Máistir Nádúraí: Field Guides never looked so good!

12.28.2011

Field Guides never looked so good!

Sibley Guide for iPad

I recently put my Digiscoper of the Year prize money toward the purchase of an iPad2 . Though I've been using Sibley and iBird Pro on my iPod Touch since early spring, the apps look so much nicer on an iPad. My eyes really appreciate the larger size and I'm certain my field trip participants will love the larger bird and range map images. My paper birding field guide of choice for years has been the Eastern Sibley, but what if I want to be able to identify butterflies, dragonflies, and wildflowers, too? I don't enjoy lugging around several books in the field, so in addition to Sibley and iBird Pro, I have various flora and fauna field guides installed as well. With an iPad or iPod, the conundrum over what field guides to bring along is gone! These handy gizmos easily fit inside a backpack or back pocket.

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.