Keep track of fly-bys

Birders rejoice. BirdPost.com is a new website that unites birders the world over. Keep track of birds you’ve spotted and view Google satellite maps to discover what types of birds you may see on your next trip.

What’s hot: Even though this is a niche website, it doesn’t feel like a clique. Even non-bird enthusiasts like me can participate. Upload or click on bird photos and names to create a “lifelist” of bird sightings and search for birds by regions or characteristics to find out what birds you can expect to see at your destination. You also can set up a rare bird alert that sends you coordinates of the winged friends you want to see.

What’s not: When you search for a bird, you get a picture, but descriptive text would be good too. The regional checklists are helpful (you can narrow your post-travel search because you know where you’ve been), but sometimes, I couldn’t find the bird. Don’t give up. When I typed “Kingfisher” in the main search bar, up popped a picture of the bird I saw in the Northern Territory -- the Azure kingfisher.

-- Jen Leo