Nate Dias' map below was my first experience with a specifically marked Google
map being shared. This is possibly the most helpful tool that we have in
sharing locations of birds. All the directions in the world pale in comparison
to looking at a pin on the edge of a group of trees, or pond, or whatever where
the bird was seen! And looking at a satellite photo that shows exactly where
one could park and how to reach the spot is incredibly helpful to people
unfamiliar with an area.
I just learned how to make these maps myself. By Googling, I got this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039950 and from that ;
information I have been experimenting with making my own maps and marking and
labeling them. It is quite easy to learn. Just as an experiment I did one of
where I found Florida Scrub-Jays in Cape Coral and will include it just as an
example... https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zoxrZ_v3FN-0.keJ-seuqXazE ;
You can click on the markers to read the notes under the pins.
These list-serves are such an amazing resource to birders and as we learn to
use the available technologies (I still struggle with some aspects of eBird,
but I dang sure use it). We can assist each other more easily.
Hopefully, more and more people will send a map with their reports of a special
bird sighting. Most of us even have phones now that can display these maps as
we go to these places.
Cheers for now,
R. Bruce Richardson
Oxford, NC
Torquay, VIC
On Sep 28, 2013, at 5:03 PM, Nate Dias <offshorebirder@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Late this morning I was stunned to see a bright Bell's Vireo at the
east end of Kiawah Island, SC (Cape Kiawah). It was skulking in thick
brush at the edge of the willow-lined freshwater wetland along the
entrance drive to the Ocean Course. It was in a mixed flock that had
at least Carolina Chickadees, a Prairie Warbler, White-eyed Vireo,
Yellow Warbler and another Warbler or two I could hear chipping.
I made a Google map of the location - it is here:
http://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zPnGET1ei4iY.kXbZ8MuqvmIo
At first I thought the bird was a flycatcher, because it was flicking
its wings and tail in between bursts of chasing moths in a Red Cedar +
Wax Myrtle thicket. But then I saw the light gray rounded head,
thicker gray bill, and extensive yellow wash down the side of the
breast + flanks of a Vireo. It had a dirty whitish throat. It as
tough to get clear looks but then I noticed it had one whitish wingbar
and nothing but a crease in the wing feathers where an upper wingbar
might be. The bird had a whitish semi-eye ring; it was more like a
couple of arcs above and below the eye, with a thin grayish stripe
through the eye. I did not get a look at the undertail coverts and I
got a sense that the primary projection was short, but I couldn't see
that feature clearly before the encounter ended.
I tried a couple of photos which were a bust and then a tour bus and a
car went hurtling through. It pushed the flock back into the brush.
The Bell's Vireo was not interested in pishing and I couldn't find my
iPod this morning - so all I got was another glimpse of the bird and
that was that. I made some calls and poked around the edges of the
wetland for the next hour, but no further looks.
Another highlight for the day was a mid-morning Least Flycatcher in
what is left of "The Grove" (new development going in). On my drive
in, there was a lone Roseate Spoonbill amid the Wood Storks and
numerous Egrets and Herons at Canvasback Pond. It smelled like a
fish kill there. I bet it was 'pond turnover' after the couple of
cool nights we just had...
I had started my birding day on the beach in front of the Ocean Course
- there were 450+ Common Terns, dozens each of Sandwich + Royal +
Caspian, several Least Terns, a couple of dozen Forster' s Terns, 6
Black Skimmers, and two Gull-billed Terns. No Black Terns
unfortunately. Shorebirds included 2 Piping Plovers, American
Oystercatchers, Willet, Sanderlings, Black-bellied Plovers, and
Semipalmated Plovers. They were widely scattered due to the low tide.
Some of us are going back to try for the Bell's Vireo tomorrow morning
- hope it sticks around.
Nathan Dias - Charleston, SC
