[wisb] Re: Off-Topic: eBird Data Entry for Difficult Species

If that's the case, this might be an oversight in how eBird is set up.  I would 
not think these options should be relegated to the "rare species" list in 
eBird.  In other words, I would assume/hope that whenever bay-breasted and/or 
blackpoll warbler is possible in [county X] (well, at least during fall 
migration when confusion is possible), the indeterminate option for 
bay-breasted/blackpoll should also be available.  Or maybe they want to 
discourage using these indeterminate options for some reason.  In any case, 
it's my understanding that there are a few people who set up how eBird works in 
Wisconsin (i.e., what options are available, which I think is by county/time 
period) and maybe one of those people could comment (Andy?).  I personally 
would not have thought to look under rare species for these options, so I'm 
glad I know now.  But if they prefer that we leave it just as warbler sp. 
(which is not listed under rare species) that would be good to know as well.
 
On a related note, there is an item on eBird today that goes more into detail 
about how data is used and interpreted.  Of particular note there is an option 
when you enter a traveling checklist that says "Are you entering a full list of 
all the species..." and what you check here can affect how your data is used 
for some purposes.
 
http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/effort_based_obs
 
Just personally, I'm still learning a lot, and sometimes use the option to say 
that I did not report everything I saw, because I don't want my data to be used 
to show what is/isn't in a particular area, especially because I don't know 
songs as well as some people.  Although a lot of eBird users are very advanced 
birders, I don't count myself among that group although I try to be extremely 
cautious about what I enter for that reason.
 
-Mike Duchek, Waukesha, Waukesha Co.
 
> Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:17:10 -0700
> From: cajunbirder@xxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wisb] Re: Off-Topic: eBird Data Entry for Difficult Species
> To: richter@xxxxxxxx; wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jesse and all
>  
> Here is what Andrea Szymczak told me in an e-mail:.
>  
> "If you are entering a checklist, click on the "Rare species" at the top of 
> the page and it allows you to "add a species".  Simply start entering the 
> word Alder & the 
>  
>              Alder/Willow option pops up!!!  "
>  
> I just checked and if you type Bay-breasted into "add a speceis" you get the 
> option:
>   
>      "Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler" 
>  
> John Romano
> Madison Wis
>  
>  
>  
>  
> 
> 
> --- On Tue, 9/28/10, Jesse Ellis <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Jesse Ellis <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [wisb] Re: Off-Topic: eBird Data Entry for Difficult Species
> To: "Richter Museum" <richter@xxxxxxxx>, wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 10:29 AM
> 
> 
> Tom, all-
> Call notes are also diagnostic for each species if they're actively
> vocalizing. I've used this to ID the four or five empids I've had this fall
> (along with appearance, of course). Like I said, I've been lucky (however, I
> also ear bird too much, and likely have missed non-vocal empids). And
> there's a lively discussion on ID-Frontiers about separating Willow from
> Alder flycatcher by structure and appearance, although this (apparently -
> it's not for me) takes a lot of experience. That all said, I too would be
> surprised if every empid seen were vocalizing.
> 
> Andrea's point is a very good one - we should continue to be honest with our
> reported observations, even if we think no one is looking. Because they are!
> I for one wouldn't mind if eBIrd had some sort of behavioral tally as well
> as age and sex categories, because it would be nice to remark upon whether
> you heard a bird, what voc it used, etc. That might also add some level of
> confidence in Alder/Willow IDs.
> 
> On a separate point, today I went to enter a Baypoll, and there's no slash
> category for that one on the list that I can see (i.e.
> Blackpoll/Bay-breasted Warbler). Not sure what's going on there. It went
> into the warbler sp. category.
> 
> Jesse
> 
> On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 9:35 AM, Richter Museum <richter@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > Jesse; If your flycatcher does not vocalize you can't separate the two
> > species unless you have them in the hand and look at the wing formulae!!
> > And, we've had some in the hand which appear intermediate. I really doubt
> > that all the Alder and Willow Flycatchers reported have been singing!
> >
> > Tom Erdman
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:wisbirdn-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> > On Behalf Of Jesse Ellis
> > Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 1:45 PM
> > To: harrierhawk1@xxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cc: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [wisb] Re: Off-Topic: eBird Data Entry for Difficult Species
> >
> > Andrea-
> > While this kind of counting should definitely be encouraged, I wonder if
> > there's a bit of bias that's causing what you're seeing... relatively few
> > birders use eBird (in my experience) and my suspicion is that those that do
> > are fairly experienced. Perhaps experienced enough to eliminate confusion,
> > or at least to have the confidence (over confidence?) to pick an
> > identification. I, for one, have had surprising luck with vocalizing empids
> > this fall, enough to feel pretty confident of my few Alder/Willow IDs. And
> > I
> > don't much have trouble (I don't think!) with Yellowlegs at this point,
> > although they can clearly be very difficult without a lot of experience.
> >
> > I use warbler sp. fairly frequently, mostly for those dang flyovers.
> >
> > I, for one, would like to encourage more people to both use eBird and to
> > continue reporting to the list. I suspect some folks start reporting to
> > eBird and stop reporting to the list, and while it's fine that the data are
> > being used and stored, I miss the ebb and flow of people's sightings. (For
> > example, I know that Sanderling is not a particularly impressive bird for
> > Wisconsin, but it's a good bird for Dane Co., and it hopefully reminds
> > people that they can have common birds in strange places...).
> >
> > Sorry for the OT aside, there...
> >
> > Jesse
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 1:09 PM, Andrea Szymczak
> > <harrierhawk1@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> >
> > > I'm really not trying to be a pain, but I was looking at the eBird
> > listing
> > > for fall species this morning and was struck by the fact that nearly
> > every
> > > difficult species seems to be "identified" by the observer.  Case in
> > point:
> > > There are *No* entries selected as Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warblers.  All
> > are
> > > identified precisely as either species.  This pairing is notorious for
> > > producing identification errors and I have to wonder if people who enter
> > > their data into eBird only do it when they are "certain" of the species?
> > >  Perhaps, people "omit" a bird from their checklist when they are not
> > sure?
> > > Similarly, for the Alder/Willow Flycatcher pairing, only a couple of
> > > observers this fall have noted birds this way.
> > > I have listed a couple of other combinations (that I could think of on
> > > short notice) below that can be selected during eBird data entry when
> > i.d.
> > > is uncertain:
> > >
> > > *Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
> > > *Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs
> > > *Catharus sp.
> > > *Alder/Willow Flycatcher
> > > *Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler
> > > *Warbler sp. (a good one to use for those "yellow" warblers like female
> > > Wilson's, Hooded, & Yellow!!!)
> > >
> > > I hope my message helps to improve how folks enter data into the system,
> > >
> > > Andrea Szymczak
> > > Waukesha, WI
> > > ####################
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> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jesse Ellis
> > Madison, Dane Co, WI
> >
> >
> > ####################
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> >
> >
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jesse Ellis
> Madison, Dane Co, WI
> 
> 
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