[wisb] Re: Off-Topic: eBird Data Entry for Difficult Species
- From: Jesse Ellis <calocitta8@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: harrierhawk1@xxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:44:55 -0500
Andrea-
While this kind of counting should definitely be encouraged, I wonder if
there's a bit of bias that's causing what you're seeing... relatively few
birders use eBird (in my experience) and my suspicion is that those that do
are fairly experienced. Perhaps experienced enough to eliminate confusion,
or at least to have the confidence (over confidence?) to pick an
identification. I, for one, have had surprising luck with vocalizing empids
this fall, enough to feel pretty confident of my few Alder/Willow IDs. And I
don't much have trouble (I don't think!) with Yellowlegs at this point,
although they can clearly be very difficult without a lot of experience.
I use warbler sp. fairly frequently, mostly for those dang flyovers.
I, for one, would like to encourage more people to both use eBird and to
continue reporting to the list. I suspect some folks start reporting to
eBird and stop reporting to the list, and while it's fine that the data are
being used and stored, I miss the ebb and flow of people's sightings. (For
example, I know that Sanderling is not a particularly impressive bird for
Wisconsin, but it's a good bird for Dane Co., and it hopefully reminds
people that they can have common birds in strange places...).
Sorry for the OT aside, there...
Jesse
On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 1:09 PM, Andrea Szymczak
<harrierhawk1@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> I'm really not trying to be a pain, but I was looking at the eBird listing
> for fall species this morning and was struck by the fact that nearly every
> difficult species seems to be "identified" by the observer. Case in point:
> There are *No* entries selected as Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warblers. All are
> identified precisely as either species. This pairing is notorious for
> producing identification errors and I have to wonder if people who enter
> their data into eBird only do it when they are "certain" of the species?
> Perhaps, people "omit" a bird from their checklist when they are not sure?
> Similarly, for the Alder/Willow Flycatcher pairing, only a couple of
> observers this fall have noted birds this way.
> I have listed a couple of other combinations (that I could think of on
> short notice) below that can be selected during eBird data entry when i.d.
> is uncertain:
>
> *Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher
> *Greater/Lesser Yellowlegs
> *Catharus sp.
> *Alder/Willow Flycatcher
> *Bay-breasted/Blackpoll Warbler
> *Warbler sp. (a good one to use for those "yellow" warblers like female
> Wilson's, Hooded, & Yellow!!!)
>
> I hope my message helps to improve how folks enter data into the system,
>
> Andrea Szymczak
> Waukesha, WI
> ####################
> You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding
> Network (Wisbirdn).
> To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn.
> To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
> //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn.
> Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.
>
>
>
--
Jesse Ellis
Madison, Dane Co, WI
####################
You received this email because you are subscribed to the Wisconsin Birding
Network (Wisbirdn).
To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn.
To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use the Wisbirdn web interface at:
//www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn.
Visit Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.
Other related posts:
