Ed Forum birdwatching 2008

sphenisc said:
I'd suggest that we start a separate "Forum Birdwatching 2009", that this one be renamed "Forum Birdwatching 2008" and that a final list of bird, first observer and first location is included at the end.
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That is a good suggestion. I will approach a mod on this.

sphenisc said:
I don't think the webpages should get any more complicated, well maybe a page for other vertebrates - but there should be an option to download the data so that anyone can interrogate it.
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This is, in theory, a good idea. However, there is a complication. At least one poster has submitted his/her reports via PM. While I do not know exactly why, I believe it should certainly be permitted, as the poster may have good reason. However, if the poster choose to do so, and the data is still downloadable, there might be a problem. I am open to suggestions to solve this slight problem though; perhaps one downloadable version that doesn't have the posters' names in it?

sphenisc said:
In terms of data management a database might be a better idea than simply using Excel, depending on the complexity of the data structure. Excel is fine for the data we have at the moment but if you want to start asking lots of complex questions e.g. "How many passerines, in 2008, have been seen by two or more observers in two or more locations?", then frankly now is the time to make the transition, before things get unwieldy.

I don't think there is going to be much demand for that kind of thing, and frankly anyone who's interested will either do themselves or ask someone on here to explain how/do it for them.
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I am unsure what programs might be used to erect such a database, should people feel it is necessary.

EHocking said:
At the moment (as soon as Kotatsu and I get in-synch with our spreadsheets) I'm happy to continue to compile the list for 2008.
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I've looked at both our lists now, and there seem to be some inconsistencies. At the moment, I am just pasting everything in your list that's not present in my list into my list, but it appears differences in Excel (or something) creates a novel problem: when I paste a date from your list in my list, it moves one day ahead. This means I have to readjust all the dates manually, which takes a bit of time.

However, I am working on it, and have noticed that I had actually missed adding a few since I came back. So by the time I send you the next list, it should all work, but the present one may be incomplete. I will also not have time to add any additional reports to the list until Monday, as I'm going to my parents' place for my father's birthday this weekend, but don't let that stop you from reporting. Now are high times for wading birds; we've had reports on Sanderlings, Curlew Sandpipers, and Red Knots here in the area (though I haven't seen any), so go out to your favourite mudflat and have a look!

Also, I notice that there are actually a few hummingbird reports (genuine ones, not hummingbird moths^^), so I want to apologise for my earlier post where I said there were hardly any. I have to read through the parts I've missed and see what's there and what's not.

Ixion said:
Please let me know if I am doing this correctly or if any additional information is needed. :)
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EHocking said:
Yep, you've given us all we need to get your sightings on the list.
English name, Latin name, date, location.
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Well, you've actually given us more information than is strictly necessary, as we don't require scientific names. Saves me having to look it up, though, so I appreciate it. Thank you and welcome.
 
Kotatsu said:
I've looked at both our lists now, and there seem to be some inconsistencies. At the moment, I am just pasting everything in your list that's not present in my list into my list, but it appears differences in Excel (or something) creates a novel problem: when I paste a date from your list in my list, it moves one day ahead. This means I have to readjust all the dates manually, which takes a bit of time.
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More interesting, perhaps, is the fact that when I open your excel sheet on my Mac, all the dates are displayed as "2004-XX-XX", but they change to the correct date when I copy it into the sheet I have. This, to me, sounds like some kind of Mac/PC thing, but I am not computer expert, and it seems to work out well in the end anyway, so...
 
Kotatsu said:
More interesting, perhaps, is the fact that when I open your excel sheet on my Mac, all the dates are displayed as "2004-XX-XX", but they change to the correct date when I copy it into the sheet I have. This, to me, sounds like some kind of Mac/PC thing, but I am not computer expert, and it seems to work out well in the end anyway, so...
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I think it is an Excel 2007 problem. I have the same problem cutting and pasting TO it from previous versions - on the same PC!
 
I have now added reports by Mercutio (including the hummingbird reported on the 15th, which I had missed previously), YoPopa (actually Eric added these, and some of Mercutio's), Tricky (tentatively; I don't yet know which species there are, though I have made some guesses in post 860), Bunk, and Ixion. Thank you, and welcome to the new contributors!

I would like to draw more attention to Mercutio's raptor in post 828. My gut reaction was "Marsh Harrier", but apparently they don't have them in the US. Is it Red-tailed? It's hard to see the tail in the photo, but the rest of the plumage could very well be that of a Red-tailed. As to the gull, it looks like a Herring Gull to me, and there seems to be nothing in your area to confuse it with; I have written it as Herring Gull.

For YoPopa's bird, I've added the Murre on the 15th of July, which is in the middle. Great precision is generally not needed, but if you oppose this somewhat arbitrary decision, let me know.

