Date: 9/29/25 5:46 pm From: DUNN, JANE <DUNNJ...> Subject: Re: hearing aids for birding
As the result of mumps at 5 years of age, I am totally deaf in my left ear. Thus, I cannot locate birds by sound and really never tried to learn their sounds. I bird by sight and movement. Five years ago, I was fitted for a hearing aid for my right ear and a transmitter for the left ear. I now hear sounds on both sides, but I still cannot locate by sound as I hear everything through my right ear. I feel fortunate that now I can hear the birds on my left even though they sound like they are on my right! If you suspect declining hearing, check it out, it is worth it.
Jane Dunn
Get Outlook for iOS<https://aka.ms/o0ukef> ________________________________
From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List <ARBIRD-L...> on behalf of Asher Griffith <louder...>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2025 7:08:10 PM
To: <ARBIRD-L...> <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Re: hearing aids for birding
I think that this conversation is fascinating. Not because of me being particularly interested in hearing aid recommendations (yet, anyway, but also, wow! I had no idea they were so expensive!), but I am interested in hearing about your experiences as birders with some degree of hearing loss.
I've popped into this thread before. I am an avid reader, but I don't contribute because I'm really not a serious birder, myself (yet, anyway). Back then, I wanted to make a podcast or some sort of audio documentary series about this community. It never came to fruition (yet, anyway). Then I was in a podcasting fellowship out of Stony Brook University in New York, but now I'm a graduate student of journalism and multimedia storytelling at the Uark, and I am again interested in telling your stories.
I like birds (particularly their sounds, as I'm an audio guy) but I also just think this community is really interesting. Ya'll are always, whether you know it or not, as is the case here I think, telling fascinating human interest stories centered around bird watching. I currently have an assignment to create a profile of a person (who will be featured in a longer written piece about this community later on in the semester) that could end up on "Ozarks at Large". Would one of you be interested in talking about your hearing journey with me at KUAF (not live, it will be a recorded interview that I will edit) sometime this week? I'm especially looking to hear from those of you with long memories and a well-tuned storytelling engine (You know who you are, @Joe Neal, not to assume you have hearing loss, I know you started this thread mainly as an advocate, and not to discount anyone else's experiences of course).
I'll eventually want to talk to several of you. And, I'll admit, I had never thought of this topic before, but it really interests me, and I may focus my bigger projects on this.
Please feel free to respond to this email if you are interested in talking with me and thank you all so much for your time.
On Thu, Sep 25, 2025 at 9:35 AM Jeffrey Short <bashman...><mailto:<bashman...>> wrote:
Costco has some great, programmable hearing aids and audiologist services at less than half of a private audiologist.
Costco has a nominal annual fee but the payback is immediate. No questions asked if the customer want to return/exchange. A little delay in repair since the aids are sent off to a separate facility.
Jeff Short
Full disclosure, my sister and nephew are Costco employees
A friend of mine who has lost his ability to hear several birds species ask me about hearing aids that others have successfully used. I told him that I would post his question on ARBIRD list. If you have helpful info for him, please respond to this email snf make sure ARBIRD is included in the response (not just me). He is interested in obtaining hearing aids that can be purchased on the market (that is, not requiring a doctor prescription). He would like make and approx. Cost if possible.
