Re: [cayugabirds-l] uploading pictures to ebird?
I think a lot of people are trying to get their eBird sightings in in a timely fashion, when they are in the field reporting. They say "photos" at the time, and then later, when they get home, or the next day, when they have had time to download the photos from their camera and go through them, they DO upload them. So I think if you look back at the reports that say "photos," they will often be added later. I admire the folks who get their reports in fast. I'm one of those who take forever, so it is not as useful for others to find the bird. Still working on my Piping Plover photos from this spring Sandy At 11:41 AM 9/10/2021, you wrote: >Lots of people report rare birds and claim to >have photos but donât include them in the >eBird report. Do they forget? Maybe they think >that saying you have evidence of something which >is unlikely to be true is as good as presenting evidence that it is true. > >Itâs kinda like Joe McCarthy waving a sheaf of >blank papers while claiming he has a list of >Communists in the State Department (Ok, Iâm >old). Itâs like Rudy Giuliani claiming in >front of 4-Seasons Landscaping that there was >all kinds of election fraud but presenting nothing in court. > >EBird wants to do science, but the basis of >science is presenting reviewable evidence. Rare >birds are more than fun, they may be early signs >of birds changing their range, or changing which >sites they use, or changing the timing of their >migration. In other words, rarities can help us >understand how birds adapt to climate change, or >to odd weather, or to all the other stresses >that wiped out about a third of the breeding >population of North American birds over the past half century. > >A bird which eBird lists as rare is by >definition less likely than other species to be >at that place at that time. Even if it is a >familiar species or is common at other times of >year, it deserves a description to distinguish >it from similar species and it deserves even a lousy photo. > >Why doesnât eBird ask for such info on common >birds? People surely make some ID errors on them >as well. I think there are several reasons. The >folks running eBird know itâs too much trouble >for you to describe every bird (even though >itâs a great exercise!). They also know that >reviewers donât have time to look at reports >for that many birds. But regarding the science, >I think eBird is based on an assumption that >most people usually can ID the common everyday >birds most of the time. And besides, thereâs >an assumption that the patterns of years past >probably still hold true. When there are Robins >on the lawn in Spring, itâs wonderful, but >itâs not a revelation. It doesnât change how >we see the world. Scientifically speaking, who >cares? (Actually eBird does help us keep tabs on >the common species, too, and thatâs important, >so thatâs not an invitation to be sloppy or not to report common birds.). > >But a bird which shows up at a new time or at a >new place would help change our understanding of >that species a little bit. It nudges the edge of >the range map. It shifts the calendar a little. >So we want to be sure itâs valid information, >to know that the observer observed carefully and >to learn exactly what they observed. (Plus, vicarious birding is also fun.) > >Iâve looked at a lot of reports of rarities. >Reports of rare birds have a higher likelihood >to be mistakes. And a lot of reports are >essentially blank, devoid of supporting >information, so they canât be trusted. The >rare bird is more likely to be unfamiliar. The >bird is certainly out of its usual context and >it may therefore act in an atypical manner. But >most of all, itâs simply more likely to be >something else by the definition of rarity. And >itâs not a matter of doubting anyoneâs >personal birding skills. Even hotshots should be >noting enough field marks to ID any rare bird >and including a photo. Coasting on reputations >is how science fails. Nobody gave Einstein a >pass; his work was gone over with a fine-toothed >comb and is still being tested. > >But regular folks and beginners should also >include notes. Say why you think a bird is a >rarity with as much detail as you can muster. >Iâve done that, and many times Iâve had >rarities confirmed by eBird. Sometimes I have >been corrected, and the result was a better >record while I learned more about the species >involved. My first rare bird find was long >before eBird on a Christmas Bird Count, when >another teenager and I found a sparrow weâd >never seen before except in the field guides we >carried. Our simple yet accurate written >descriptions given to the compiler were enough >to bring experts to the scene. We helped herd >birds across a weedy field toward mistnets. Our >odd bird flew through the gap between a net and >a pole, but was captured by hand by
Re: [cayugabirds-l] uploading pictures to ebird?
Lots of people report rare birds and claim to have photos but don’t include them in the eBird report. Do they forget? Maybe they think that saying you have evidence of something which is unlikely to be true is as good as presenting evidence that it is true. It’s kinda like Joe McCarthy waving a sheaf of blank papers while claiming he has a list of Communists in the State Department (Ok, I’m old). It’s like Rudy Giuliani claiming in front of 4-Seasons Landscaping that there was all kinds of election fraud but presenting nothing in court. EBird wants to do science, but the basis of science is presenting reviewable evidence. Rare birds are more than fun, they may be early signs of birds changing their range, or changing which sites they use, or changing the timing of their migration. In other words, rarities can help us understand how birds adapt to climate change, or to odd weather, or to all the other stresses that wiped out about a third of the breeding population of North American birds over the past half century. A bird which eBird lists as rare is by definition less likely than other species to be at that place at that time. Even if it is a familiar species or is common at other times of year, it deserves a description to distinguish it from similar species and it deserves even a lousy photo. Why doesn’t eBird ask for such info on common birds? People surely make some ID errors on them as well. I think there are several reasons. The folks running eBird know it’s too much trouble for you to describe every bird (even though it’s a great exercise!). They also know that reviewers don’t have time to look at reports for that many birds. But regarding the science, I think eBird is based on an assumption that most people usually can ID the common everyday birds most of the time. And besides, there’s an assumption that the patterns of years past probably still hold true. When there are Robins on the lawn in Spring, it’s wonderful, but it’s not a revelation. It doesn’t change how we see the world. Scientifically speaking, who cares? (Actually eBird does help us keep tabs on the common species, too, and that’s important, so that’s not an invitation to be sloppy or not to report common birds.). But a bird which shows up at a new time or at a new place would help change our understanding of that species a little bit. It nudges the edge of the range map. It shifts the calendar a little. So we want to be sure it’s valid information, to know that the observer observed carefully and to learn exactly what they observed. (Plus, vicarious birding is also fun.) I’ve looked at a lot of reports of rarities. Reports of rare birds have a higher likelihood to be mistakes. And a lot of reports are essentially blank, devoid of supporting information, so they can’t be trusted. The rare bird is more likely to be unfamiliar. The bird is certainly out of its usual context and it may therefore act in an atypical manner. But most of all, it’s simply more likely to be something else by the definition of rarity. And it’s not a matter of doubting anyone’s personal birding skills. Even hotshots should be noting enough field marks to ID any rare bird and including a photo. Coasting on reputations is how science fails. Nobody gave Einstein a pass; his work was gone over with a fine-toothed comb and is still being tested. But regular folks and beginners should also include notes. Say why you think a bird is a rarity with as much detail as you can muster. I’ve done that, and many times I’ve had rarities confirmed by eBird. Sometimes I have been corrected, and the result was a better record while I learned more about the species involved. My first rare bird find was long before eBird on a Christmas Bird Count, when another teenager and I found a sparrow we’d never seen before except in the field guides we carried. Our simple yet accurate written descriptions given to the compiler were enough to bring experts to the scene. We helped herd birds across a weedy field toward mistnets. Our odd bird flew through the gap between a net and a pole, but was captured by hand by another teenager, and then the first Maryland record for LeConte’s Sparrow was photographed and banded*. So, hey, it’s worth the trouble. What about rarities reported by more than one person? Individual descriptions and photos are more than just good practice to help familiarize yourself with a species which you may not see very often or haven’t seen in awhile. Your notes or pictures may reveal details which other observers overlooked. They may establish that you saw the same individual bird, or that this individual bird has changed, or that there is more than one individual of that species involved. More individuals of a rare species means the pattern is more significant. More information means better understanding. Science. We believe in that, right? Help out. Thanks for reading. Go observe birds. It’s
Re: [cayugabirds-l] FLLT Bell Station Webpage
Here is another perspective on proposed the Bell Station auction in case anyone feels like poking around: the auction website itself https://www.ten-x.com/listing/bell-station-lansing-ny-14580/114888/ Several interesting tidbits including the description of Ithaca's financial overview inder the "Market Information" tab. Make good trouble! Marc On Thu, Sep 9, 2021 at 5:10 PM Suan Hsi Yong wrote: > The FLLT just put up this webpage about the Bell Station issue: > > https://www.fllt.org/savebellstation > > If you haven't already, signing this change.org petition ( > https://chng.it/yQdP6g8PyT ) is something you can do quickly; there > are plans for the NYS senator and assemblyperson to send the list of > signatories to the governor's office: > > Suan > > -- > > 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/ > > -- > -- 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/ --
