[nysbirds-l] Fwd: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls AND eBird corporate" stance & related future eBird changes

[Andrew Baksh]

Good Morning All:

Marshall Illiff, eBird Project Leader has given me permission to re-post an
e-mail submitted by him to the Maryland (MD) list serve, in response to a
discussion on the disturbance of Long-Eared Owls.  Marshall's response on
the MD list serve, highlights the understanding of eBird personnel on the
challenges faced by birders on the reporting of sensitive species and
discusses related changes coming soon to eBird to address this and other
reporting issues.

I recommend reading Marshall's write-up in its entirety or at the very
least, read the end. I think you will find it gives hope for the continued
use of eBird for entering sensitive species, while protecting the birds we
love.

Good and Responsible Birding!

Andrew Baksh
Queens, NY
www.birdingdude.blogspot.com




-- Forwarded message --
From: Marshall Iliff 
Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 7:31 AM
Subject: Fwd: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls
To: Andrew Baksh 




-- Forwarded message --
From: Marshall Iliff 
Date: Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls
To: mdbird...@googlegroups.com


MDBirding,

As many of you may know, I am an ex-Marylander, still have family in
Annapolis, and live now in Massachusetts. I feel quite nostalgic for my
home state, especially when I see how much Maryland has embraced eBird and
what a vibrant, curious, and interesting community of birders Maryland has,
as evidenced by discussions like this and others on MDBirding. The topic in
this case is an unfortunate one, but it is not one that is unique to
Maryland.

I think Bill, Matt and others have provided some great comments and
guidance for this issue in general. I'd like to specifically address where
eBird is on this. You can consider this the "eBird corporate" stance, if
you will, as Bill is fond of saying :-).

First, the issue of sensitive species is one that has been on our radar
screen for a long time at the Cornell Lab as we have tried to grow eBird.
There has always been tension between the two ideas that have been
mentioned: on the one hand, we want the birds that we love to be safe and
do not want actions by birders or photographers to negatively impact the
birds as they seek them out and enjoy them in the field; on the other hand,
we also firmly believe that the scientific value, usefulness as a tool for
birdwatchers, and, importantly, the conservation value of the bird
information in eBird is most helpful when birds are reported at the finest
(most specific) scale possible. Reporting a Scarlet Tanager sighting from
"Maryland" is not worthless, but not very informative. Reporting it as
"Anne Arundel County", is slightly better, and from the town of "Annapolis"
better still. Reporting it from the hotspot that represents the 80-acre
property on the South River starts to get even more specific and truly
valuable for understanding the relationship of the bird to the habitat it
was using, and this is what we hope most eBirders are doing. Obviously one
could report at even finer scales, maybe from the 20 acre woodland near
Forest Drive that is the actual habitat where 2-3 Scarlet Tanager
territories still persist; I could even do a stationary count at the exact
spot where I saw or heard the tanager. Our official eBird recommendations
are "the finer scale the better" and if I divided my one-mile morning
birdwalks on this property into 50 sections of 100 ft each, that would be a
fantastic dataset. But no one has the time to do that, so our general rule
is try to keep your traveling counts to five miles or less, try to report
from the most accurate location possible and try to use established
hotspots when possible. If you are willing to establish a route of point
counts or short transects and survey those regularly, eBird welcomes that,
but many of us are busy. Those that submit from "Blackwater NWR" or
"Assateague National Seashore" are still providing very valuable data, even
if the traveling counts are apt to be long and those hotspots represent
large areas.

 So with that stance that we want fine-scale reports, how then can we
balance the very real problems with sensitive species?

I should say at the outset, that the Maryland eBird reviewers, and Bill in
particular, have regularly been very helpful to those of us at "eBird
Central" to defining policies on sensitive species. Recognizing that such
cases are rare, we also have to acknowledge that serious ethical (or legal)
breaches *do* occur. A short list of the sensitive species problems that
eBird users have been involved with include: failure to follow established
protocol for access to birding sites; trespassing on private personal
property; trespassing on federal property; visitation of highly restricted
scientific research stations involved in the study and protection of
Endangered species; disturbance of rare/sensitive species; and even, at
least once, targeted hunting (successfully) rare

Re: [nysbirds-l] Fwd: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls AND eBird corporate" stance & related future eBird changes

[Hugh McGuinness]

Just as an FYI, everyone should know that it turned out that these
particular Long-eared Owls were not subjected to purposeful disturbance.
The story: some branches were cut on their roost tree. Everyone presumed
that a photographer had done it, however, it turned out that a state agency
that had no knowledge of the birds' presence had just been performing
routine maintenance along a right-of-way. This doesn't change the intent of
Andrew's post, but I just didn't want this incident to cause bad feelings
and disenchantment about unspecified and non-existent evil-doers.

