Greetings!
Please join the Nashville chapter of TOS for our monthly meeting on
Thursday, September 21 at the Radnor Lake State Park visitor's center, 1160
Otter Creek Road. This month we will be celebrating the beginning of fall
(and the return of our NTOS meetings) with a Potluck. We will have an early
start time of 6:30 with the regular meeting to follow.
For our September program, Stacy Elliott will talk about the ins and outs of
using ebird and Merlin (full program details below). In case you are not
currently using either ebird or Merlin on your phone, instructions from
Stacy can be found after the program details.
As always, the public is welcome. We hope to see you there!
Susie Russenberger
NTOS Program Coordinator
Sept program details:
Everyone can be a Citizen Scientist: Using Merlin, eBird, and more to help
birds thrive.
Presented by Stacy Elliott, MSW, Belmont Honors Adjunct Professor and Bird
Safe Nashville - Founding Member
Do you use the Merlin app on your smartphone? Perhaps you upload bird
sightings, photos, or sound recordings on eBird. Whether you are an
eBird/Merlin aficionado, a casual user, or want to learn more, let's talk
about best practices and practical ways you can participate in Citizen
Science using these tools.
Hundreds of thousands of people around the world contribute bird
observations to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology each year, gathering data on
a scale once unimaginable. Scientists use this data to reveal how birds are
affected by habitat loss, pollution, disease, climate, and other
environmental changes. Your participation can help trace bird migration,
nesting success, and changes in bird numbers through time. These insights
inform conservation plans and key actions to protect birds and habitats.
We will cover:
- Getting Started with eBird: Track and share your sightings anywhere, any
time.
- Tips & Tools for using the Merlin App.
- Special projects
Adding ebird and Merlin to your smart phone:
eBird Mobile makes it easy to record the birds you see in the field, while
making your data openly available for scientific research, education, and
conservation. eBird Mobile is the only app that passes information directly
from iOS and Android devices to your eBird account on the web.
These are the Steps:
1. Download eBird Mobile
The first step is to get the app-available for free on both the
<http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.cornell.birds.ebird>
Google Play and
<http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ebird-by-cornell-lab-ornithology/id988799279
?mt=8> App Stores.
2. Set your preferences
Once you've downloaded the app, you'll be prompted to enter your user
information. Then choose the display language for bird names and set your
preferred distance unit (metric or imperial).
In the app Settings you can choose whether you want Common Names or
Scientific Names to show during data entry. Select Common Names and give the
app some time to install the new set of names.
3. Download and install packs
Packs are lists of birds you are likely to see in a given region of the
world. By installing a pack, you can use a species list of birds tailored
for your area, regardless of reception or wifi connection.
Make sure you add: Tennessee Pack.
To download a pack:
. On Android devices: tap on the three bars in the upper left
corner, and then 'Packs' from the dropdown menu.
. On iOS devices: tap on the three dots by the word 'More' in the
bottom right corner, and then 'Packs' from near the top of the screen.
Merlin app
Cornell Lab of Ornithology manages research gathered on eBird. They also
developed a handy app to help people answer the question most often asked:
"What's that Bird?" It's called Merlin. Using this app can help new and
experienced birdwatchers to make better identifications using data from the
most likely birds in your location when you enter common descriptors you
observe.
