Howdy all! Having been a birder since I was a wee tot, I invented GAMES to pester my dad (my birding hero) and use up any of his non-birding time I could. Here are a couple of my favorite invented GAMES: 1) Give your dad (or birding friend) your favorite field guide and tell them to DESCRIBE birds to you so you can guess them. a) beginner - have them read the text verbatim; b) intermediate - describe only the identifying characteristics; c) advanced - have them give you clues by describing ANY part of the bird, or its range, or habitat--see how many clues you have to have before you guess it right... 2) Give your dad (or birding friend--ha! or non-birding friend) your favorite field guide and have them read the name of a single bird on a page. Now, try to remember the names of all the other birds on the same page! a) beginner - use only your favorite field guide; b) intermediate - use multiple field guides, have the friend read all the birds on one page, and you guess which field guide (it SHOULD be out of sight <grin>); c) advanced - have your friend mention a single bird, and you try to guess which field guide it is and what the other birds on the same page are... --------------- have fun!!! Greg Miller Lusby, MD