I will continue looking at the two lists this weekend, but it seems everything is now once again in one list, which contains 1653 reports, which is quite impressive. Still a bit to go to 1000 species, though^^.
 
Kotatsu said:
I would like to draw more attention to Mercutio's raptor in post 828. My gut reaction was "Marsh Harrier", but apparently they don't have them in the US. Is it Red-tailed? It's hard to see the tail in the photo, but the rest of the plumage could very well be that of a Red-tailed.
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Judging from the plumage and the little detail seen, and if it was taken in New England, red tail is the best guess. They seem to outnumber all the other raptors combined.

We have harriers around here, but they're smaller, with a long tail and a distinctive tail band. They're fun to watch, because they often catch the wind and hover motionless.
 
At the highest resolution, there are a few red pixels in the tail. Whether that is an artifact of the light, or actual red tail, is beyond my ability to discern.
 
Kotatsu said:
...Tricky (tentatively; I don't yet know which species there are, though I have made some guesses in post 860)...
I would like to draw more attention to Mercutio's raptor in post 828. My gut reaction was "Marsh Harrier", but apparently they don't have them in the US. Is it Red-tailed? It's hard to see the tail in the photo, but the rest of the plumage could very well be that of a Red-tailed. As to the gull, it looks like a Herring Gull to me, and there seems to be nothing in your area to confuse it with; I have written it as Herring Gull.
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Re: Mercutio's hawk

From this site
http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/red-tailed-hawk-identification.html
and
http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3370id.html

Red tail, patagial mark and belly band are diagnostic (when present) of red-tailed hawk.

The patagial mark is the dark mark running along the front edge of the wing fro the bodyto the carpal joint.

Mercutio's picture clearly shows the patagial mark, there is a hint of a belly band and as he saw some red in the tail, I think this can be recorded as red-tailed.

There don't seem to be any similar species confusion species for the herring gull, so I'd agree with that.

The only possible confusion species for Tricky's willet is greenshank but, as they say, the clue's in the name. Greenshanks will always show some yellowy-greenness to the legs, not lead grey. The bill is very straight and heavy looking on Trickey's bird, more like a heron's blade than the slightly upturned tweezers of greenshanks.

The three species of orange-billed ternWP are Elegant, Lesser Crested and Royal. Elegant is confined in the breeding season to the Pacific coast of the USA and Mexico, and Lesser Crested to the Old World, so that pretty much makes Tricky's bird Royal. It also looks more solidly built with a bigger bill than either Elegant or Lesser Crested.
 
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Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and Stock Dove Columba oenas: Lothian, Scotland 23/08/08
 
Out on the Katy Prairie yesterday we saw the usual scissortail flycatchers, loggerhead shrikes plus a couple of red-tailed hawks. The stars of the day though were the crested caracaras, Caracara cheriway. I've seen them before, but there were at least ten of them in different locations, some in pairs.

Sometimes called the Mexican Eagle, the Crested Caracara has a great profile, including a beak that looks like it's made of stainless steel.
 

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Today's new species for the list from Colorado, USA is Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus.
 
Saw 5 Ardea herodias (Great Blue Herons) doing their thing amongst the lily pads in a big pond at the golf course today.

That would be Central Ontario in the Kawartha Lakes region. I saw one of them actually step on a large painted turtle without so much as an "Excuse Me"

The nerve....

Here's a picture of one since I didn't have my camera handy.

 
Lothian, Scotland 23/08/08

also

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Greater Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
Guillemot Uria aalge
Domestic Pigeon Columba livia
 
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I have removed the uncertainty markers I had placed on the Willet, Mercutio's hawk, and the Royal Tern. I have also added reports by sphenisc, Tricky, Kestrel, and gmanontario; I would like to welcome the latter to the thread, and point out that this report is the second, only, from Canada.

As for myself, I finally got a new tripod for my telescope this weekend, but it was a cheap one, and turned out to be crap. It's hardly usable, and I'll need to get a new one next week. I needed to have one this week when I was out teaching faunistics, though, so I was in something of a hurry. Didn't see anything special either, but quite a lot of waders, including Greenshanks, Redshanks, Spotted Redshanks, Green Sandpipers, and quite a lot of Ruffs. I haven't had much time to do anything except lab work for the last few weeks though (1).

Tomorrow I go to Norway for a few days to visit a friend and attend an anarchistic festival named "Eat the Rich". I'll have a look through sphenisc's reports from Norway tonight and see if I have time to fill in any blanks during the weekend.

