Hi Steve,
Listing a fly-over is fine. Just make sure you use the right protocol.
Typically a fly-over is handled as a "Casual Observation". However, when I
am doing a bird walk, meaning I walk a certain distance, I would list it as
a traveling count and simply make it part of the trip list. For more
information read the "how do I make my checklists more useful" section in
eBird:
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/about/how-to-make-your-checklists-more-meanin
gful
In terms of your life list, you saw the bird, it is countable (meaning not
dead, not introduced in the wild, etc), and therefore it is part of your
life list. Location is irrelevant unless you want to keep track of life
lists per location, which eBird does automatically. Other people may have
different opinions but this works well for me.
Gerco
eBird Hotspot Manager, VA
Vienna, VA
_____
From: va-bird-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:va-bird-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Steve Hersey
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 10:26 AM
To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Va-bird] Is it proper to list flyovers on eBird & Life Lists?
Greetings everyone,
I am asking this question both in the best interest of science and also in
the simple but quite fun pursuit of Life Lists for States, Counties, etc.
Last week I posted a report on eBird of one Broad-winged Hawk in DC.
Problem is, it was merely flying over the National Mall - it never landed.
In terms of Cornell's use of this information (as well as other scientists
using eBird data for studies), is it proper to file this eBird report?
Wouldn't this signify that the Hawk actually used the city for
feeding/breeding/whatever? This seems like a false positive from a strictly
scientific point of view as there is no way to signify that it was merely a
flyover - well, you can in notes, but any disclaimer you put in there
doesn't show up when you do a data search with mapping results. If it could
be clicked as a flyover then I could see how that would help with migration
routes. I just want to be proper - eBird is a fantastic way to keep track
of my own life lists, but I want to be sure the data is useful and correct
for the intended scientific use of eBird.
Now in terms of Life Lists, is a flyover a proper way to gain a species? I
guess it depends on each person's definition of their life list - I base
mine on the location of the bird when I see it. If I am standing in DC but
I see an eagle fly over Arlington, I record it as Arlington. But then if it
is merely flying over Arlington is it a proper Arlington life bird?
Am I way overthinking this or what? LOL...
Cheers all,
Steve Hersey
Washington, DC
