THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 9, 1994 TAG: 9410050030
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Coming to you live . . . straight from the backyard . . . the birds . . . in concert.
If the sound of birds singing is music to your ears, why not bring their song indoors? So goes the philosophy behind a pricey new product called WingSong, a bird feeder that uses the same technology as a baby monitor to carry the sweet sounds of nature into your home.
The outdoor feeder comes in two designs, Victorian house (pictured here) and gazebo, and is outfitted with a wireless transmitter microphone that sends bird sounds into the home via a portable receiver.
The system has been fine-tuned to emphasize sounds within the frequency range of bird songs and calls. Designed with advice from Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology, the large six-sided feeder can accommodate more types and sizes of birds than would normally perch together, which could lead to some interesting harmonizing.
The only shrill note is the price. The feeder-sound system retails for just under $200. The pole on which the feeder sits costs $29.95. A deck stand, an alternative to the pole, costs $74.99.
WingSong, manufactured by County Line Limited, is available at Wild Birds Unlimited, 620 Hilltop West Shopping Center, Virginia Beach; Wild Wings Nature Store, 27 Hidenwood Shopping Center off Warwick Boulevard in Newport News; Home Quarters Warehouse at 3345 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, 207 East Little Creek Road, Norfolk and 12151 Jefferson Ave., Newport News. The product is also sold through the catalogs Hammacher-Schlemmer, Sharper Image, Brookstone, Natural Wonders and the Plow and Hearth. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
The WingSong bird feeder transmits bird sounds into the home using a
system similar to a baby monitor.
by CNB