Hugh

On Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Andrew Baksh  wrote:

> Good Morning All:
>
> Marshall Illiff, eBird Project Leader has given me permission to re-post
> an e-mail submitted by him to the Maryland (MD) list serve, in response to
> a discussion on the disturbance of Long-Eared Owls.  Marshall's response on
> the MD list serve, highlights the understanding of eBird personnel on the
> challenges faced by birders on the reporting of sensitive species and
> discusses related changes coming soon to eBird to address this and other
> reporting issues.
>
> I recommend reading Marshall's write-up in its entirety or at the very
> least, read the end. I think you will find it gives hope for the continued
> use of eBird for entering sensitive species, while protecting the birds we
> love.
>
> Good and Responsible Birding!
>
> Andrew Baksh
> Queens, NY
> www.birdingdude.blogspot.com
>
>
>
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: Marshall Iliff 
> Date: Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 7:31 AM
> Subject: Fwd: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls
> To: Andrew Baksh 
>
>
>
>
> -- Forwarded message --
> From: Marshall Iliff 
> Date: Thu, Feb 7, 2013 at 11:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [MDBirding] Re: Bad News--Disturbance of Long-eared Owls
> To: mdbird...@googlegroups.com
>
>
> MDBirding,
>
> As many of you may know, I am an ex-Marylander, still have family in
> Annapolis, and live now in Massachusetts. I feel quite nostalgic for my
> home state, especially when I see how much Maryland has embraced eBird and
> what a vibrant, curious, and interesting community of birders Maryland has,
> as evidenced by discussions like this and others on MDBirding. The topic in
> this case is an unfortunate one, but it is not one that is unique to
> Maryland.
>
> I think Bill, Matt and others have provided some great comments and
> guidance for this issue in general. I'd like to specifically address where
> eBird is on this. You can consider this the "eBird corporate" stance, if
> you will, as Bill is fond of saying :-).
>
> First, the issue of sensitive species is one that has been on our radar
> screen for a long time at the Cornell Lab as we have tried to grow eBird.
> There has always been tension between the two ideas that have been
> mentioned: on the one hand, we want the birds that we love to be safe and
> do not want actions by birders or photographers to negatively impact the
> birds as they seek them out and enjoy them in the field; on the other hand,
> we also firmly believe that the scientific value, usefulness as a tool for
> birdwatchers, and, importantly, the conservation value of the bird
> information in eBird is most helpful when birds are reported at the finest
> (most specific) scale possible. Reporting a Scarlet Tanager sighting from
> "Maryland" is not worthless, but not very informative. Reporting it as
> "Anne Arundel County", is slightly better, and from the town of "Annapolis"
> better still. Reporting it from the hotspot that represents the 80-acre
> property on the South River starts to get even more specific and truly
> valuable for understanding the relationship of the bird to the habitat it
> was using, and this is what we hope most eBirders are doing. Obviously one
> could report at even finer scales, maybe from the 20 acre woodland near
> Forest Drive that is the actual habitat where 2-3 Scarlet Tanager
> territories still persist; I could even do a stationary count at the exact
> spot where I saw or heard the tanager. Our official eBird recommendations
> are "the finer scale the better" and if I divided my one-mile morning
> birdwalks on this property into 50 sections of 100 ft each, that would be a
> fantastic dataset. But no one has the time to do that, so our general rule
> is try to keep your traveling counts to five miles or less, try to report
> from the most accurate location possible and try to use established
> hotspots when possible. If you are willing to establish a route of point
> counts or short transects and survey those regularly, eBird welcomes that,
> but many of us are busy. Those that submit from "Blackwater NWR" or
> "Assateague National Seashore" are still providing very valuable data, even
> if the traveling counts are apt to be long and those hotspots represent
> large areas.
>
>  So with that stance that we want fine-scale reports, how then can we
> balance the very real problems with s

[nysbirds-l] Varied Thrush- Prospect Park

[Robert Bate]

Kier Randall just tweeted this confiming a tentative sighting yesterday.  
Nethermead bridge spans the creek thru the Ravine on Center Drive.  Just look 
for the birders!

