Saturday, 31 October 2015

Re: [cobirds] Re: Cobirds vs Ebird Reporting

Since we moved back to Colorado from overseas 7 years ago and Cole Wild turned us on to CObird as well as eBird, COBird has been the most invaluable system of learning about Colorado birds, the areas to see them, and everything that Dan Stringer said below about those amazing individual birders who we have learned so much from. And priceless is the enthusiasm that comes through at every spotting, especially this fall when waves of sandhill cranes were coming over.  Not only have we learned a lot, CObird has made us better birders, increased our sense of habitat and season, and helped us meet some of those special people who are so willing to take time to show us where to find birds. And I will add a thank you to Ted Floyd for his posts too, making us aware of nights flights, and full moon watching. 

YES! Please keep posting to CObird. You are right, it is benefitting more than you realize as I even forward local posts to friend birders who are not on CObird.

Libby Edwards
Fort Collins



On Oct 31, 2015, at 7:46 PM, 'Dan Stringer' via Colorado Birds <cobirds@googlegroups.com> wrote:

When I started birding six years ago, CoBirds was where I learned what was out there and where to look. eBird is great for so many data-related reasons, but CoBirds tells the tale. Reading how Dave Leatherman posts great bird notes but also related entomology, plants, weather, listing a multitude of areas new to me, etc...or how David Suddjan helps complete the picture with related sightings in an under-birded overall area, or how Steve Mlodinow describes an all-day trip, apparently keeping index cards in his head for unexpected birds therefore finding them, or Glenn Walbek reporting from the far reaches of Lincoln County (so that's the time of year I might consider going there!), or Brandon Percival posting something that makes me get in my car and go learn something in that Pueblo area that's so unique...these things are Irreplaceable to developing birders who learn that there's good habitat right near where they've been driving and hiking all along, or where they've never been. I agree with Mark Chavez, any time a sighting is posted to CoBirds we have the option of getting an e-mail alert right as it's posted...last week when I went to Terry Lake to view a reported Loon, I was sure (from a long ways away) that it was Pacific...when pulling out of the parking area I got an e-mail alert on my phone about Red-throated Loon, backtracked, and was able to re-assess the bird. Later confirmed it was Red-throated Loon, it was a great education for me.

Please keep posting to CoBirds. It's benefitting more people than you know.

Dan Stringer,
Larkspur, Co

On Friday, October 30, 2015 at 12:53:16 PM UTC-6, Mark wrote:
Recently, I have noticed a trend of good to great chaseable birds not being reported to CObirds but instead just added to the eBird checklist. The reason for the email is that yesterday, a Great-crested Flycatcher was reported from the Denver Botanical Gardens at Chatfield around 8:40 a.m. After looking at the photos attached to the checklist, I'm struggling to rule out a Brown-crested Flycatcher. The problem with this kind of reporting is that you're not hearing about the bird until the next day. A few weeks ago, a Tri-colored Heron was reported to CObirds and many people were able to see the bird before it disappeared the following day. I'm not trying to criticize a person's decision of reporting, because it is ultimately their choice. I'm trying to get a better understanding of why this trend is increasing so rapidly?

Mark Chavez
Lakewood-Green Mtn
http://jaeger29.smugmug.com/

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