Yes, all those methods of finding a site work... for some people... at some times. But for folks who are traveling and do not have internet but do have text messaging, and I am in that category, it makes sense to me to add a bit of traffic to the text rare bird alert system to clarify the location, thus making the alert more functional. To me, this is not the same as unnecessary replies, small talk, or off-topic messages on the rare bird alert which also get sent to everyone. Theoretically, complete directions would be best given as part of the initial alert, but I like to keep my eye on the rare bird as much as possible, not on my phone, because more than once rare birds have used the opportunity to leave while I am distracted sending out the alert. In practice, when someone asks for directions, I think that's also a very good time to give them, rather than adding traffic by giving someone a hard time. --Dave Nutter
> On Jul 11, 2017, at 7:15 PM, David Nicosia <daven102...@gmail.com> wrote: > > You don't need a smartphone to look at ebird. A computer with internet access > is all you need. You don't even need an ebird account. > Just goto ebird.org and click "explore data" and then you have a choice > "explore a region" "explore hotspots" or "species maps." > There are multiple ways to find where birds are being seen. > > Here is one way....go to "species maps" and type in RUFF or whatever specie > you want. Change the date to the current year etc, and zoom > into central NY. You will see markers where the bird of interest is being > seen. Change the map to the satellite view and zoom way in. You > could see where the parking area is in many instances. If the bird is being > seen at a hotspot there are directions via google maps. > They are other ways too. > > I know there are folks who know far more about ebird than I and we are > fortunate that they are at the Lab of O. I am sure there are > many people that can assist you. If you get an account, you can set up rare > bird alerts, needs alerts per county or state etc. You will > get emailed daily or even hourly if you so choose. It has revolutionized how > I bird over the past dozen years or so. > > Sorry if I sounded a little harsh but I hate to see people struggling to get > the info they need that is so readily available. > > thanks > Dave Nicosia > > > >> On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 6:27 PM, Donna Lee Scott <d...@cornell.edu> wrote: >> As others on this bird list have pointed out in the past, it would be >> helpful to all listers if people who provide a bird alert would take an >> extra minute to write briefly the route # or street name & approximate >> location, if possible. If one is already taking time to alert people, why >> not give enuf info so people know where bird actually is? >> >> "Ruff at 'Kipp I. South' off NYS Rt. 90 next to south side of Thruway >> between US Rt. 20 & village of Montezuma" , for instance. >> >> Two cents from a retired dispenser of all sorts of info from Cornell >> Cooperative Extension. >> >> Donna Scott >> Who bought a smart phone so she could get bird apps , but hasn't learned >> enuf about what else phone can do, OR about eBird use. >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Jul 11, 2017, at 4:47 PM, Jody Enck <jodye...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi Dave and all, >>> >>> thanks for the info, but I do not have a smart phone. My little trac-fone >>> does not even save phone numbers. I can reply to text message I receive >>> from RBA, but I have no GPS on it. And, I cannot access eBird on it. >>> >>> Please remember that more than half (52% according to most recent research >>> I have seen) of ebird users (much higher for birders in general) still do >>> not have a smart phone. >>> >>> Also, just so everyone knows how mysterious the location is -- I stopped at >>> the Montezuma village post office and the town office building, and nobody >>> at either location had ever heard of it. >>> >>> Sorry to all for clogging the RBA with questions about where the location >>> was, but what good is an RBA if the majority of the people who might be >>> interested in seeing a bird have no idea where the location is? Seems to >>> me that asking for a location is a legitimate follow-up use of the RBA text >>> system. But that is just my opinion. >>> >>> Thanks for providing some help, but please don't assume that we can't find >>> locations because we don't use eBird. I enter all my sightings from my >>> laptop at home. >>> >>> take care, >>> Jody >>> >>>> On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 3:00 PM, David Nicosia <daven102...@gmail.com> >>>> wrote: >>>> If you use ebird, they have maps and locations in a format >>>> that you can zoom in so far to see exactly where the bird >>>> of interest is. I never even heard of Kipps Island before but I found >>>> the hotspot on ebird and it was very easy to find. Often, if a bird >>>> is not seen in a hotspot, a "stakeout" hotspot is created, >>>> like the one for the Dickcissel on Kingdom Road for >>>> example in Seneca Falls. >>>> >>>> I highly recommend folks learn and use ebird. Makes life >>>> very easy when chasing rare birds reported by others... >>>> >>>> Dave Nicosia >>>> -- >>>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>>> Welcome and Basics >>>> Rules and Information >>>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>>> Archives: >>>> The Mail Archive >>>> Surfbirds >>>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>>> -- >>> >>> -- >>> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >>> Welcome and Basics >>> Rules and Information >>> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >>> Archives: >>> The Mail Archive >>> Surfbirds >>> BirdingOnThe.Net >>> Please submit your observations to eBird! >>> -- > > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
