[texbirds] Re: Reporting rare birds on Texbirds
- From: Ronnie Kramer <ronniekramer1964@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: MBB22222@xxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:53:51 -0600
Mark, I appreciate your thoughts.
I've tried to put down my thoughts on this a few times. It is a difficult
subject and for me at least, prone to digression. So I'll try to simply
list a few thoughts of my own. This is not a response to you or anyone
else. (I also realize my writing style can be seen as harsh. My thoughts
are blunt, but not meant to be antagonistic.)
So;
No system of reporting will work if the reporters are not on-board and
reliable.
No system of reporting will work if it does not meet the needs of the
community it serves.
No system of reporting will work if the needs of the community are not
clearly articulated and considered.
No system of reporting will work (for long) if it is put together
haphazardly, without some authority to at least provide a well vetted
recommendation.
The Texas birding community is very diverse and there are very different
needs, primarily the need to clear and maintain data in a form that is
useful at a latter point, and the need to get reports on the ground so that
interested parties can pursue a bird while it is still at the observed
location. There are other needs as well as the social aspect, but these do
seem to be the primary 'demands' of those who find gaps in the current
situation.
These two primary needs are at odds; one in essence is archive, the other
ephemeral. Neither is a need of the individuals having observed the
birds. So in essence this is a situation of two very divergent 'hat in
hands' needs!
The community can do no better then what is 'recommended' by some
authority. The current recommendation seems to be use eBird, report on FB
because some who need to know don't have time to follow the listserve,
report on the list-serve because some who need to know refuse to use or do
not like the ephemeral nature of FB, and finally send an email to your
local rare-bird alert because they can't be sure to catch everything coming
through.
Now, if the community does the best it can (follow the recommendation), we
have confusion. Birders are being asked to spend a lot of time, because
people who need to know do not have a lot of time. (BTW I consider myself
to be one who needs the information.)
IF there is a solution, it must be well vetted and come with authority to
at least provide a recommendation (TOS????). It must consider that most
people are not going to feel obligated to post on FB and the listserve just
because so-and-so favors FB and some-other refuses to use FB. Frankly, if
FB is designated as the place to report for chaseable birds, and you refuse
to use FB, then too bad for you. If the listserve is designated as the
place to report chaseable birds, but you prefer FB and don't have time to
check the listserve, then too bad for you.
If neither is 'designated' then too bad for all of us.
I'm not trying to be antagonistic in any way, just trying to point out what
I see as part of the problem. The community is not the problem, neither
are chasers or researchers. The problem is lack of vetting followed by
appropriate recommendations by some authority representing all of us.
~ronnie kramer
my little corner in Austin
On Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 9:23 PM, <MBB22222@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Recently a few thoughts on this subject were posted here. I do not reply to
> anybody in particular; these are just my own, loose, thoughts. Nor I try
> to criticize any thoughts posted earlier. We all have rights to our own
> opinion.
> First, in my opinion, reporting any bird here, or somewhere else, is a
> courtesy of the poster. Second, If somebody thinks that something is
> important
> it should do it itself; personally rare birds list with location posted on
> the same day when they have been seen is absolutely not important to me
> but
> knowing that this might be of interest to some people I do sometimes post
> if I saw one in popular place and I do not if I think they are in
> sensitive
> area where this or other birds' welfare can be compromised. What I think
> is 'sensitive\' it might not be to somebody else but my opinion is as
> valid
> as others. I wouldn't question their definitions. It is all relative. I
> understand that we have a few people calling themselves hard core birders
> and
> it seems like those, sometimes, are demanding that other people
> immediately post any interesting finding so they can go and have a tick.
> Personally I
> do not see much satisfaction from chasing birds found by somebody else and
> claim it on the 'list'. It also seems that the tactic of trying to make
> somebody feel guilty if he/her is not immediately sending the report can
> be
> used from time to time as well. BTW, it looks like somebody with a lot of
> money, private jet and horde of local guides could quite easy win big
> year or
> whatever it is called. To some degree this was already been done in the
> past. On the other hand, sure, I am checking eBirds to check migration
> dates
> (of common birds), etc. I would be much more grateful to people who only
> post county were it was seen but correctly IDed the bird. Unfortunately
> eBirds is just a mess as far as this goes. And yes, forums were birds and
> ID
> subjects were discussed in deep are practically gone. Not very good for
> all
> new bird watchers. And, I think these discussions are more important than
> posting rarities. Some people did not have time to learn ID birds yet but
> will
> jump plane to tick one that was found, and IDed, by somebody else (not
> always IDed correctly as we know of quite a few wild goose chases in the
> past
> - sure it is good for local economy ....).
>
> To me the bottom line is: if one is seriously interested in any bird
> groups it has to learn how to ID them himself (or end up with 5 or more
> different names for one bird if choose to keep asking for help) and learn
> how to
> find birds by himself (or keep checking on messages and have his car engine
> running all the time to jump in when rarity is posted).
>
>
> Mark B Bartosik
> Houston, Texas
> _http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field_
> (http://www.pbase.com/mbb/from_the_field)
>
> Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
> //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
>
> Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
> from the List Owner
>
>
>
Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at
//www.freelists.org/list/texbirds
Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission
from the List Owner
Other related posts:
