Aidan B Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Fairly slow visit focused on looking for Chipping Sparrows and recording Yellow-billed Magpies. Red-breasted Sapsucker was the best bird this afternoon. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127482269 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 I was told this was a good spot for Blue-crowned Parakeet flyovers at sunrise. I thought that maybe sunset flyovers would also a possibility, so I chased the lifer and county rare bird, but didn't see any. Not a lot of species, but I didn't miss much, just a few badly lit dark bird flyovers after sunset: https://ebird.org/checklist/S127480904 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted February 3 Author Share Posted February 3 https://ebird.org/checklist/S127516414 A lovely morning out! First part of the road was really slow, but I got down to another field and there was lots of activity. Also on the walk back, the sun had started melting all the ice off the trees, so it sounded like rain. The photo doesn't do it justice, it was quite beautiful. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birds are cool Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 14 minutes ago, Kevin said: https://ebird.org/checklist/S127516414 A lovely morning out! First part of the road was really slow, but I got down to another field and there was lots of activity. Also on the walk back, the sun had started melting all the ice off the trees, so it sounded like rain. The photo doesn't do it justice, it was quite beautiful. Nice checklist! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted February 3 Author Share Posted February 3 12 minutes ago, Birds are cool said: Nice checklist! Thanks! There was so many birds of prey around, it was keeping the crows really busy! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoroark Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 Another visit to the bird preserve, and I found an out-of-season Blue-winged Teal, along with three other FOYs: Tree Swallow, Virginia Rail, and Vermilion Flycatcher. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127521292 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birds are cool Posted February 3 Share Posted February 3 53 species! Four year birds and a rare Wood Stork. I also saw Georgia's third American Woodcock of the year! https://ebird.org/checklist/S127524412 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birds are cool Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 Made two checklists today. I am sick(nasty headache, can barely walk, wicked dry cough), and that hindered my birding. Checklist shows how bad it is. I usually get over 25 species, today my biggest checklist was 9 species. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127595148 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiscalus quiscula Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 16 minutes ago, Birds are cool said: Made two checklists today. I am sick(nasty headache, can barely walk, wicked dry cough), and that hindered my birding. Checklist shows how bad it is. I usually get over 25 species, today my biggest checklist was 9 species. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127595148 Get well soon!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 (edited) On Saturday's, I like to have one big checklist that generally covers a lot of distance, but it rained a lot during the morning, with threats of more rain during the day, so I did what I could: https://ebird.org/checklist/S127597451 https://ebird.org/checklist/S127608912 Edited February 4 by dragon49 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted February 5 Author Share Posted February 5 1 hour ago, Birds are cool said: Made two checklists today. I am sick(nasty headache, can barely walk, wicked dry cough), and that hindered my birding. Checklist shows how bad it is. I usually get over 25 species, today my biggest checklist was 9 species. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127595148 All that running in the rain and cold..... Sorry to hear you feel bad, get better soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 49 minutes ago, dragon49 said: I like to have one big checklist that generally covers a lot of distance Just letting you know that this is not the type of lists that eBird wants. A single list for a single location(hotspot) is fine, but 9 mile or so walks are recommended to be only one list. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) 3 hours ago, IKLland said: Just letting you know that this is not the type of lists that eBird wants. A single list for a single location(hotspot) is fine, but 9 mile or so walks are recommended to be only one list. I don't understand your point. When I go on > 9-mile walks, I only submit one checklist for that hike. Also, I'm always at the same hotspot when I go on those long birding walks, and as the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is HUGE, I never leave the refuge during those trips, so submitting it to the generically named Loxahatchee NWR hotspot is accurate. So, please elaborate. Edited February 5 by dragon49 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 54 minutes ago, dragon49 said: I don't understand your point. When I go on > 9-mile walks, I only submit one checklist for that hike. Also, I'm always at the same hotspot when I go on those long birding walks, and as the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is HUGE, I never leave the refuge during those trips, so submitting it to the generically named Loxahatchee NWR hotspot is accurate. So, please elaborate. The longer the distance covered in a checklist, the less-valuable the data is. Remember, the point of eBird is for scientific data. If there are more specific hotspots for the area that you visit at the wildlife refuge, I’d suggest doing a different list for each section you visit that had a hotspot for it. If there’s not a hotspot for the different sections, then I guess you can do what you’re doing with the checklist, but perhaps doing one list for the way to the destination, and then one for the return walk would be preferable? But the bottom line is that if there’s a way to make your data more valuable based on shortening distances for checklists and/or using the most specific hotspots available, you should do so. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) 48 minutes ago, IKLland said: but perhaps doing one list for the way to the destination, and then one for the return walk would be preferable? I get everything you said, and I do want to be the best citizen scientist I can be, so I always strive to adhere to Ebird's best practices. I deleted all of the quoted text, except for part of a sentence to clear one thing up: On these long walks, I only go in one direction - there is no return trip. Once I reach civilization at the destination, I take an Uber back to the parking lot where I started. My walking pace is slow when birding and photographing, and I don't have the daylight to make it back. I also have no interest in 18–26-mile walks (I'd have to carry 2X the water and associated weight as well) - 9-13 is good enough. 