Brilliant new BIRD RECORDING SOFTWARE - BIRD JOURNAL

I have just spent the past month exploring the virtues of some new Birding Journal software I was kindly sent. I must say that I have been highly impressed by it and have found it an excellent addition to my Bird Recording. It is very easy to use and self-explanatory and allows one to methodically record each and every species of bird, mammal, butterfly, insect of flower that one has seen - hugely impressive.

For example, after adding my bird species of today and 1,878 entries down the line, at-a-glance I can see that I have now recorded 153 species during that time, that my highest day tally was 9 August with 97 species and that I have recorded 104 species in the past 7 days and 94 in the past calendar week.

It also has a mass of other functions and with each new location added, it automatically works out a site list and a cumulative county total, as well as constantly updating a calendar year total and a Life count.

There are five main function utilities, with ENTRIES (your personal sightings), GRAPHS (a drop down menu of graphs showing Year Species Count, Monthly counts, Locations tallies and Checklist counts), GALLERY (all of your uploaded images), SPECIES (all of the data you require on each and every species you have seen) and LOCATION (where you have seen each species).

Although the principle taxonomy used is that of Clements (World) and BOU (Britain), it can be easily customised allowing one to add in any list of one's choice, including that of the UK400 Club (full Western Palearctic Listing complete with all sub-species) and other custom lists such as those of British Butterflies or Moths or Mammals or a massive selection of country lists.

Bluebird Technology also offer a very helpful and useful birder's forum, where members can share lists and discuss add-ons and new functions and I have been customising a new database concentrating on Rare Birds recorded in Britain and Ireland. This software is revolutionary and adds a new dimension to your everyday birding exploits.

The software is available from http://www.bluebirdtechnology.com/ and there is a 15% discount on all orders up to 31 August. The Order Hotline number is 0845 094 6012 and is manned Monday-Friday from 0900-1700 hours (Lee G R Evans)