Geo-guide.

BlkVulture@aol.com
Tue, 11 May 1999 18:00:54 EDT


Hello all, 

First, I do not know of any bird related stores in Warrenton, Culpeper, or 
Manassas.  That does not mean there are none, I have just not found them.  
That said, I often try to buy things from some of the local bird store.  
Typically Mark Ludlow at For the Wild Birds in McLean.  But I am not always 
in McLean.

I do have some comments for those of you who do have the new Geo Guide.  I 
think there is too much black in the printing.  I showed this to someone who 
was a printer for 30 years (my father), and let him compare the second and 
third editions.  He agrees that there is much more black in the third 
edition.  This does not equate to images looking black, it just makes grays 
darker, browns darker, and some blues look darker too.  

The Tennessee warbler page is an example of two different looking pages.  The 
second edtion shows these birds looking very yellow.  Or at least my copy 
does.  The third editon makes the backs of some of the birds on this page 
look very brown.  Also, the adult male merlin looks very dark in the third 
edition, losing some of the blue from the second edition.  The fox sparrows 
look very dark in comparison in the third as well.  There are many more 
examples.  Whether this is an improvement, I am not saying.  But clearly 
there is a difference in the overall coloration of the third edition.  

The paper is also different.  The ink seems to seep into the paper in the 
second, and in the third the birds look like they are on top of the paper.  
This I think is an improvement.  Clearly they jump out at you.  They look 
nice.  Whether they are the wrong color or not is another debate.

One bird that I did notice a vast improvement on is Vesper Sparrow.  This 
bird looks pretty good, whereas I thought it was poor in the second edition.  
My overall impression is that the third edition is a tad too dark.  I am 
curious to others opinions.  

Regards, 

Todd Day
Jeffersonton, VA
BlkVulture@aol.com