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Index of Subjects --0-73724502-1181658367=:73947 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi, I don't think the following showed up on NatureNS (or I missed it). I picked it up on the RBA list (I still think there should be only one list for the province). Kind of fits in with this report of a possible sighting! >Subject: Swallow-tailed Kite-maybe? >From: Hans Toom <htoom AT hfx.eastlink.ca> >Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:31:53 -0300 >Fred Greig phoned me to report a probable Swallowtail >Kite flying northwest from the Dingle, HRM, minutes ago. End of quote! I agree that it would be great to have a accessible database for rare birds observed in Nova Scotia in the past. In particular closing the gap between present day and the observations listed in "Birds of Nova Scotia" would be desirable. However, somebody needs to sit down and do the work to get such a project going. No matter if this would be a new edition of the book or a electronic database of some sort. Before this can happen another issue needs to be addressed to give such a project the credibility it deserves. If I remember correctly the sightings of rare birds listed in Tuft’s book a mostly backed up by hard evidence, i.e. dead birds. Either were those found dead or collected with the gun (and sometimes found on the market for sale). The days of shotgun ornithology are pretty much over. The big question is how sightings and reports of rare bird sightings are currently handled in this province, and how they should be handled in the future to make sure they will stand over time. Right now there are no criteria what is required to make a report of a rare bird a confirmed sighting. It’s left to the editor of Nova Scotia Birds to decide how to handle them. I can tell you, it is not an easy job! Most birder don't bother neither here on NatureNS or in any other way to provide supporting documentation for their rare bird sighting to ease the task. And I am talking here about RARE BIRD sightings, not the common locals! If a rare bird was subsequently seen by a number of people its usually easy to accept it as confirmed. How could all those people be wrong (maybe they all where)?. Thanks to the fast information flow it happens frequently that rareties are enjoyed by many birders, and the increasing density of digital cameras comes handy as well to get definite proof. Still, how to deal with those seen once by one birding party? Some species are easy since they are unmistakable (i.e. Black-necked Stilt) and as such easy to put in the write-up without hesitation. Others are difficult and with potential for mix-up with common species. How to handle a report like “seen a Golden Eagle on this day on this location”, maybe followed by a statement “looked just like the one in Sibley’s”? No word of observed field marks, conditions, circumstances which led to the conclusion and excluded other candidates. List it as a possible sighting in Nova Scota Birds, or ignore it? Put it in a future database (risking to create a false positive), or leave it out (chance of missing the start of a trend)? Most other parts in the birding world have their Rare Bird Committees to review such sightings and make a decision based on submitted documentation, not a editor relying on gut feelings most of the times. Birders working in those parts of the world are by now also used to provide the best possible documentation to support their report. As a result researchers and birders using these publications and databases can be confident that there was hard evidence for listed sightings, rather than guess work by individuals (i.e. editors). When will Nova Scotia make this step? We should do it soon and start improving our reporting habits! It would make my job as seasonal editor for NS Birds a lot easier.... Ulli --------------------------------- Be a PS3 game guru. Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. --0-73724502-1181658367=:73947 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit <span style="font-family: monospace;">Hi,<br><br>I don't think the following showed up on NatureNS (or I missed it). I picked it up on the RBA list (I still think there should be only one list for the province). Kind of fits in with this report of a possible sighting!<br><br>>Subject: Swallow-tailed Kite-maybe?<br>>From: Hans Toom <htoom AT hfx.eastlink.ca><br>>Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2007 13:31:53 -0300<br><br>>Fred Greig phoned me to report a probable Swallowtail >Kite flying northwest from the Dingle, HRM, minutes ago. <br><br>End of quote!<br><br>I agree that it would be great to have a accessible database for rare birds observed in Nova Scotia in the past. In particular closing the gap between present day and the observations listed in "Birds of Nova Scotia" would be desirable.<br><br>However, somebody needs to sit down and do the work to get such a project going. No matter if this would be a new edition of the book or a electronic database of some sort.<br><br>Before this can happen another issue needs to be addressed to give such a project the credibility it deserves. <br>If I remember correctly the sightings of rare birds listed in Tuft’s book a mostly backed up by hard evidence, i.e. dead birds. Either were those found dead or collected with the gun (and sometimes found on the market for sale). <br><br>The days of shotgun ornithology are pretty much over. The big question is how sightings and reports of rare bird sightings are currently handled in this province, and how they should be handled in the future to make sure they will stand over time. <br><br>Right now there are no criteria what is required to make a report of a rare bird a confirmed sighting. It’s left to the editor of Nova Scotia Birds to decide how to handle them. I can tell you, it is not an easy job! <br><br>Most birder don't bother neither here on NatureNS or in any other way to provide supporting documentation for their rare bird sighting to ease the task. And I am talking here about RARE BIRD sightings, not the common locals! <br>If a rare bird was subsequently seen by a number of people its usually easy to accept it as confirmed. How could all those people be wrong (maybe they all where)?. Thanks to the fast information flow it happens frequently that rareties are enjoyed by many birders, and the increasing density of digital cameras comes handy as well to get definite proof. <br><br>Still, how to deal with those seen once by one birding party? Some species are easy since they are unmistakable (i.e. Black-necked Stilt) and as such easy to put in the write-up without hesitation. Others are difficult and with potential for mix-up with common species. How to handle a report like “seen a Golden Eagle on this day on this location”, maybe followed by a statement “looked just like the one in Sibley’s”? No word of