[TN-Bird] Osprey nest watch web site

From: Scott Somershoe <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxx>
To: TN-Birds <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:41:30 +0000
With all the talk of Ospreys lately, I wanted to send out info on a new Osprey 
nest monitoring/tracking web site managed by the Center for Conservation 
Biology.  The data is for larger population-wide monitoring of nesting success, 
tracking nest locations, etc.
http://www.osprey-watch.org/

In short, you can sign up and enter locations for Osprey nests anywhere.  I 
created an account and entered the nest I just posted about in Smyrna, which 
you can see as one of the most recently added nests (nest number 698) at the 
nests page (it isn't on the interactive Google Map quite yet as that is 
probably automatically updated daily).

It is a pretty simple and painless process.

1.       Sign up with your name and email, receive email from them almost 
instantly, and confirm account.

2.       All you need to do is name the nest location and enter a lat-long of 
the nest.  You have two options for how to do this (and you don't need a GPS 
and to go to the nest to do this):

a.       There is an interactive Google map that you can use to find the 
location and drop the purple dot on the nest spot.  You may have to scroll 
around to TN and zoom in to mark the exact spot (also use the satellite view to 
see the exact location).

b.      I often use Google Maps, which is very quick and easy.  If you aren't 
familiar with it (or you use Google Earth), simply go to Google.com, click the 
maps page (icon on the top toolbar), and find the location of the location of 
interest (the nest in this case).  When you find the right location, put the 
mouse on the spot and "right click" on that spot and select "What's Here?"  The 
lat-long is then put into the search box at the top.  You then just have to 
copy and paste the latitude into the latitude box and the same for longitude.  
I haven't figured out how to do this on my Mac at home.

After this, what you do with it is up to you. You can simply enter a nest 
location and be done with it OR enter other information about arrival dates, 
hatching dates, fledging success, etc.  There is a "My nests" icon at the top 
right and you can see just your nests and edit them as desired.

This is a nice and simple tool for tracking Osprey nests across the state (and 
we have a LOT of them)!  We can use this site as a tool to keep tabs on the 
where's and how's of Ospreys in the state.

Cheers,
Scott Somershoe

State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653<tel:615-781-6653> (o)
www.tnwatchablewildlife.org<http://www.tnwatchablewildlife.org/>
www.pbase.com/shoeman<http://www.pbase.com/shoeman>
[TN-Bird] Osprey nest watch web site

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