[texbirds] Re: documentation of birds
- From: Brush Freeman <brushfreeman@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:59:05 -0500
Heidi: Pls. do not interpret any of my comments as directed toward Ebird
reviewers, including Cameron....They do what they have to do. The editors
of NAB take such reports a step further with a peer review by up to three
authors. So sightings are sifted thru pretty well. I remain fixed on how
documentation and how that is accepted photos are not and am liberal in my
thoughts regardless on what, if anything is presented to Ebird. I have
lived the vast majority of my life w/o Ebird as have many. It is tough to
swallow a a standard set by someone born 30 younger for an area or region
one knows by heart but I think a lot of "old timers" try to cooperate
...even though it galls us aplenty. Sometimes we just don't bother with
flagged birds.
Be sure of one thing....Folks that have been around long enough have a
living memory of the "who is who" in Texas via their reports, so the cream
usually comes to the top first. The vast majority of birders are reliable
and/or well meaning folks, albeit maybe making mistakes at times, some have
redeemed themselves as they age, skill or become more trust-worthy, a very,
very, very few are incorrigible. It is noted over time. It is this way in
every state or nation. Folks just know.
I for sure am not above any high standard and have been questioned. An
example, last Aug. 4 I found a incidental Sooty Tern juv. in Port
O'Connor. I was politely approached about this from a friend or two given
especially the early date. I did not mind it at all as the find was
somewhat significant (in my mind) and was an aside to a trip to Speedy-Stop
for a cheap lunch of chicken strips I had no camera. I actually
appreciated those queries..Not a review species and I know the NAB staff
will/did deal with it, the NAB guys/gals are in my mind the reviewers of
rare, unusual non-review species on the last level, over a single Ebird
reviewer.
So what else...I have two just arrived Ruby-throat males at my Utley
feeders, 4-5 days early...What do I care about anything else. :-)
**********************************************************************
Brush Freeman
503-551-5150 Cell
120 N. Red Bud Trail. Elgin, Tx. 78621
http://texasnaturenotes.blogspot.com/
Finca Alacranes., Utley,Texas
On Wed, Mar 19, 2014 at 7:19 PM, Heidi Trudell <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> For what it's worth here, as a reviewer I can entirely see Cameron's
> point - and if anyone wants to replace either/both of us as reviewers,
> we'd probably have lower blood pressure for it....
>
> Pictures are helpful. The photo of a wigeon (not sure why it was
> flagged in that case, actually) was a really lovely photo of... not a
> wigeon. Not sure what the notes would have said, if the notes had been
> anything other than a photo, but often enough the only notes in ebird
> say "photo taken" and then fingers are crossed that they'll email back
> with the correct bird.
>
> Notes, often enough, make me want to cry. I don't care if you're from
> Dallas and Black Vultures nest on your patio (though I'd love to see
> that) and you're insulted that I asked for notes on Black Vultures
> reported from Reeves County: if you can't describe a semi-circle of a
> vulture that was not a Common Black Hawk (though that'd be excellent
> for Reeves County as well), it can't be accepted. Much less the report
> of seven of them, because your list included all of I-10 from San
> Antonio on west.
>
> Credentials aside, if you have eyeballs and paper and some sort of
> writing utensil, it's better than nothing. And please don't harp on my
> support of photos because at least a few of y'all on this list know my
> mother and should be very thankful that she doesn't email you her
> 'what hawk is this?' photos -- usually I really wish she did NOT have
> a camera! Her blurs can sometimes be deciphered as Red-shouldered,
> Red-tailed, Accip-blur, or lumps that really could have been just
> about anything. I am just thankful that she hasn't discovered ebird.
>
> -h
>
>
> --
>
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> necessities. - Mark Twain
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