@BBCKingsbirds: VARIED THRUSH confirmed per keir. Spot at yew tree north stairs 
Nethermead Br

Rob Bate
Brooklyn
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[nysbirds-l] Varied Thrush

[Robert Bate]

Refound just south of Neathermead Arch.  Next to same area as before

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[nysbirds-l] VARIED THRUSH in Prospect Park ( Kings)

[prosbird]

VARIED THRUSH  (VATH ) confirmed per Keir Randall. Spot at yew tree north 
stairs Nethermead Bridge.I also saw the bird shortly afterward


Go to the north path that leads to stairs on the north side of the Nethermead 
Three Arches Bridge , where the path  curves, behind the fence in brush, near 
the Yew Tree, a male adult VARIED THRUSH with other winter birds feeding on the 
ground where snow hasn't fully covered.


Update: Rob Jett just reported the VATH perched above Nethermead Arches, at 
1005 am.


Many thanks to Mark Salvadalena from Washington State for reporting to me the 
bird. EXCITING !  (first such bird for Prospect )

Peter Dorosh
Brooklyn Bird Club

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[nysbirds-l] Brooklyn Varied Thrush follow-up

[Rob Jett]

The Varied Thrush that was first spotted in Prospect Park late yesterday was 
relocated this morning. It was subsequently seen by myself and several other 
birders throughout the morning. I have created a Google map of the area where 
it has been frequenting here:

http://goo.gl/maps/wFFOd

The bird, which appears to be an adult male, seems to be restricting its 
foraging to a wooded area directly adjacent to the bridge known as "The 
Nethermead Arches" along Center Drive. While we did see it once near the steep 
ridge on the South side of the bridge, it seems to prefer the wooded hillside 
just on the North side. If you are walking through the Ravine towards the 
Nethermead Meadow, you will see a flight of stairs on your right that leads 
towards Center Drive. At the top of the stairway is a yew tree. He was observed 
feeding on the ground below that tree several times. He also moves a short 
distance South-West of that spot, but only as far as the footpath that ascends 
towards the Fallkill Falls. There are dozens of robins in the area, but he 
doesn't seem to really associate with them and sticks to feeding within the 
edges of the woods.

If you come by car, probably the most direct route is to park near Prospect 
Park Southwest and 16th Street. Walk straight in at 16th and to Center Drive. 
Continue walking until you reach the bridge.

Good birding,

Rob

http://citybirder.blogspot.com


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[nysbirds-l] Varied Thrush - Prospect Park

[Robert Bate]

Photo of Prospect Park Varied Thrush.  Better pictures sure to follow.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robertbate/8538958861/in/photostream

Rob Bate Brooklyn

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Re:[nysbirds-l] Varied Thrush, Brooklyn

[Tom Fiore]

Thanks to Rob B, Rob J, Keir R, Peter D and all, a great find for Prospect Park.

Should anyone happen to hear this Varied Thrush sing, or vocalize, please add 
to your reports (and that could apply to any birds, as some observers are 
keenly interested in sound as well as sighting the bird.  enjoy,

Tom Fiore
Manhattan
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Re: [nysbirds-l] Brooklyn Varied Thrush follow-up

[Juan Salas]

I have uploaded three pictures of the Varied thrush taken around noon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23604521@N00/
Thank you to Peter Dorosh for the excellent directions.
Best regards and good birding
Juan Salas
On Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 12:08 PM, Rob Jett  wrote:

