Dear birdJammers...

birdJam “Twitch” Game Now
Available on iTunes!

If you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, you can download the challenging new “birdJam Twitch” ID game from the Apple iTunes store by clicking this link: birdJam Twitch on iTunes . Or, you can find it yourself by searching for “birdJam” or “birdJam Twitch” in the iTunes Store.

birdJam Twitch is a visual identification game that organizes 660+ North American bird species into 31 “flocks” for the East, West and both.

You choose a flock, set the level of difficulty, and shake your iPod Touch or iPhone to start a game. During play, small squares turn over randomly to gradually reveal a complete photograph, displaying a bird in its natural habitat. Gamers attempt to name the bird, as it is revealed, from suggestions at the bottom of the screen. When play ends, flick through the photographs to see how well you did—or didn’t—score. Let birdJam Twitch load your high score to our web site to compare your score to other players and win periodic prizes. The birdJam Twitch Game is priced at $8.99.

Learn more about birdJam Twitch. Also, we explain how to download iTunes apps in our July 2009 Newsletter.

birdGems Are Wrapped and Ready

birdGems: hand-crafted jewelry that is beautiful, vibrant and reflects a love of the natural world. Whether you order a birdGem for yourself or as a gift, this fabulous (we think!) jewelry by artists Jude Rose and Ellen Van Mansvelt will arrive packaged in a “gift-ready” box nestled in a complimentary organza bag.

The one-at-a-time artistry of each piece means they are destined to become best-loved treasures.

Note cards by Lisa Walraven are also available.

birdJam Maker Downloads Are Always Available

It seems as if this has been the summer of computer crashes, and we’ve had many emails and calls in the last month about whether it is possible to download another copy of birdJam Maker to restore lost copies. The answer is YES and it's FREE!

Just go to the birdJam Upgrade Page, enter your email address, and then enter your birdJam Maker serial number. This number would most likely be on the back of your birdJam Maker CD jewel case, under the CD in the jewel case, or saved from when you originally downloaded birdJam Maker. If you cannot find your birdJam Maker serial number, send an email to our support department. You’ll need to provide the original order number or the name under which birdJam Maker was ordered (if it was a gift, for example).

Versatile Gear Pouch Is Ready for the Field

We finally found a Western Pack pouch that is the perfect size, style and weight for carrying your gear into the field. Measuring 9" x 7" x 4", this pouch has lots of convenient compartments that can expand to carry your iMainGo/iPod speaker (and other speaker/iPod combos), binoculars, field guide, sandwich, notebook, pencil/pen, cell phone, etc.
	A belt loop and sling provide carrying options, and the black Polyester material is coated with a water resistant PVC backing. The multiple compartments are secured with zippers, Velcro, heavy duty webbing and other high-quality materials. The front flap is complimented with a birdJam logo, and the pack is priced at only $19.99.

birdJam Coffee:

Delivering a Cup of Great Tasting Conservation

Each year birdJam donates 5% of company profits to conservation organizations such as The Nature Conservancy. Now we’re adding organic, shade-grown coffee from Selva Negra to the birdJam Store to further support wildlife conservation.
Selva Negra is a family-owned coffee farm in Nicaragua. This fifth-generation enterprise combines natural cultivation and excellent employee working conditions to support the culture, people and wildlife of this beautiful part of the world. And their beans produce a great cup of coffee. Here’s an easy way to support the birds you love without compromising on quality or your principals!

Birding-by-Ear Expert:

Read How He Improved His Birding ID Success

Ken Blankenship, a well-known Georgia-based birder, is also an author, writer, editor, trip leader and creator of Wings Over Georgia
(Ken is shown here with his wife, Rachel Cass).

He recently sent an upexpected (and unsolicited!) email to tell us about how his birdJam iPod has made him an even better birder. How about identifying Bank Swallows by their calls within a mixed flock of flying birds? Or how about White-rumped Sandpipers? Read Ken's letter here!

Download Optional Playlists

Now that Ken’s article has reinforced the power of learning with the birdJam playlists, remember that you can download lots of optional playlists via birdJam Maker. Just open birdJam Maker, and do the following:

Go to File Menu (upper left)
Select Download Optional Playlists (need to be connected to the internet)
Select a category such as Stokes (will provide playlists organized just like the original Stokes CD but without the narration, etc.)
Select desired playlists to be downloaded (including All)
Click on Download Playlists

Once downloaded, you’ll need to run Install Playlists from the main birdJam Maker window, and then resync your iPod. Installing optional playlists is obviously for people who have loaded the bird song CDs into iTunes, have installed birdJam Maker, etc.

birdJam Survey:

75% Use birdJam For Study Before Birding

As you told us in our last birdJammer survey in February 2009, about 75 percent of you use birdJam to study your birds before going into the field. We encourage you to explore how to use birdJam to make your birding experience even more successful—just like Ken! Or perhaps studying with birdJam Twitch!

Signing Off...

As always, we wish you all the best. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us or call 1-800-403-5524. Previous birdJam newsletters with lots of helpful information are always available.

We’re off to the Midwest Birding Symposium and the Georgia Coastal Birding Festival! What are you doing in the next few weeks?

With our best wishes,

Denese, Jay and Charlie