictafones is that you can't sketch with them. I can't sketch anyway, but I do occasionally follow Bill Oddie's advice and draw two ovals - one for the head, the other for the body - and note field marks on those. I don't know that I'd ever submit such a sketch to the BBRC. Whatever they say about not worrying about artistic merit, I do wonder whether they might find difficulty with a Booted Warbler looking a bit like a duck!
Jason
The drawback with dictafones is that you can't sketch with them. I can't sketch anyway, but I do occasionally follow Bill Oddie's advice and draw two ovals - one for the head, the other for the body - and note field marks on those. I don't know that I'd ever submit such a sketch to the BBRC. Whatever they say about not worrying about artistic merit, I do wonder whether they might find difficulty with a Booted Warbler looking a bit like a duck!
Jason
Edward woodwood
Member
Hey, cheers indeed Doug!!!
