u/Legitimate-Bath-9651

Hi everyone, I've been wanting to get into field recording for a while now. I regularly bird and take photos, but I've been wanting to capture variations in individual birdsong within species and across regions. Ideally, I am searching for a compact setup that I can keep on me for convenient use (likely no parabolic mics).

I'd prefer not to spend more than $300 on an entry level setup. I understand that for this budget, I will not be getting the cleanest, most professional audio, but I would like something that can capture audio that is significantly better than my phone.

Is it worth buying an "all-in-one" setup like the Zoom F1-SP? Or should I go for a budget recorder like the Tascam DR-05XP with a budget external microphone? I am unfamiliar with this space and the tech that is involved, so if you have any sort of insight or recommendation I would appreciate it very much.