Bird Journal Blog

News, updates and release notes from Bird Journal — across web, mobile and desktop.

104 posts

The redesigned Bird Journal photo gallery, with photos tiled and grouped by day
Justin

A redesigned photo gallery

The photo gallery has had a makeover — your pictures now sit in a tiled layout grouped by day, open full-screen with a smooth zoom, and the whole thing feels lighter and faster than ever.

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The redesigned Bird Journal blog homepage
Justin

A fresh new look for the blog

Our blog has a brand new home — faster, cleaner and easier to read, with quick search and all the old posts carried across. Here's a quick tour of what's changed.

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Justin

Updates coming for 2026!

We've been working hard on a number of updates to Bird Journal recently. Keep a look out for: - Updated apps - all of our apps are being updated along with the…

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Justin

BirdTrack import fixes

We've just released an update to the Bird Journal Web app that fixes import from BirdTrack. We're working on matching fixes for the Mac and Windows apps.There…

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Justin

Android app refresh

The Bird Journal Android app was originally released after the iOS app. Whilst offering the same core experience, it has often been a few steps behind in terms…

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Justin

iOS app summary chart and updates

The Bird Journal iOS app now shows a summary chart on the summary screen, letting you see progress at a glance!The presentation is mobile app specific - bars…

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Justin

Windows app update required

Due to changes in our systems, an update to the Bird Journal Windows app needs to be installed to ensure continued operation after 31st October 2024.Version…

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Justin

eBird & BirdTrack support improvements

We made a lot of improvements to eBird & BirdTrack support in Bird Journal over the last year. Here are the highlights of what changed:eBirdImport of…

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Justin

Amazing community content

Over the years we've had some fantastic contributions from our users to the Bird Journal library. These really boost the appeal of Bird Journal, allowing to…

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Justin

New checkout

New year, new checkout. If you upgrade to premium, buy a gift or update your card details you may notice things look a little different.We've updated our…

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Justin

Bird Journal Web app now in public beta

Over the years Bird Journal apps have been released for Windows, iOS, Android and Mac. Now, making Bird Journal even more accessible, Bird Journal is coming to…

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Justin

IOC 10.2 available

We're pleased to announce that IOC 10.2 is live in the library! This was officially released two days ago on the 25th and includes many taxonomic changes and a…

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Justin

IOC 9.2 & more

We've made some good progress on an IOC 9.2 taxonomy update in the last weeks. Work is continuing and it will be released soon. This will include updates to…

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Justin

Clements 2017 update available

We've just released an update for the Clements taxonomy, bringing it right up-to-date!You'll see a number badge on the Library button if you've updates to…

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Justin

A new store for sync

A few months back we got an email from the company that stores all of the synchronized data in Bird Journal, telling us we were running out of space. A good…

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Justin

Windows XP

I just wanted to let you know that we’re today retiring support for Windows XP for Bird Journal version 4.This decision is prompted by a security change in…

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Justin

Recent community content

The new year has seen a huge boost in the number of Bird Journal users. Some of these users have published content about Bird Journal. Here are a few:Video…

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Justin

Christmas is for sharing

For a limited time we're offering a free six months of Bird Journal Premium each, when you introduce someone to Bird Journal. (Up to a maximum of 12…

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Justin

Making the most of the iPad screen

It has always been possible to use Bird Journal on an iPad, but only as an iPhone app. This meant over-sized text and graphics and also being harder to find in…

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Justin

Bird Journal is now even more free!

Earlier this year we launched the version 5 desktop software and the response has been very positive. We've heard from many of you about how the new interface…

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Justin

First taxonomy updates live!

Taxonomy updates in Bird Journal are long overdue. The last three months have been spent preparing the first major updates and ensuring the experience is as…

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Justin

Replacing species

Editing records in Bird Journal is achieved by editing a specific entry. Certain changes however will be very tedious made to individual entries.The Replace…

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Justin

Library update notifications

In early versions of Bird Journal we relied on software updates to also provide you with updates to "built-in" taxonomies and checklists. For taxonomies &…

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Justin

Bird Journal 5 desktop app released!