> The Varied Thrush that was first spotted in Prospect Park late yesterday
> was relocated this morning. It was subsequently seen by myself and several
> other birders throughout the morning. I have created a Google map of the
> area where it has been frequenting here:
>
> http://goo.gl/maps/wFFOd
>
> The bird, which appears to be an adult male, seems to be restricting its
> foraging to a wooded area directly adjacent to the bridge known as "The
> Nethermead Arches" along Center Drive. While we did see it once near the
> steep ridge on the South side of the bridge, it seems to prefer the wooded
> hillside just on the North side. If you are walking through the Ravine
> towards the Nethermead Meadow, you will see a flight of stairs on your
> right that leads towards Center Drive. At the top of the stairway is a yew
> tree. He was observed feeding on the ground below that tree several times.
> He also moves a short distance South-West of that spot, but only as far as
> the footpath that ascends towards the Fallkill Falls. There are dozens of
> robins in the area, but he doesn't seem to really associate with them and
> sticks to feeding within the edges of the woods.
>
> If you come by car, probably the most direct route is to park near
> Prospect Park Southwest and 16th Street. Walk straight in at 16th and to
> Center Drive. Continue walking until you reach the bridge.
>
> Good birding,
>
> Rob
>
> http://citybirder.blogspot.com
>
>
> --
>
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>
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> 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html
>
> Please submit your observations to eBird:
> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/
>
> --
>
>

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[nysbirds-l] Varied Thrush - Prospect Park, Bklyn.

[Elizabeth D Poole]

The adult Varied Thrush was seen again by four observers in the vicinity of the 
Yew tree near the Nethermead Arches from about 2:10 - 2:15 this afternoon. At 
about that time, the bird flushed to cover and most of the ground foraging 
birds in the area went quiet. A Red-Tailed Hawk perched nearby was the probable 
cause. The bird did not reappear in the following half hour. 

Bob Gochfeld

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[nysbirds-l] Photos of Varied Thrush

[Juan Salas]

Sorry for the cross-posting. I have uploaded three photos of the Varied
thrush taken near the yew tree off the path west of the Nethermead Bridge
at noon today, unfortunately no vocalizations heard.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23604521@N00/
Good brding.
Juan Salas

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[nysbirds-l] Spring Shorebird Migration Volunteers Needed

[Dikun, Kerri]

Audubon New York is seeking volunteers to conduct International Shorebird 
Surveys during spring migration on Long Island.  We are looking for data from 
the following sites:

1 - Cupsogue Beach County Park
2 - Pike's Beach
3 - Dune Road Marshes
4 - Shinnecock Inlet
5 - Mecox Inlet
6 - Sagaponack Pond

Survey dates are as follows:

April 5th, 15th, 25th
May 5th, 15th, 25th,
June 5th, 15th

If you are able to cover one site for all of the survey dates that would be 
most helpful to us, however, if you can't commit to all the surveys we would 
welcome any reports that you can supply. Splitting survey dates among various 
birders is also welcome.

Data forms and survey protocol can be downloaded at  
http://www.goodeggnjny.org/education-and-outreach/.  Please read through 
protocol and data sheet carefully before performing surveys.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions please contact 
Kerri Dikun at kdi...@audubon.org.

Thanks!





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Shorebird Migration Data Form Spring 2013.pdf
Description: Shorebird Migration Data Form Spring 2013.pdf


Shorebird Survey Protocol Spring 2013.pdf
Description: Shorebird Survey Protocol Spring 2013.pdf

[nysbirds-l] BirdCallsRadio Update!

[Mardi Dickinson]

Birders et al,
There have been some changes and developments at BirdCallsRadio.
http://birdcallsradio.com/2013/03/07/birdcallsradio-update/

Cheers,
Mardi Dickinson
Norwalk, CT





















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[nysbirds-l] NYC Area RBA: 8 March 2013

[Ben Cacace]

- RBA
* New York
* New York City, Long Island, Westchester County
* Mar. 8, 2013
* NYNY1303.08

- Birds mentioned

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE+ (Orange County, New York)
GYRFALCON+
COMMON MURRE+
VARIED THRUSH+
(+ Details requested by NYSARC)

Greater White-fronted Goose
ROSS'S GOOSE
Cackling Goose
EURASIAN WIGEON
TUFTED DUCK
BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
Red-necked Grebe
Northern Gannet
Piping Plover
BLACK-HEADED GULL
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Razorbill
White-winged Crossbill
Pine Siskin

- Transcript

If followed by (+) please submit documentation of your report
electronically and use the NYSARC online submission form found at
http://www.nybirds.org/NYSARC/goodreport.htm

You can also send reports and digital image files via email to
nysa...@nybirds.org.

