[TN-Bird] Re: The Power of eBird !
- From: Lyda Phillips <lydap@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ssomershoe@xxxxxxxxx" <ssomershoe@xxxxxxxxx>, "tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2013 17:07:57 -0500
Thank you so much for this explanation. it makes perfect sense and I am now
more comfortable with submitting my data. I am really impressed once again with
the combination of rigor and congeniality of the TN birding community. I
appreciate it and what you've done with TN Watchable Wildlife, which has
already given me some great moments since I came back to TN a few years ago.
I am prone to excel addiction and can see some fun ahead for me now that I feel
more comfortable. Like the TN warblers that have been in my yard in East
Nashville now for two days, practically close enough to touch.
Thank you again, and all you other volunteer ebird reviwers and coordinators!!
Lyda Phillips
(615) 942-8444
(301) 518-7538 (cell)
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2013 14:24:35 -0500
Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: The Power of eBird !
From: ssomershoe@xxxxxxxxx
To: lydap@xxxxxxxxxxx; tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lyda,I assume some folks have probably replied to you directly, but thought I'd
reply as well and to Tn-Birds.
eBird data is vetted and filtered. You can't just put any species and count in
and have it show up in the public database. There are filters for high counts
in case you had a very high number of some species at a location at a given
date (sometimes that flag is 2!). Some high count filters are designed to
catch you adding an extra ZERO, like a big gull count where I may accidentally
enter 20,000 instead of 2,000. Each reviewer sets their own filters for high
counts, some are more rigorous than others. It has caught me many times either
with errors or I actually put in a real high count of something (which
sometimes triggers the reviewer to up the count that sets off a flag.). Some
of the latter is due to no baseline information for setting the flag.
There are also expected species lists for the county and by date (1 week window
now, I think) for wherever you go to enter a checklist. Rare species have to
be sought out as they are not on the list of species that occur regularly, they
are flagged, and those records are reviewed before being accepted into the
public database. Here is where you need to describe how you identified the
bird to confirm you had the right species. You can also add photos. Reviewers
review every record that's flagged (lucky them!). Sometimes your records are
rejected and do not enter the public database, but they remain in your personal
lists. I have recently discovered some rarities that I've put into eBird in
other states are not in the public database, even though I have documentation
of some of them (like a citation for the record in a publication in a state
ornithological journal like our Migrant).
One minor issue is that you can't prevent errors like people putting in 5 song
sparrows instead of 5 swamp sparrows in winter when both are common. That
wouldn't be a flag and wouldn't necessarily get caught. This specific example
wouldn't make a big difference in occurrence information and these species
aren't exactly sought out like the White-faced Ibis or Ash-throated Flycatcher
that have been in TN recently.
There is now a Hot Spot Explorer on eBird that makes it VERY easy to find
places to bird wherever you may be going, see a species list, etc. It's an
incredibly handy tool.
In terms of data usage, we (TWRA) will be incorporating records of species of
conservation concern into our planning models including the State Wildlife
Action Plan, mandated that we do every 10 years by Congress, and in as part of
this we get funding for conservation of rare and declining species through
State Wildlife Grants (which will hopefully not be zeroed out!!). This is
literally thousands and thousands of records of species submitted by folks like
yourself from across the state! The data has real conservation value, at both
the level that Cornell does analyses, but also in planning for habitat and bird
conservation in Tennessee!
As Stanley mentioned, eBird can become addictive, but it is a really fun and
practical tool for tracking bird populations. If you haven't begun submitting
data....why not?! There's really no excuse. :)
I'm sure I've missed something or misrepresented something here, but I hope the
major points are correct. I welcome corrections and refinements to what I
wrote.
Next time to see your local eBird reviewer or email them about a sighting or
otherwise, be sure to thank them for all their VOLUNTEER effort with eBird!!
Cheers,Scott Somershoe
State OrnithologistTennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyNashville, TN
On Sat, Oct 12, 2013 at 3:46 PM, Lyda Phillips <lydap@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I've had a question about this and tallies on this list as well. Are all
tallies valuable even if they weren't posted by professional ornithologists?
What about possible misidentifications from less experienced birders? And how
valuable are lists that cover a well-observed area and may miss a lot of
species a better birder would have IDd?
Lyda Phillips
(615) 942-8444
(301) 518-7538 (cell)
www.lydaphillips.com
writerworking.blogspot.com/
> CC: tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> From: littlezz@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [TN-Bird] Re: The Power of eBird !
> Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2013 14:52:52 -0500
> To: swy911@xxxxxxxxx
>
> Some of the most valuable eBird data is a simple once-a-week list
> from your own yard or "patch," a short count with estimated numbers
> for every species, throughout the year. Coverage more often than
> weekly is even better! Very easy, and something you are probably
> doing already anyway.
>
> Bill Pulliam
> Hohenwald TN
>
> On Oct 12, 2013, at 2:39 PM, Stanley York wrote:
> >
> > Bill & all,
> >
> > Your postings today about the current status of our sparrows
> > demonstrates why I love eBird so much and why it is such an
> > important program.
> >
> > The biggest reason I enjoy using eBird is the instant access to
> > tons of data on bird observations and secondly being able to
> > contribute to the database.
> >
> > For those not familiar with eBird I would encourage you to check
> > out www.ebird.org and start submitting checklist. You don't have to
> > go crazy like some of us and submit hundreds of checklist a year
> > (although the data would be nice) even just a weekly checklist or
> > incidental submission would be beneficial. However, I will say
> > this, in my case after you get used to using eBird and submitting
> > checklist it can become addicting! Everyone should use eBird. It's
> > free and it contributes so much to bird conservation and management
> > on multiple levels. To everyone already involved with eBird in
> > TN...Thank you for your time and for using eBird!
> >
> > Stanley York Jr
> > Palmyra/Montgomery Co.
>
> =================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
>
> The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
> first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
> You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
> you report were seen. The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
> appear in the first paragraph.
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> Rosedale, VA
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