---
(1) I am actually trying out new primers, and one of the birds I work with at the moment is the Loggerhead shrike! I didn't know it was called that until I looked it up when I needed the scientific name to enter Tricky's reports. For those who are interested, it seems the primers I am testing work very well on this shrike, but less so on Lanius senator and Lanius excubitor, and even less well on two species of Prinia and some of my own waders. I'm also trying them out on a species of louse (Lunaceps actophilus) on the off-chance that one primer pair out of 56 will be general enough to provide me with a nuclear region, but no luck so far...
 
sphenisc said:
The only possible confusion species for Tricky's willet is greenshank but, as they say, the clue's in the name. Greenshanks will always show some yellowy-greenness to the legs, not lead grey. The bill is very straight and heavy looking on Trickey's bird, more like a heron's blade than the slightly upturned tweezers of greenshanks.

The three species of orange-billed ternWP are Elegant, Lesser Crested and Royal. Elegant is confined in the breeding season to the Pacific coast of the USA and Mexico, and Lesser Crested to the Old World, so that pretty much makes Tricky's bird Royal. It also looks more solidly built with a bigger bill than either Elegant or Lesser Crested.
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You are a wealth of information! Thank you! All birds have been entered as suggested.

sphenisc said:
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia and Stock Dove Columba oenas: Lothian, Scotland 23/08/08
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I am assuming the Spoonbill is not very common in Scotland when I say: Congratulations! I've seen two in Sweden, and they are very beautiful birds. The firs one refused to take its beak out from under a wing, though, which was a bit disappointing...

Kestrel said:
Today's new species for the list from Colorado, USA is Neotropic Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus.
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And I'm guessing this is a bit out of range as well. Out of curiosity: how do you tell it from other cormorants? I'll have a look in my field guides tomorrow, but if it is far out of range it will naturally not be in there.

gmanontario said:
Saw 5 Ardea herodias (Great Blue Herons) doing their thing amongst the lily pads in a big pond at the golf course today.
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Again: welcome to the thread. I think we only have Rough-legged Buzzard from Canada earlier, so you've got a blank slate in case you want to report other things^^.

sphenisc said:
Guillemot Uria aalge
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To be consistent with earlier decisions, I have changed the English name of YoPopa's Murre to Guillemot.
 
Kotatsu said:
And I'm guessing this is a bit out of range as well. Out of curiosity: how do you tell it from other cormorants? I'll have a look in my field guides tomorrow, but if it is far out of range it will naturally not be in there.
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The Neotropic Cormorant's normal range extends into New Mexico, but they do occasionally make it into Colorado. Other birders had spotted two in this pond, but I only saw one. The markings around the bill were pale yellow and shaped different from the Double Crested Cormorant that is common in this area.
 
House Martins Delichon urbicum and Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica beginning to congregate pre-migration: Angus, Scotland 29/08/08.

(Are these really the first house martins reported for UK???)


I initially wrote Delichon urbica before something at the back of my mind made me check it.

Here's a discussion of why it's now urbicum, for anyone who likes that kind of thing...

http://www.birdforum.net/archive/index.php/t-77110.html

There are some nice winds due on the UK East coast this weekend so I hope to have some sightings of drift migrants to report next week.

http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-MSW-Surf-Charts/1/wind/in/
 
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Kotatsu said:
I am actually trying out new primers, and one of the birds I work with at the moment is the Loggerhead shrike! I didn't know it was called that until I looked it up when I needed the scientific name to enter Tricky's reports. For those who are interested, it seems the primers I am testing work very well on this shrike, but less so on Lanius senator and Lanius excubitor, and even less well on two species of Prinia and some of my own waders. I'm also trying them out on a species of louse (Lunaceps actophilus) on the off-chance that one primer pair out of 56 will be general enough to provide me with a nuclear region, but no luck so far...
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Can you unpack that a bit for those of us who aren't biologists?

Thanks
 
I absolutely promise to update the webpages this week when Kotatsu has worked out the dog's dinner I made of his list. He'll need to get it to me before he tramps off in September (and before I tramp off to Crete next week).

On that subject, I can add another country list, but I don't think any new species:

Channel Islands, Jersey (not the UK, before anyone asks). 24th August.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
Greylag Goose Anser anser (not counting the domestic hybrids)
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
Wgeon ANas penelope
Gadwal Anas strepera
Mallard Anas platyrhyncos
Shoveler Anas clypeata
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
Sparrowhawk Accipeter brevipes
Buzzard Buteo buteo
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Pheasant Phasianus colchicus
Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
Coot Fulica atra
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Common Tern Sterna hirundo
Domestic Pigeon Columba livia domesticus
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
House Martin Delichon urbica
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta
Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Hedge Accentor Prunella modularis
Robin Erighacus rubecula
Blackbird Turdus merula
Goldcrest Regulus regulus
Blue Tit Parus caeruleus
Great Tit Parus major
Jay Garrulus glandarius
Magpie Pica pica
Rook Corvus frugilegus
Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Starlin Sturnus vulgaris
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Goldfinch Caduelis carduelis

So all the common stuff, really.
 
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