If electronic submission is not possible, hardcopy reports and photos or
sketches are welcome. Hardcopy documentation should be mailed to:

Gary Chapin - Secretary
NYS Avian Records Committee (NYSARC)
486 High Street
Victor, NY 14564

Hotline: New York City Area Rare Bird Alert
Number: (212) 979-3070

To report sightings call:
Tom Burke (212) 372-1483 (weekdays, during the day)
Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126 (Long Island)

Compiler: Tom Burke, Tony Lauro
Coverage: New York City, Long Island, Westchester County

Transcriber: Ben Cacace

BEGIN TAPE

Greetings. This is the New York Rare Bird Alert for Friday, March 8th 2013
at 7pm. The highlights of today's tape are VARIED THRUSH, GYRFALCON,
PINK-FOOTED GOOSE, ROSS'S GOOSE, TUFTED DUCK, BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, EURASIAN
WIGEON, BLACK-HEADED GULL and pelagic trip results including COMMON MURRE.

On Thursday a male VARIED THRUSH was found in Prospect Park and was still
present there today. The thrush has been near the Nethermead's Three Arches
Bridge in the center of the park mostly along the wooded slope on the north
side of the bridge especially on some snow free ground near a Yew Tree.
Hopefully it will be relocated there tomorrow.

The subadult gray morph GYRFALCON seen nicely last weekend and again Monday
with a report also on Tuesday along the marshes north of Gilgo has
unfortunately not been noted since. Negative news previously though had not
signaled its departure as it did reappear so it may not be gone yet. The
GYRFALCON has favored the marshy islands just north of the Gilgo parking
lot often sitting on the Osprey platform slightly to the northwest but it
has also ranged east as far as Cedar Beach Marina as well as west of that
location. Most frequently though it has been spotted from the Gilgo parking
lot.

A pelagic trip last Saturday from Freeport aboard the Captain Lou Fleet's
Star Stream VIII got out about 40 miles and recorded 150 NORTHERN GANNETS,
36 COMMON MURRES, 18 RAZORBILLS, 13 large alcids, 3 ICELAND GULLS and 4
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS.

Some of the more unusual waterfowl do continue in the area. The drake
TUFTED DUCK was still at Heckscher Park in Huntington to Wednesday this
park off Route 25A and Park Avenue and the second drake continued at
Blydenburgh Park south of Route 25 in Smithtown at least to Sunday. A
female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still with Commons in Fire Island Inlet off
Cedar Beach as of Monday and another female was spotted off the north shore
of Long Island at Caumsett State Park last Saturday. The Riverhead area's
ROSS'S GOOSE was seen again on Merritt's Pond in Riverhead last Sunday this
an overnight roosting area and then on Wednesday it was picked up feeding
with Canadas north of Sound Avenue near the end of Route 105. A CACKLING
GOOSE was also at the latter site Sunday with a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
also there Wednesday. Seven EURASIAN WIGEONS were counted Saturday on the
pond at the West Sayville Golf Club just south of Montauk Highway at Route
27A these including 3 females. Up in Orange County the PINK-FOOTED GOOSE
was last noted Sunday at the Camel Farm just west of Route 12 where a
ROSS'S GOOSE was found Thursday. GREATER WHITE-FRONTED and CACKLING GEESE
were also in that area on Sunday.

Two BLACK-HEADED GULLS remain in the Montauk area but the immature seen at
Ditch Plains and the adult at the south end of Lake Montauk off South Lake
Drive both last Sunday. An ICELAND GULL was spotted again last Saturday on
the Central Park reservoir with another still at Iron Pier in Northville on
Sunday. A lingering RED-NECKED GREBE was still around the Captree State
Park boat basin Monday and an arriving PIPING PLOVER was back at Point
Lookout last Sunday. Some returning PINE SISKINS appeared in Prospect Park
yesterday and some WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS are still in the area.

To phone in reports on Long Island, call Tony Lauro at (631) 734-4126, or
during the day except Sunday call Tom Burke at (212) 372-1483.

This service is sponsored by the Linnaean Society of New York and the
National Audubon Society. Thank you for calling.

- End transcript

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