next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
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.&nbsp; Others are difficult and with potential for mix-up with common species.&nbsp; 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”?&nbsp; No word of Hi Ulli and all: 1. I don't think there is any problem with having two outlets for bird observations, both rare and otherwise. Naturens is the proper outlet for most observations of birds and other natural history matters, many of which are ephemral and not meant to add greatly to our knowwledge of what's out there. They can, however, alert us of patterns, changes, and local happenings. The bird reports therein are indeed scrutinized and summarized as best as possible (often a daunting task without a subject-searchable archive) by the group summarizers for "Nova Scotia Birds." On the other hand, NS-RBA is meant strictly for reports of rare or unusual birds and avian events. The instructions for reporting are easily accessed on that site, although there have been much too many reports in recent months of routine birds, especially at feeders. NS-RBA has the great virtue of being archived and searchable, so that the all submitted sightings can be readily obtained for purposes like writing up secxtions of "Nova Scotia Birds." Also, individuals can be contacted for details of their sightings and urged to write them up for the permanent record. 2. A "Nova Scotia Bird Records Committee" designed precisely to do what Ulli suggests, has in fact recently been founded as an independent committee of the NS Bird Society. After years of debate on this issue (pity the members!) it has, perhaps rather ponderously, begun its work. It will be notifying the birding public of its existence and mandate in the near future. The results of its deliberations will be published in NS Birds and/or the web in future years. There is a huge backlog of records that needs examining, as Ulli indicates. There is consensus on the committee, I believe, that it will present and detail records that are deemed acceptable for the NS list, but will not a list of "rejected" records - these will simply not be listed. It is also agreed that sight records with suffient written details (published or not) will be considered. Ultimately, a complete and ongoing list of "accepted" records of rare bird for NS may ensue, but in my opinion, completeness may take years. I am writing this as a member of that committee, but without claiming that these views are those of the committee. But, stay tuned. Cheers, Ian McLaren > > 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 PS