[mou] Documenting birds

Mike Hendrickson smithville4@charter.net
Tue, 23 May 2006 14:45:57 -0500


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Hello:

I would like to reply to Mark Alt's posting.

"I commend Larry for taking the time to record the bird, it gives us
evidence that we can review. If more people would take the time to do
this, it would ease the burden on the Records committee and the hotlines
compiler. Well done, Larry!"

Most birders I know do not carry a recorder in the field with them or in =
their car.  Also most birders do not carry digital camera in the field =
with them as well.   Taking notes in the field or sketching out the bird =
is the best way to document a bird, especially birds that are difficult =
to identify in the field.  When I go birding and when I spot a bird that =
is out of range, accidental or out of season, I first take written =
descriptive notes of the bird. I then make a sketch to go along with my =
notes and if I have my camera handy and if the bird is still in view, I =
will proceed to take as many digiscope photos as I can. =20

This is message for some of the youth birders on this listserv.  Get in =
the practice of taking notes and you do not need to be an artist to =
sketch birds. Do your best in describing the bird with sketches and =
notes.  You do not need a pricey digital camera, Ipod, recorders and =
ect.. I started out with a notebook and a pencil and that is all you =
need.  Eventually when you get to be a season birder you can toss the =
pencil and use a pen! (-:

http://www.ofo.ca/obrc/obrcdocument.htm  This is a good link on some =
basics on how to document birds in the field.

Last Saturday I met a Duluth birder sitting by herself on a log along =
the St. Louis River in Morgan Park, with her sketch pad, pencils and =
just sketching birds on the mud flat in front of her.  This image struck =
me like a ton of bricks crashing into my skull, this is exactly how I =
birded when I was a young teenager and before I was introduce to the =
birding community.  First learn to take field notes and then move on to =
other devices like recorders and cameras. =20

*"The best way to ease the burden (burden??) on the records committees =
and the hotlines compilers....."  is to learn to take notes in the =
field!!=20

Here is another site to visit to aid birders on how to take field notes. =
  http://www.northbirding.com/raredoc/document.html

I hope this helps=20

Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Minnesota Birding Treks
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Hello:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I would like to reply to Mark =
Alt's=20
posting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>"I commend Larry for taking the time to record the bird, it gives=20
us<BR>evidence that we can review. If more people would take the time to =

do<BR>this, it would ease the burden on the Records committee and the=20
hotlines<BR>compiler. Well done, Larry!"</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Most birders I know do not =
carry a=20
recorder in the field with them or in their car.&nbsp; Also most birders =
do not=20
carry digital camera in the field with them as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; Taking =
notes in=20
the field or sketching out the bird is the best way to document a bird,=20
especially birds that are&nbsp;difficult to identify in the field.&nbsp; =
When I=20
go birding and when I spot a bird that is out of range, accidental or =
out of=20
season, I first take written descriptive notes of the bird. I then make =
a sketch=20
to go along with my notes and if I have my camera handy and if the bird =
is still=20
in view, I will proceed to take as many digiscope photos as I can.&nbsp; =

</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>This is message for some of =
the youth=20
birders on this listserv.&nbsp; Get in the practice of taking notes and =
you do=20
not need to be an artist to sketch birds. Do your best in describing the =
bird=20
with sketches and notes.&nbsp; You do not need a pricey digital camera, =
Ipod,=20
recorders and ect.. I started out with a notebook and a pencil and that =
is all=20
you need.&nbsp; Eventually when you get to be a season birder you can =
toss the=20
pencil and use a pen! (-:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.ofo.ca/obrc/obrcdocument.htm">http://www.ofo.ca/obrc/o=
brcdocument.htm</A>&nbsp;=20
This is a good link on some basics on how to document birds in the=20
field.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Last Saturday I met a Duluth =
birder=20
sitting by herself on a log along the St. Louis River in Morgan Park, =
with her=20
sketch pad, pencils and just sketching birds on the mud flat in front of =

her.&nbsp; This image struck me like a ton of bricks crashing into my =
skull,=20
this is exactly how I birded when I was a young teenager and before I =
was=20
introduce to the birding community.&nbsp; First learn to take&nbsp;field =
notes=20
and then move on to other devices like recorders and=20
cameras.&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>*"The best way to ease the =
burden=20
(burden??) on the&nbsp;records committees and the hotlines =
compilers....."=20
&nbsp;is to&nbsp;learn to take notes&nbsp;in the =
field!!&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Here is another site to =
visit&nbsp;to aid=20
birders on how to take field notes.&nbsp; &nbsp;<A=20
href=3D"http://www.northbirding.com/raredoc/document.html">http://www.nor=
thbirding.com/raredoc/document.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>I hope this =
helps</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D2>Michael =
Hendrickson<BR>Duluth,=20
Minnesota<BR>Minnesota Birding Treks<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart=
er.net/mmhendrickson/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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