FreeLists / tn-bird / [TN-Bird] Re: what are your sightings worth?

[Don Miller <raincrow@xxxxxxx>]

Charlie and other regional birders,

I'd like to piggy-back on this message and make a plea of my own.

I strongly support Charlie's urging that we birders use our observations
to increase the storehouse of knowledge about birds in our area.  At the
very least, every birder associated with a chapter of TOS should ensure
that the chapter archives his/her records in such a way that they are
usable both by the chapter and by any other organization (park, WMA,
etc.) that can benefit from them.  Charlie's right, and there's no
question about it: we all run the risk of spending thousands of hours of
our lives generating bird records only to have them thrown away by family
members when we die.  We should all have enough interest in birds and
enough respect for our own work not to let this happen.

However, I think there's something else that needs to be brought up here,
and Charlie's post has given me a great opportunity to do so.

I have noticed that a lot of birders do not keep records as well as they
could, or that they keep only life lists, year lists, yard lists, etc.
that are not particularly useful to anyone other than the keepers of
those records.

Here's my plea: I would like to see serious Tennessee birders keep the
following kinds of records (at the very least), and keep them in a format
that would be easily usable by others in the future:

[1] for PERMANENT RESIDENTS--high counts; all observations for species
that might be designated as rare, occasional, or hard to find (such as
owls); anything else (such as--but not limited to--nesting info) that
might be worth noting

[2] for SUMMER RESIDENTS--yearly spring arrival and fall departure dates;
all out-of-season dates; high counts; all observations for species that
might be designated as rare, occasional, or hard to find (such as
nightjars); anything else (such as--but not limited to--nesting info)
that might be worth noting

[3] for WINTER RESIDENTS--yearly fall arrival and spring departure dates;
all out-of-season dates; high counts; all observations for species that
might be designated as rare, occasional, or hard to find (such as Fox
Sparrow--many others can be named); anything else that might be worth
noting

[4] for TRANSIENTS--all spring and fall dates; all out-of-season dates;
high counts; all observations for species that might be designated as
rare, occasional, or hard to find (such as, in northeast Tennessee, most
shorebirds--many others can be named); anything else that might be worth
noting

[5] for VISITORS/VAGRANTS--all dates; anything else that might be worth
noting.

This may sound like a huge task, but it really isn't.  I've been doing a
version of this kind of record-keeping for over ten years--without any
fancy software.  Of course, lots of birding software options are
available for those who wish to take the plunge and invest in
ever-changing, market-driven tools.  However, even simple things that are
readily available, such as Microsoft Word and other word-processing
programs, and various spreadsheet programs, can be used to create records
that are easy to update and easy to search.  I began with several
word-processed databases years ago and update them regularly as the need
arises.

My point here is not to initiate a discussion of technical options, but
rather to offer a simple example of something that can easily be set up
and used to give shape to the myriad observations that all serious
birders make, but not necessarily record.

If even a couple of dozen birders kept records according to the five-part
schema outlined above, in less than a decade we would have a great
snapshot of bird life in our region--a kind of detailed snapshot that
wildlife managers and others promoting bird conservation could really
use.

One last thing: keeping detailed records is an excellent way to become a
better birder because it forces us to pay attention to things that we
might be inclined to ignore and because it extends our memory.  And, of
course, it allows our extended memory to be shared with others and become
part of theirs.  Why not expend a little more effort and reap a double
reward?

Don Miller
Greeneville, TN

Charlie wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> I'm gonna get back up on the soapbox, so please bear with me.
>
> Everyone on this list likes birds.  Most of the people on this list
> keep track of what they see in some form or other.  Some of the
> people on this list keep lots of detailed notes.
>
> But someday, we're all going to be gone.  What will become of those
> notecards, diaries, journals, spreadsheets or databases?  For most of
> us, our families will just discard them as unknown stuff.
>
> Wouldn't you rather that all that hard work actually have some value?
>  Well, it could.  It won't cost you a penny.
>
> I just gave Great Smoky Mountains National Park 1300 separate
> observations.  They are adding it to their database.  They are happy
> about this.
>
> I've only lived here 4.5 years, and I know some of you folks have
> seen MANY more birds than I have.  Have you shared that information
> with land owners?
>
> I encourage -no -BEG you to put that information together in some
> usable way, and give it to the managers of the WMA, or NWR, or city
> park, or National Park, or wherever it is that you bird.  It would be
> most helpful to them if you would first contact them to find out what
> format is best.
>
> Right now Paul Super of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is trying
> to update the park's database, and there is simply no observation
> that is unimportant to him.  As long as you have species, date and
> location (be as specific as you are able) he can use it.  Additional
> information that would make it even better includes:  elevation,
> number of individuals, sexes, ages, and coordinates (preferably in
> UTM)
>
> I would be happy to collect them and give them to him.
>
> btw, if you have a database, it is likely that you can simply export
> your observations into a text-only file.  This saves time.
>
> charlie
>
> =====
> *******************************************************************
> Charlie Muise, Naturalist in
> Great Smoky Mountains National Park
>
> "To the dull mind all nature is leaden.  To the illuminated mind
> the whole world sparkles with light."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
>
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=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
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  TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society 
       Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
        endorse the views or opinions expressed
        by the members of this discussion group.
 
         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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     Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
          web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
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