I'm pleased to announce that the version 5 desktop app is now live, with a refined user experience, Mac support and some great new features.Many, many thanks…

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Justin

Bird Journal 5 Maps

Maps were just added to the Bird Journal 5 beta, and they're much improved.SpiderifyingMany observations at the same point are no longer a problem thanks to…

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Justin

Bird Journal 5, renewals and an app update

We're busy with a number of things at the moment, and I thought it would be nice to give you a brief update on each.Bird Journal 5We've now released the early…

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Justin

Latest Taxonomies, Checklists and Synonym Packs

We've had a lot of fantastic contributions to the Bird Journal library since my last update in November last year.Here's a summary of items added since…

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Justin

Bird Journal Version 5 in Private Preview

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,…

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Justin

Bird Journal Sync Health Service

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…

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Justin

Norfolk Bird & Wildlife Fair

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…

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Christine

Bird Journal 2015 Survey, iPad Mini Competition Winner

Thank you for everyone who completed the survey, we really appreciate your help!I am pleased to announce the winner of the Bird Journal 2015 Survey competition…

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Justin

Bird Journal 2015 Survey

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…

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Justin

What's new (in numbers)

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…

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Justin

BirdTrack Import Updated

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…

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Justin

Filters for iOS and Android

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…

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Justin

The Gift of Bird Journal Premium

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,…

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Justin

Big Batch of Library Updates

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…

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Justin

Account Summary and Sharing

It's now possible to sign in to your account on our website to view your account summary. This includes details of when you created your account, your…

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Justin

Getting started with the new Bird Journal

The new Bird Journal has been live for just three days now and already the number of accounts has doubled.I've already written an article on how to get started…

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Justin

Remember Everything, with the All-New Bird Journal

Today we are delighted to announce that the all-new Bird Journal is ready to use.New appsOur Android, iOS & Windows apps have each had a big update.You can now…

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Justin

The all-new Bird Journal

We are very excited to launch our free public beta in the next few days. We've been working hard for the last seven months to bring you some significant…

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Justin

Birding Apps Survey

I'm delighted to be giving a lecture on the top apps for birding at this years Birdfair at Rutland Water. To help bring a wider perspective I've created a…

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Justin

Bird Journal 3.3 Released

Maps in version 3 just got better. We're now using a different company (Mapbox) to provide map data. The data is still from open street map, but is much more…

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Justin

Bird Journal 3.2 released

New month, and a new version of Bird Journal. A few changes this time, including some to help our effort to release Bird Journal as easily as possible. - New…

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Justin

Bird Journal 3.1.2 released

Just a small update this one: - Fixed BirdTrack export sometimes incorrectly merging sightings. - Fixed map screen pause on first load. The update is available…

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Justin

Bird Journal with non-english Bird names

Recently we were asked if there was support for users who know their birds by their French names. The main software has not been localised, user interface etc.…

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Justin

Bird Journal v3.1 now available.

We have fixed a number of issues reported since the release of version 3, and these are now available in version 3.1. Enhancements: Graphs are now hidden on…

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Justin

Bird Journal version 3 Released!

Version 3 of Bird Journal is now available from our website! We’ve been busy working for a number of months, together with a group of 30 users who have been…

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Justin

Rutland Birdfair 2012, See you there!

Known as the Glastonbury festival for birdwatching, the Rutland Water Birdfair is well underway. Marquees are being erected on site and the Birdfair team are…

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Justin

Thank you for visiting us at the London Birdfair!

We had a great time in London. It was lovely to see new and existing users of Bird Journal. Our next event is in August 2012 at the Rutland Birdfair, fingers…

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Justin

London Wild Bird Watch - April 20-22

The Bluebird team are excited to be attending the Birdfair at the London Wetland Centre on the 20-22 April 2012. We’ll be happy to show you how Bird Journal…

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Justin

Bird Journal Version 2.5, Now Available

We are pleased to announce the release of Bird Journal version 2.5! The list of improvements and fixes are shown below: Fixed import crash when the format is…

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Justin

Update: Bird Journal v2.4 - Point Release

We are pleased to announce the official update release of Bird Journal version 2.4. The list of improvements and fixes are shown below: Improved: Import, auto…

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Justin

Bird Journal - Gift it this Christmas!

Bird Journal makes the perfect gift for you or a birder friend. It comes with a 60 day money back guarantee to ensure you’re completely satisfied with your…

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Justin

Bird Journal iOS 5 Compatibility Issue Fixed

Just to let you know that iOS 5 compatibility issue is now fixed. The new update has been approved by Apple and can now be downloaded from the App Store.

