How to do a trial:

1. Equipment on hand:

a. iPod with recorded sounds

b. Bluetooth speaker

c. White Binder with data sheets, record-keeping forms, etc.

i. Randomized sequence of trial types (on left of binder)

ii. List of completed trials

iii. Post-collection data sheet to tally results when you listen to your audio recording

2. Look in White Binder for:

a. What was the last trial?

i. This tells you when it occurred, which sound was played, and what species of birds were watched during the trial

ii. Use these old records to decide which sound to use and which species to watch

1. We want to do the same number of trials per each sound

2. We want to watch all the species equally for each sound played during the trials

b. Choose the next playback sound to use

c. Choose which species each person will watch

3. Prepare iPod

a. Keep the iPod plugged in

b. Open the Music app, choose the right sound to playback

c. Each sound recording is 6:20 minutes long

i. 3:00 silence

ii. 0:20 playback sound

iii. 3:00 silence

iv. Barking Dog sound to tell you the trial is over

d. Get the right sound on screen, ready to play

4. Prepare speaker

a. Unplug the power cord from the back of the speaker

b. Turn on the power (on back of speaker)

c. Push MODE button to get to Bluetooth (it will read “blue”)

d. Push and hold down the volume + until volume is maximum (16)

e. Check to be sure the iPod is set to play to the speaker

5. Take speaker upstairs and put it on the window sill of the open window above the aviary

6. Everyone prepare their recording device for data collection

7. One person start the playback

a. Tell everyone “Start” when you hit the play button for the sound

8. Take data by talking into your recording device (iPhone, etc.)

a. The playback will run until the end of the trial

b. When you hear the dog bark, it is over

c. Stop recording at that time

9. Data to record:

a. “Head Turn”

b. “Flight”

c. “Hop”

d. “Displacement”

e. “Freeze Start”

f. “Freeze Stop”

10. Retrieve the Speaker from upstairs

a. Plug in speaker power cord

b. Turn off speaker power

11. Turn off power to iPod. Make sure it is plugged into the power cord

12. Enter your trial in the White Notebook trial log (in the 3-ring)

a. Date, time, sound type, each observer’s name and species watched

13. Take a tally sheet from the back cover of the White Notebook. You will use this when you record your findings.

14. How to tally the data on the tally sheet:

a. You will use this to tally the occurrences of each observed behavior in 5 second blocks of time (“bins”). Listen to your recording. Tally the number of times each behavior was observed in each 5 second interval. Don’t count the Freeze Start/stop the first time through. Just concentrate on the tally counts.

b. The second time through, record when the freeze started and how long it lasted. Example: “Freeze started at 200 seconds and lasted 12 seconds.” Enter that into the Freeze data table on the tally sheet.

c. You will have a tally sheet for every trial you do.

d. You will enter the final tallis for each trial in a Google Doc spreadsheet that will be linked to you via email.

15. Check the food and water in the aviary.

16. Leave aviary.

a. Be sure the door is locked to the observation room where we will leave the iPod and the Speaker.