OBOL et al.
I think the preference for the use of Hotspots versus exact GPS coordinates
depends on whether the consumer of the information is chasing a rarity or
studying changes in its occurrence and distribution.
If you prioritize supporting efforts to track changes in the range of a
particular species, Hotspots support that effort best.
If like me, you enjoy experiencing a species for the first time, then there
is no substitute for accurate GPS coordinates of the most recent sighting.
John Fitchen, the author of Birding Portland and Multnomah County, was the
first to introduce me to the art (and value) of the ability to describe how
to reach the location of an unusual bird when he stepped me through the
track that would lead me to a Wrentit in Multnomah county in 2013.
Tom Crabtree exhibits the same skill today, and if not for his step-by-step
instructions to locate the Northern Waterthrush at Trout Creek Swamp in
Deschutes county recently, I would never have found the right spot to
anchor my search efforts. The HotSpot for the area, however, is 3/4 of a
mile away.
I am no John Fitchen or Tom Crabtree, so if I locate a rarity, what you
will get from me is the precise GPS coordinates of my location at the time
of the observation. Which I will happily later consolidate into the
designated Hotspot for the area as I did at Tom's request for my sighting
of the Northern Waterthrush near Trout Creek Swamp.
If I had my druthers, the exact coordinates of rarities would first be
reported for every observation then later relocated by each observer into
the Hotspot of the eBird reviewer's choice.
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
On Tue, Jun 9, 2020 at 3:44 PM Tom Crabtree <tc@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Lars,
I don’t have the dislike for Hotspots that you do. I like the general
“Upper Indian Ford Creek” tag instead of a simple lat-long coordinate.
Since the bird moved further upstream a quarter mile, the pin would have
had to be changed again. Given the vagaries of Ebird, I doubt that serious
researchers are going to need exact coordinates of any bird. In a hike
along this creek, which I did for about a mile I would have had to create a
personal location for each bird I saw. I don’t see how that is feasible.
Tom
*From:* David Bailey [mailto:davidcbaileyoregon@xxxxxxxxx]
*Sent:* Monday, June 08, 2020 10:11 PM
*To:* Lars Norgren
*Cc:* Tom Crabtree; COBOL@xxxxxxxxx; OBOL Oregon Birders Online
*Subject:* Re: [obol] Re: Least Flycatcher Deschutes County -
Lars,
I think an exact or near exact GPS point is appropriate for a point count
list, but is that how most people who report to ebird are conducting? If
the observer is traveling a quarter mile or two miles and the hotspot is
within that space traveled, is that not good enough? The answer of course
always depends on the goals of the research. In the case of ebird citizen
scientists merged with birding the goals of the research have not all been
identified.
David in Seaside, where there was a flock of waxing in a holly tree on
Necanicum today.
On Mon, Jun 8, 2020, 21:58 larspernorgren <larspernorgren@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
My suggestion , if you want to generate useful data for science, is put
in " new personal location"
And never use a hot spot again. There is an opportunity to insert a name
after the gps coordinates of this new personal location, so it need not be
anonymous, generic, what have you. GPS coordinates inserted into the
comment section at the end of the list are a nightmare to convert to a pin
drop. Researchers rarely refer to those notes. Paul Adamus recently
mentioned the standard codes offered---"flyover""nesting" what have you .
Using these standard codes in the same line as the species they reference
is quite useful to a researcher. Putting them in the comments section means
they will probably never be read.
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
-------- Original message --------
From: Tom Crabtree <tc@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: 6/8/20 9:25 PM (GMT-08:00)
To: COBOL@xxxxxxxxx, 'OBOL Oregon Birders Online' <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Least Flycatcher Deschutes County -
Ebird users – if you have birded in the area for the Least Flycatcher
currently in Deschutes County, there is now a hotspot for Upper Indian Ford
Creek. Please use this for your Ebird lists for this area. If you are
contemplating looking for it, it has apparently moved upstream another ¼
mile or thereabouts. Here are alternate directions:
If you want quick access, don’t turn onto 305. Stay on the main road, park
at the gate and walk downstream from there a couple hundred yards. If you
do start at the end of the 305/306 access you’ll be rewarded with plenty of
other good birds, though. This area is still Upper Indian Ford Creek.
Tom Crabtree, Bend
