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> Get your game face on with the latest PS ------=_Part_11835_33139186.1181662533913 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Hi Ulli and others, That very issue is currently being addressed by the NS rare birds records committee, and further details will be in a soon- to- be- forthcoming NS Birds. Part of the problem is that many records are poorly documented, and the committee is trying to come to grips with how to handle that without making people upset. Other provinces and states have ways of doing it, that may not necessarily be applicable to NS, because of the small number of birders, and peoples' sensitivities. A good example would be how to document 2 second -hand reports , without details, of Swallow-tailed Kite, which is very rare but hard for most birders to mis-identify if well seen. The committee is also looking at ways of handling the other types of example you raise. The committee has already looked at a few old records, and is currently looking at some new ones. However, all the members have other jobs and activities as well, and wish to be as thorough, and as diplomatic, and as scientific, as possible - so please try and be patient. But it is happening! Meanwhile, there is a difference between informing people of possible sightings as rapidly as possible, which is what phones and e-mail are for, and thorough documentation of rarities, which is what committees are for. Cheers -- Richard On 6/12/07, Ulli Hoeger <ullihoeger@yahoo.com> wrote: > > 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. <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=49936/*http://videogames.yahoo.com> > > -- ################# Dr.Richard Stern, 70 Exhibition St. Kentville, NS B4N 4K9 Richard Stern, 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams B0P 1T0 rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca rbstern@xcountry.tv sternrichard@gmail.com ################### ------=_Part_11835_33139186.1181662533913 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline <div>Hi Ulli and others,</div> <div> </div> <div>That very issue is currently being addressed by the NS rare birds reco= rds committee, and further details will be in a soon- to- be- forthcom= ing NS Birds. Part of the problem is that many records are poorly documente= d, and the committee is trying to come to grips with how to handle that wit= hout making people upset. Other provinces and states have ways of doin= g it, that may not necessarily be applicable to NS, because of the small nu= mber of birders, and peoples' sensitivities. A good example would be ho= w to document 2 second -hand reports , without details, of Swallow-tailed K= ite, which is very rare but hard for most birders to mis-identify if well s= een. The committee is also looking at ways of handling the other types= of example you raise. The committee has already looked at a few old record= s, and is currently looking at some new ones. However, all the members have= other jobs and activities as well, and wish to be as thorough, and as dipl= omatic, and as scientific, as possible - so please try and be patient. But = it is happening!=20 </div> <div> </div> <div>Meanwhile, there is a difference between informing people of possible = sightings as rapidly as possible, which is what phones and e-mail are for, = and thorough documentation of rarities, which is what committees are for. </div> <div> </div> <div>Cheers -- Richard<br><br> </div> <div><span class=3D"gmail_quote">On 6/12/07, <b class=3D"gmail_sendername">= Ulli Hoeger</b> <<a href=3D"mailto:ullihoeger@yahoo.com">ullihoeger@yaho= o.com</a>> wrote:</span> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0= px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><span style=3D"FONT-FAMILY: mono= space">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 b= e only one list for the province). Kind of fits in with this report o= f a possible sighting! <br><br>>Subject: Swallow-tailed Kite-maybe?<br>>From: Hans Toom <= htoom AT <a onclick=3D"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href= =3D"http://hfx.eastlink.ca/" target=3D"_blank">hfx.eastlink.ca</a>><br>&= gt;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!<b= r><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 b= etween present day and the observations listed in "Birds of Nova Scoti= a" would be desirable. <br><br>However, somebody needs to sit down and do the work to get such a p= roject going. No matter if this would be a new edition of the book or a ele= ctronic 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.= =20 <br>If I remember correctly the sightings of rare birds listed in Tuft's bo= ok 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).=20 <br><br>The days of shotgun ornithology are pretty much over. The big quest= ion is how sightings and reports of rare bird sightings are currently handl= ed in this province, and how they should be handled in the future to make s= ure they will stand over time.=20 <br><br>Right now there are no criteria what is required to make a report o= f 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!= =20 <br><br>Most birder don't bother neither here on NatureNS or in any oth= er 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 com= mon locals!=20 <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 d= igital cameras comes handy as well to get definite proof.=20 <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 di= fficult and with potential for mix-up with common species. How to han= dle 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 w= ord of observed field marks, conditions, circumstances which led to the con= clusion and excluded other candidates. =20 <br>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)?<br><br>Most other parts i= n the birding world have their Rare Bird Committees to review such sighting= s and make a decision based on submitted documentation, not a editor relyin= g 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 p= ublications and databases can be confident that there was hard evidence for= listed sightings, rather than guess work by individuals ( i.e. editors).<br><br>When will Nova Scotia make this step? We should do it= soon and start improving our reporting habits! It would make my job as sea= sonal editor for NS Birds a lot easier....<br><span class=3D"sg"><br>Ulli&n= bsp;=20 <br></span></span><span class=3D"ad"><pre><br></pre> <p> <hr size=3D"1"> Be a PS3 game guru.<br>Get your game face on with <a onclick=3D"return top.= js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" href=3D"http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=3D499= 36/*http://videogames.yahoo.com" target=3D"_blank">the latest PS3 news and = previews at Yahoo! Games. </a>=20 <p></p></p></span></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>#####= ############<br>Dr.Richard Stern, <br>70 Exhibition St.<br>Kent= ville, NS<br>B4N 4K9<br><br>Richard Stern, <br>317 Middle Dyke Rd.<br>Port = Williams <br>B0P 1T0<br><br><a href=3D"mailto:rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca">rbstern@ns.sy= mpatico.ca</a><br><a href=3D"mailto:rbstern@xcountry.tv">rbstern@xcountry.t= v</a><br><a href=3D"mailto:sternrichard@gmail.com">sternrichard@gmail.com</= a> <br>###################=20 ------=_Part_11835_33139186.1181662533913--
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