Okay, I'm going to try to nip this in the bud and ask that we end this abbreviations thread before it gets out of control. I'm sure there are lots of hilarious bird pun blogs you can take your creativity, but I don't want to see a situation here like they had on Massachusetts-birds a few months ago where the listserv was overrun by terrible duck puns for a week. Truly dismaying. Let's have an end to it here.
In other news, George Road is thawing little by little, and today there was a good assortment of ducks, including American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Mallard, American Black Duck, Wood Duck, Ring-necked Duck, the female Redhead, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, and a transitional HORNED GREBE. Not huge numbers, but a nice variety and perhaps a good alternative if you can't make the trip up to Montezuma. Cheers. Jay McGowan Dryden, NY On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 7:56 PM, Susan Danskin <dans...@twcny.rr.com> wrote: > If all the Magnolia Warblers moved to New Jersey, they would probably settle > in MAWA... > > > On Mar 16, 2011, at 2:09 PM, John VanNiel wrote: > >> If we run out out Hooded Mergansers, we would be HOMEless ... >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: bounce-9259790-3493...@list.cornell.edu on behalf of Linda Orkin >> Sent: Wed 3/16/2011 1:36 PM >> To: Kevin J. McGowan >> Cc: Mike Powers; CAYUGABIRDS-L; Jeff Holbrook; John and Fritzie Blizzard; >> Jay William McGowan; Brenda Best >> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] abbreviations >> >> Imagine if there were NOMO Mockingbirds?? >> >> Linda >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Mar 16, 2011, at 12:45 PM, "Kevin J. McGowan" <k...@cornell.edu> wrote: >> >>> The codes are easy to write but difficult to read. They are like >>> mysteries, once someone explains them you can follow how they got there, >>> but you are unlikely to figure them out on your own. Unless you use them >>> every day, it's always a puzzle. >>> >>> I've said this a bunch here, and I'll say it again: >>> >>> There are 2 kinds of jargon - the technical kind that increases the >>> precision of communication among specialists (say, the dorsal surface of >>> the distal-most portion of the most proximate bone, or "Richardson's" >>> Cackling Goose), and the kind that becomes an in-group/out-group code (like >>> "newts" for neutralization assays, or BTYW). >>> >>> If clear communication to all on the list (or wherever) is your goal, don't >>> use abbreviations. If you want to show you belong to an exclusive group >>> and you mean to keep your message cryptic to anyone outside the group, then >>> codes are great. >>> >>> IMHO >>> >>> Kevin >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: bounce-9258656-3493...@list.cornell.edu >>> [mailto:bounce-9258656-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Mike Powers >>> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 9:44 AM >>> To: CAYUGABIRDS-L >>> Cc: Jeff Holbrook; John and Fritzie Blizzard; Jay William McGowan; Brenda >>> Best >>> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] abbreviations >>> >>> Hi all, >>> >>> Here is a nice write-up demystifying "birder shorthand" for those that >>> are interested in learning more: >>> >>> http://www.nabirding.com/2011/03/11/birder-shorthand-demystifying-the-code-of-banders/ >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Mike >>> >>> -- >>> Mike Powers >>> Horseheads, NY >>> >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 2:52 AM, Brenda Best <bestb...@me.com> wrote: >>>> At the opposite end of the spectrum, lots of people, especially beginners, >>>> may not know what a Gaviforme is without looking it up. >>>> >>>> Brenda >>>> -- >>>> Brenda Best >>>> Durhamville, NY >>>> bestb...@me.com >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPad >>>> On Mar 15, 2011, at 7:36 PM, Jeff Holbrook <mycte...@stny.rr.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> To Those Who Maybe Interested, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Just as an FYI, a great new resource for those who want to learn the four >>>> letter alpha codes or at least have a reference for those times when folks >>>> forget the cayugabirds-l and other list's guidelines, the" Crossley ID >>>> Guide >>>> to Eastern Birds" is awesome. It is the first guide that I have seen that >>>> includes the alpha codes. Even the USGS web pages that list the codes are >>>> not as a good reference as this guide due to the splits and omissions. For >>>> example, Gaviformes are typically not included as they don't typically >>>> migrate. Regardless, this is a great reference, but not so much a field >>>> guide, as reported by others on this list previously. With texting and >>>> space >>>> constrained social networks, i.e. Twitter, etc., four letter alpha codes >>>> are >>>> seeing increased usage by birders across the US. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Just my two cents. I have no financial ties to anything relating to this >>>> post. I just thought some folks might like to know or be reminded of this. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Kind Regards, >>>> >>>> Jeff Holbrook, >>>> >>>> Corning, NY >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> From: bounce-9256884-3493...@list.cornell.edu >>>> [mailto:bounce-9256884-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of John and >>>> Fritzie Blizzard >>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 17:56 >>>> To: Jay McGowan; CAYUGABIRDS-L >>>> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] abbreviations >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> THANKS, JAY. I'm sure many folks on the listserv, especially, new >>>> birders, aren't happy with the shorthand/texting. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Fritzie >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *********************************************************************** >>>> >>>> Jay wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> While very useful as shorthand for both bird banders and general birders, >>>> we >>>> to avoid these abbreviations on the listserv, since not everyone knows them >>>> and they can get confusing when people try to use them without knowing the >>>> exceptions to the rules. >>>> >>>> Cheers. >>>> - >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >>> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >>> >>> ARCHIVES: >>> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >>> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >>> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >>> >>> Please submit your observations to eBird: >>> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >>> >>> -- >>> >>> >>> -- >>> >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >>> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >>> >>> ARCHIVES: >>> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >>> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >>> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >>> >>> Please submit your observations to eBird: >>> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >>> >>> -- >>> >> >> -- >> >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >> >> ARCHIVES: >> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird: >> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> >> -- >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >> >> ARCHIVES: >> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html >> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird: >> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> >> -- >> > > > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > > ARCHIVES: > 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html > 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
