Dear birdJammers...

Welcome to all the many new birdJammers who joined our ranks during the holiday season! We hope that you’ve all had time to start familiarizing yourselves with the alphabetic, taxonomic, habitat and species playlists so you can find any bird within seconds. If you need any assistance, just send us an email.

New North American Owls Module

We’ve just completed a new birdJam Maker Add-On Module for North American Owlsbased upon the comprehensive CD set from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology entitled "Voices of North American Owls". This in-depth collection features nearly 200 tracks of hoots, screams, chitters, squawks, squeals, bill claps and barks of 19 regularly-occurring species of North American owls and two rarities. The birdJam playlist for each species identifies the various calls so you'll be well prepared to ID the owls from only their sounds--even in the dark!

Update on iMainGo2 Speakers

The only place you can currently purchase an iMainGo2 speaker (that works with an iPod Touch/iPhone) is Target. We are expecting a new shipment in mid-March; we’ll let you know as soon as they arrive! We were disappointed when we recently tried an iMainGo “look alike” called the iSound. The looks may be similar, but the quality was a huge disappointment. The iPod Touch/iPhone didn’t fit correctly either.

Adding Music to a Pre-Loaded birdJam iPod

We get lots of inquiries about adding music to an iPod that we pre-loaded with the birdJam bird songs and photos. Yes, you can add lots of additional content to your iPod, including music CDs (human, birds, etc.), movies, podcasts, apps, etc. Here is a short article on how to get started with music. We suggest you be very careful and read all directions before you try this the first time!

birdJam “In the News”

We are so gratified to be mentioned often in birding blogs, podcasts, on the radio, in articles, etc. Steve Moore, the producer of BirdWatchRadio.com recently interviewed Denese. And, Bill Schmoker wrote a great review of birdJam (PDF) in the December 2008 issue of ABA’s "Winging It" newsletter.

Apple Contact Info for Warranty Service

If you need warranty service for your iPod (for issues such as the battery not charging any longer), you can either visit your local Apple store or you can call Apple at 1-800-275-2273 (1-800-APL-CARE). They will ask for your iPod serial number which is on the original iPod box and will also be displayed in the Summary Screen in iTunes when your plug in your iPod. If it is a pre-loaded birdJam iPod, be sure and decline to have iTunes erase and sync it or you will lose all the bird songs and photos that we loaded for you.

New Big Pockets Vest

Our friends at Big Pockets have a new “Equatorial” vest with even more small pockets to house an iPod, as well as large ones that are perfect for an iMainGo speaker. If you make a purchase, be sure and let them know that you’re a birdJammer!

iPod Sonnet Wall Charger

Several of you have reported problems with the new Sonnet wall charger not charging your iPods. Upon investigation, we realized that the directions neglect to instruct you to insert a little two-sided adapter—that is included in the Sonnet box—between the wall unit and the cable that attaches to the iPod. We’ve started adding this installation tip to the Sonnet box but wanted to let you know as many of you ordered before we identified this problem.

Repeat One Bird Song

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the birdJam survey so far! Hundreds of birdJammers had filled it out within a few hours; you guys are so great! One repeatedly requested item was information on how to repeat a bird song without the iPod automatically moving to the next song. Here's how to easily set up your iPod to do just that!

Test Yourself!

If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, there is a nifty way to sharpen your birding-by-ear skills! Scott Huber of Big Birders Tours and his 11-year-old son, Liam, use an iPhone to quiz themselves and race to see who can name that bird first! They select a playlist, then press "Shuffle" and lay the iPhone down so they can’t see the screen. Bird songs are randomly played and they compete to see who can ID the bird first!

Signing Off...

By the Way...
Past birdJam newsletters are chock full of great information.

Remember our pledge that we will never, ever share your contact information with anyone!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by at the festivals in Harlingen, TX, and Titusville, FL, and look forward to seeing those of you who are planning to be at the San Diego festival in early March.

With our best wishes,

Denese, Jay and Charlie