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Justin

iPhone iOS 5 Compatibility Issues

Bird Journal mobile is experiencing compatibility issues with the new IOS5. If you have recently upgraded your iPhones IOS to 5 then you will experience issues…

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Justin

2011 British Birdfair

We would like to say a special thank you for those who came to see us at the Birdfair. We would also like to thank Tim Appleton, Emma Tate and all staff who…

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Justin

Birdfair and Bird Journal Mobile

Birdfair stand is setup and ready for the weekend, and Bird Journal Mobile is live on the App Store! See you tomorrow!

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Justin

Birdwatching Event - Only a few weeks to go!

We are very excited to be exhibiting at the British Birdfair in August 2011. The event will take place at Egleton Nature Reserve, Rutland, Friday 19th until…

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Justin

Exhibiting at the British Birdfair in August 2011

Bluebird Technology is exhibiting at the British Birdfair in August 2011. The event will take place at Egleton Nature Reserve, Rutland, Friday 19th – Sunday…

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Justin

Getting started: Add a new entry

The first time you load Bird Journal you will be presented with a screen like below. To start adding your sightings into Bird Journal click on the New Entry…

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Justin

Getting started: Loading Bird Journal for the first time

The installation wizard will automatically create a shortcut to Bird Journal on your desktop: To launch Bird Journal double click on the shortcut icon. The…

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Justin

Getting started with Bird Journal

In the next few weeks we are publishing a series of ‘Getting Started Guides’ to help new and existing users to better understand how Bird Journal works. The…

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Justin

2011 Spring Bird Fair

It has been another successful year at the Spring Bird Fair, Middleton Hall Tamworth. Thank you for those who came to visit us at our stand, it’s always nice…

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Justin

Bluebird Technology at Middleton Hall 2011

(9.30 am to 5.30 pm on Saturday 21st May, 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday 22nd May - Price: Adults £5, children free) We are exhibiting at The BirdWatchers Spring Fair…

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Justin

Update: Bird Journal v2.3 - Point Release

Since our last point release of Bird Journal v2.2 there were two serious crashes found by our users: 1. Crash when importing wildlife/birds/synonym lists. 2.…

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Justin

Taxonomic Ordering

In the recent update of Bird Journal version 2.2 we have added a new feature: taxonomic ordering. To apply taxonomic ordering - go to the ‘Options –…

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Justin

Bird Journal v2.2 - Point Release

We are pleased to announce the official release of Bird Journal version 2.2. The point release includes fixes to problems people were having with version 2.1.…

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Justin

The Birdwatchers Spring Fair 2011

For the second year running we are exhibiting at the spring fair in Tamworth on Saturday 21st May and Sunday 22nd May 9:30am to 5.30pm (10am to 4pm Sunday).…

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Justin

Bird Journal Reviewed by Surfbirds.com

We would like to thank Steve Lister for his detailed review of Bird Journal. Steve is a county recorder for Leicestershire and Rutland Ornithological Society…

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Justin

Bird Journal Tips and Tricks - How to add preferred species names using synonym lists.

Synonym lists can be used to change bird species names to names that are more familiar. For this example let’s take the species Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus)…

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Justin

Bird Journal Review by Blurred Birding

We would like to thank Martyn Yapp for taking the time to publish a review about Bird Journal version 2.1. Martyn is an active birder and blogger based in the…

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Justin

VAT Changes

As you may know, the standard rate of VAT (Value Added Tax) in the UK has increased from 17.5 percent to 20 percent on 4 January 2011. Despite of the VAT…

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Justin

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support over the last year. We will continue to develop innovative bird…

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Justin

Christmas Gift - Free Parker pen worth £8!

The last delivery for first class ends on the 21st Dec. Orders of Bird Journal Box Copy taken before 5pm tomorrow will be dispatched in time for Christmas for…

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Justin

Post in time for Christmas 2010

I hope you are enjoying the winter birds and are keeping nice and warm. As we are approaching closer to the festive holidays, we would like to inform you of…

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Justin

New Wildlife Checklists

We would like to thank Mike Javis for creating the Mammals of Australia checklist and also Chris Love and David Spencer for completing the UK Macro Moth…

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Justin

Bird Journal – Gift it this Christmas

To make it easier to buy Bird Journal as a gift this Christmas we have improved the checkout page to include a ‘Gift it’ section. Previously there was no…

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Justin

Lee G R Evans - Bird Journal Review

“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…

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Justin

Now on Twitter and Facebook!

