Birder's Delight Desktop

Autumn is coming, now, and out in the suburbs my mother is beginning to hear the majestic, haunting sounds of flocks of geese flying over on their migration.

But, working in the city, I miss out on a lot of the bird life that rural dwellers get treated to.

The Birder's Delight Desktop will cover your desktop with the habitat of your choice: forest, underbrush, marsh, grasslands, even city park and backyard bird feeders. You choose what types of trees you will plant, and what kind of cover you will provide.

Then, wait a few minutes, and the birds will arrive! From time to time you will hear the chirps and songs of birds, and you will actually see those birds hopping around in the habitat on your screen.

You never know what will happen on any given day. A song sparrow might be perched out in the open and singing all morning. Perhaps a yellow warbler will show up in your willow tree. Simply click the Binoculars tool in the task bar, and drag the circle of magnification over to the area you want to view. But hurry! As in real life, the birds don't stay put forever. Take too long and the little bird will fly away. Stumped as to what species it was? Don’t spend hours poring over your bird guide only to emerge with some half-baked guesses. Simply click the Bird Guide icon, and a balloon will appear with the name of the species, as well as the sex and age of this particular sighting.

The beautiful thing about this glorious desktop program is that it incorporates the real seasonality of the bird life in your area. You tell the program where you live, and you will experience the birds in every season just as they are seen in nature outdoors. Whether it’s the eagerly-awaited arrival of juncos (snowbirds) in the winter, or the spring and fall migrations of Canada geese flying across your screen, you will look forward to the new birds that each new season brings.

The pleasant chirps and twitters of birds will make any workplace a happy one. The birds will be up at dawn, singing away even as you snooze in bed. Towards the end of the work day, the birds will begin roosting quietly, heralding the end of the pleasant workday. Plus, there is always the chance of a special surprise. Once or twice a year, a rarity will appear, a species so rare that you will race to minimize all your windows so you can catch a glimpse of it. If you see it, then celebrate! Treat yourself to a nice dinner of roast duck or turkey. If you missed it, well, there’s always the Bird Guide icon to tell you what you have just missed.

Enjoy the season!