We're pleased to announce that we've released an initial preview of Bird Journal 5 desktop software to our beta testers. Bird Journal 5 has a refreshing, modern look and works natively on Mac, Windows and also from our website.
Throughout July we'll be adding features and refining the experience so it's ready for public preview at the end of the month. It will ultimately replace the version 4 desktop software and of course there's no additional cost to use it* - you can switch when convenient.
* For version 4 users. Users on versions 1-3 will need either a free account or premium subscription.
The security of your data is a top concern for us and it's critical that sync works flawlessly for everyone.
To this end we've created a new service that continually verifies the ability to sync for all accounts. If problems occur we'll find out straight away and be able to resolve them quickly. In addition this means we'll be able to better identify and fix root cause of any issues.
This isn't something you, as a Bird Journal user, need to think about - other than to know we're pro-actively keeping Bird Journal running smoothly and keeping your records safe.
We're exhibiting at the Norfolk Bird & Wildlife Fair this weekend, 16th & 17th May, in the marquee at stand 20.
I'm also giving a lecture on Top Apps for Birding at 3:15 on the Saturday.
We hope to see you there!
We're conducting a brief survey to clarify priorities and pricing for Bird Journal and would appreciate your feedback.
As a thank you, we will send a free iPad Mini to one randomly-selected respondent who completes the survey in the next few days!
It's been two months since my last blog post, so it's high time for an update on what's been happening. In the last two months there have been:
5 updates released, addressing reliability on all supported platforms
7 items added to the Bird Journal library, including Frogs of Australia (Taxonomy by Iian Denham), Birds of British Columbia (Checklist by Alan Cairns) and Birds of the UK, BTO 2 and 5-Letter Codes (Synonym Packs by Jonathan Davidson)8 reviews in the Google Play store (all 5-stars)2 reviews in the press (BirdWatching magazine, Rare Bird Alert by Marcus Nash)18% growth in the number of accounts201,000 map views1,700,000 new observations stored73,000 new images stored
We've just added support for importing the latest BirdTrack export format. BirdTrack actually changed their format a little while ago, so this update is overdue.
If you have records in BirdTrack that you haven't yet imported to Bird Journal, now is a great time to do it. Note that import is only available from the Windows desktop app currently, though this is something we're looking to change soon.
To ensure you have the updates needed:
Click Help > Check for Updates in the Windows desktop app, and follow the instructions to install the update.
Click Library, then click on the Updates tab - it should show a (1) to indicate there is an update available. Click on Update All to install the update.
You can then proceed to export your records from Bird Track and import them to Bird Journal.
We recently updated the articles linked above, so please let us know if you have any suggestions.
There are a few Bird Journal Premium features that are only available on the Windows desktop software currently. This is something we are changing, starting with filters.
Filters are now available for both iOS and Android based devices. To get them, install the updated app from either the Apple AppStore or Google Play.
If you're not familiar with filters, they allow you to instantly filter entries and species screens by location, year, month, species or custom property. Just tap the filters row at the top of the relevant screen, pick some values and go back to the screen. You'll see the list of items update.
Other premium analysis features are Graphs, Maps and Photo Gallery. You can help us decide which should come first by voting on our feedback site using the links above.
It's now possible to purchase a Bird Journal Premium subscription as a gift - perfect for Christmas.
You can purchase a one, two or three year subscription, with up to 20% discount. Purchase is very simple, just enter your email, delivery details and payment information. We will dispatch a gift certificate within three working days. This includes a code that can be redeemed on our website, and is well presented with a blank envelope allowing you to personalise the gift.
Delivery is currently free on all orders.
We've just made a big batch of new items and updates available in the library, mostly for the UK and Europe. You can install these to your account now using any of the Bird Journal apps.
New items:
- Amphibians of Europe - Taxonomy by Jason Fisher
- Amphibians of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie (Replaces Amphibians & Reptiles of the United Kingdom)
- Butterflies of Corfu - Checklist using the new Butterflies of Europe Taxonomy by Jason Fisher
- Butterflies of Europe - Taxonomy by Jason Fisher
- Birds of Belize (IOC), 4-Letter Codes - Synonym Pack by Brian Jones
- Dragonflies & Damselflies of Europe - Taxonomy by Jason Fisher
- Leafhoppers & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Reptiles of Europe - Taxonomy by Jason Fisher
- Reptiles of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie (Replaces Amphibians & Reptiles of the United Kingdom)
- Soldierflies & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Water Bugs & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
Update items:
- Bees of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Birds of the Netherlands (IOC), Dutch Names - Synonym Pack by Peter de Hoog
- Grasshoppers & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Harvestmen of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Hoverflies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Lacewings & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Ladybirds & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Land-based Mammals of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Plant Bugs & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Shieldbugs & Allies of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Spiders of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
- Wasps of the United Kingdom - Taxonomy by Colin Brodie
Many thanks to the authors Brian, Colin, Jason & Peter for these!
If you have a Taxonomy, Checklist or Synonym Pack that you think may be helpful to others, please consider publishing it to the library. We especially need non-bird Taxonomies for the US and Australia.
To publish an item you have created, just enter some notes about the item and press Publish. We'll review it to make sure there are no duplicates and that naming is consistent, etc, then make it live. There are
guidelines with more detail on what we look for, and there is an
area on the forum dedicated to discussing the creation of library items.