🙂 Regarding return trips, it may make sense for a separate checklist when I do take them on shorter walks. It would help me out also, as It's always frustrating to have to figure out what birds to count on the way back. I always prefer to underreport rather than overreport, so I'm very conservative in reporting birds on the way back. In any event, separate checklists for return trips is a very interesting subject to discuss. I don't see any birders in my county doing that though. They just put in their notes that distance was adjusted for backtracking. Edited February 5 by dragon49 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Fingers Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 6 hours ago, dragon49 said: My walking pace is slow when birding and photographing, AMEN!!! 6 hours ago, dragon49 said: Regarding return trips, it may make sense for a separate checklist when I do take them on shorter walks. It would help me out also, as It's always frustrating to have to figure out what birds to count on the way back. I always prefer to underreport rather than overreport, so I'm very conservative in reporting birds on the way back. In any event, separate checklists for return trips is a very interesting subject to discuss. I don't see any birders in my county doing that though. They just put in their notes that distance was adjusted for backtracking. I tend to do separate checklists for there and back. But while we’re here: What do you do if you end a checklist hearing/seeing birds, and start another while hearing/seeing those same birds. Do you count them if you counted them in the previous checklist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 8 hours ago, dragon49 said: I get everything you said, and I do want to be the best citizen scientist I can be, so I always strive to adhere to Ebird's best practices. I deleted all of the quoted text, except for part of a sentence to clear one thing up: On these long walks, I only go in one direction - there is no return trip. Once I reach civilization at the destination, I take an Uber back to the parking lot where I started. My walking pace is slow when birding and photographing, and I don't have the daylight to make it back. I also have no interest in 18–26-mile walks (I'd have to carry 2X the water and associated weight as well) - 9-13 is good enough. 🙂 Regarding return trips, it may make sense for a separate checklist when I do take them on shorter walks. It would help me out also, as It's always frustrating to have to figure out what birds to count on the way back. I always prefer to underreport rather than overreport, so I'm very conservative in reporting birds on the way back. In any event, separate checklists for return trips is a very interesting subject to discuss. I don't see any birders in my county doing that though. They just put in their notes that distance was adjusted for backtracking. I don’t think return trip checklists are necessary for short walks. If your only doing like 3 miles one-way, you can do the same list for the way back. Just subtract the distance you walked on your return trip and enter that as the mileage on the checklist. Since you’re actually not waking both ways on those long walks, then you don’t have to worry about a return trip checklist. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IKLland Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 2 hours ago, Snake Fingers said: But while we’re here: What do you do if you end a checklist hearing/seeing birds, and start another while hearing/seeing those same birds. Do you count them if you counted them in the previous checklist? This is exactly why I avoid doing return trip checklists for walks under 5 miles one-way. If you submit it twice(even if it’s the same bird), then that’s can lead to incorrect data because eBird thinks there were more of the birds. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 4 hours ago, Snake Fingers said: But while we’re here: What do you do if you end a checklist hearing/seeing birds, and start another while hearing/seeing those same birds. Do you count them if you counted them in the previous checklist? I run into this, and I do count the birds again. For example, if I'm at a specifically defined hotspot, such as a small boardwalk, and I count a red-bellied woodpecker. If I end that checklist, and start another one just outside the perimeter, if I hear a Red-bellied Woodpecker before I'm too far away for the sound to no longer reach my ears, but I know the bird is up a tree on the boardwalk proper, I'll count it for the second checklist. I believe I'm being true to Ebird's wishes with the second checklist, as I'm supposed to report what I see and hear. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birds are cool Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 (edited) Feeling a lot better today. Made a checklist this morning and heard a probable Northern Parula. https://ebird.org/checklist/S127654491 Edited February 5 by Birds are cool 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 I was stuck inside all morning due to heavy rain. I ran out when it stopped and took a chance that it did not come back. Ther rest of the day was beautiful, and I had a good trip at this hotspot: https://ebird.org/checklist/S127697066 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connor Cochrane Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Some backyard photography after the rain passed by https://ebird.org/checklist/S127714360 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpa Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 Best checklist of the year so far and pretty sure the most duck species (16) I’ve had https://ebird.org/checklist/S127684066 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon49 Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 21 minutes ago, neilpa said: Best checklist of the year so far and pretty sure the most duck species (16) I’ve had https://ebird.org/checklist/S127684066 Wow - I've got a long way to go - that would be 16 lifers for me! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake Fingers Posted February 6 Share Posted February 6 8 hours ago, dragon49 said: that would be 16 lifers for me! Almost every duck except Mallard would be a lifer for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.JPG.a84e61ea7bd3eb88e6b4b088d1da6af1.thumb.JPG.ae99b45b233d4366fd7bc2bd47b564fa.JPG)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.