From Sarasota Herald-Tribune:
When bird watchers like Forest Hayes see an unidentified specimen, fumbling for a field guide could blow the chance to get a good look at the bird before it flies off.
The New College of Florida student and his fellow avian enthusiasts now carry iPhones, so they can leave their bulky guides at home if they want.
A host of new smart phone applications are letting bird watchers go into the wild with volumes of information at their fingertips. Soon, seashell collectors, plant lovers and would-be entomologists can enjoy the same benefits.
The firm that creates Audubon Field Guides plans to roll out an iPhone application in two weeks: the Ultimate Guide to Florida Nature.
The app is the first of its kind, and essentially compiles 10 guidebooks into one electronic version, complete with hundreds of bird calls and an exhaustive account of Florida ecology.
The volume boasts nearly 2,000 animal species, including insects, spiders, fish, seashells, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and seashore creatures.
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