We are pleased to announce our new Twitter and Facebook pages. As you know we are always open to suggestions and if you have any questions we look forward to…

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Justin

Bird Watching Magazine UK

We are very pleased to have been reviewed by Bird Watching Magazine this month and would like to share with you their review. “Even if your birdwatching is…

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Justin

Summer Sale 15% Off!

Summer is truly upon us here in the UK and there is no time like the present to organise your wildlife sightings. We are offering a 15% off all Bird Journal…

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Justin

Bird Journal v2.1 Point Release

We are pleased to announce the official release of Bird Journal version 2.1. The point release includes fixes to problems people were having with version 2.0.…

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Justin

Wildlife Checklists

In a short space of time we already have a nice selection of wildlife checklists to download thanks to our dedicated Bird Journal users. All checklists are…

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Justin

Bluebird Forum

We are pleased to announce the launch of our very own company forum! This is now live on our website, and can be viewed by clicking on Forum on the menu. The…

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Justin

Spring Bird Fair 2010 - Tamworth

We had an enjoyable weekend exhibiting at the Birdwatcher's Spring Fair in Tamworth. It was great to show off version 2 of Bird Journal, and nice to receive…

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Justin

Bird Journal v2 Released with a 10% Discount

We are very excited to announce the release of Bird Journal version 2. Right now we are offering a special 10% discount off the full price. This offer can only…

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Justin

Bird Journal V2 Update

We would like to send a special thank you to those who emailed us a sample of your data. We are very pleased with how import has progressed and is nearing…

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Justin

Import; Data Needed

Spring is now upon us, and while you are no doubt enjoying the bird activity, we're busy putting the finishing touches to Bird Journal 2.0. The import process…

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Justin

Upgrading to Bird Journal v2

Development for version 2 is progressing well. Just a quick note that all orders made from now until release will receive a 20% discount off the upgrade price,…

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Justin

Bird Journal v2

We are very excited to announce that Bird Journal version 2 will be launched exclusively at The Birdwatchers Spring Fair 2010 in Tamworth on the 15th and 16th…

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Justin

Bird Journal Testimonial

We have just recieved our longest testimonial so far! Thanks go to the author David Heeley for his comments. Also Alan Cairns from Canada has updated his…

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Christine

Season's Greetings

We would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and joyful New Year. Bird Journal can be ordered online throughout the holiday period. Boxed versions will be…

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Justin

Bird Journal 1.4 Released

Version 1.4 of Bird Journal has just been released. We have taken the opportunity to fix a few bugs that occur occasionally when running the software. What's…

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Justin

eBird Support for Bird Journal

eBird is an online community website used to share sightings to help with the conservation of birds, used in America. It was launched in 2002 by Cornell Lab of…

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Justin

Bird Journal Tutorials

We have launched a series of tutorials to show how Bird Journal works. An overview of the software can be found on the Bird Journal Product page; here it shows…

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Justin

Spreading the Word

We would like to share with you our latest work to help spread the word of Bird Journal. Here is the web banner in the making, starting with our first…

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Justin

Bird Fair 09

The British Bird Fair 09 is only days away. We'll be there on Saturday. If you would like to catch up, then just send us an email. We'd love the chance to meet…

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Justin

Personal Journal

As Bird Journal continues to mature, we are steadying the rate of updates issued. We're very pleased with how much Bird Journal has grown, and our efforts will…

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Justin

Bird Journal 1.3 Released

Version 1.3 of Bird Journal has just been released. As you can see we've been quite busy. The custom properties feature in particular was requested a number of…

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Justin

Bird Journal Import

One of the next new features for Bird Journal is Import. As always we want to make it really easy, and we want to make it capable of importing almost any…

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Justin

Bird Journal 1.2 Released

Version 1.2 of Bird Journal is now live. In this update we've added a complete new edition - the Continent Edition. This edition includes all taxonomies…

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Justin

Version 1.2 Almost Ready

Bird Journal version 1.2 is almost ready now. The new calendar date picker is in, and the two extra taxonomies for Spain (Sociedad Española de Ornitología) and…

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Justin

Welcome to Our Blog

Welcome to the new Bird Journal blog. If you're not familiar with 'blogs' then they are a more informal and interactive way of sharing news, information and…

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