[mou] Documenting birds

birderguy birderguy@comcast.net
Tue, 23 May 2006 19:42:59 -0500


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I have been birding the last 3-4 years with a very small digital voice recorder that I can
simply hit the record key and start talking, I don't have to take my eye's off the bird or
away from the scope, it's also great for driving because you can avoid those suddun stops
the write down things, when I get done birding I sit and play back my tracks for any notes
I need to add to my lists, if it's very quiet and not too windy I can even record a bird
song, not the greated but enought to compare to my Stokes CDs, it has a jack for a mic so
if I found a smaller mic that has the walkman type plug on it I could use it with this..
One of the best birding items I've bought in the last few years...
 
---
Andrew Longtin
Corcoran (Hennepin Co.) Minnesota
Minnesota Ornithologists Union Member
    http://moumn.org/ <http://biosci.cbs.umn.edu/~mou/> 

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Supporter
    http://www.hawkridge.org/
Cornell Lab Member (PFW)
    http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

EMail: BirderGuy@comcast.net


See My WEB pages at: http://home.att.net/~alongtin/Index.htm

NO SPAM NEEDED HERE PLEASE!!!!!

  _____  

From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Mike
Hendrickson
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2006 2:46 PM
To: MOU-Net
Subject: [mou] Documenting birds


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.  
 
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.  
 
*"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!! 
 
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 
 
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Minnesota Birding Treks
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/

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<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D651023700-24052006><FONT =
face=3D"Book Antiqua"=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>I have been birding the last 3-4 years with a =
very small=20
digital voice recorder that I can simply hit the record key and start =
talking, I=20
don't have to take my eye's off the bird or away from the scope, it's =
also great=20
for driving because you can avoid those suddun stops the write down =
things, when=20
I get done birding I sit and play back my tracks for any notes I need to =
add to=20
my lists, if it's very quiet and not too windy I can even record a bird =
song,=20
not the greated but enought to compare to my Stokes CDs, it has a jack =
for a mic=20
so if I found a smaller mic that has the walkman type plug on it I could =
use it=20
with this.. One of the best birding items I've bought in the last few=20
years...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D651023700-24052006><FONT =
face=3D"Book Antiqua"=20
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D651023700-24052006>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Book Antiqua" size=3D2>---<BR>Andrew=20
Longtin<BR>Corcoran (Hennepin Co.) Minnesota<BR>Minnesota Ornithologists =
Union=20
Member<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <A =
href=3D"http://moumn.org/">http://moumn.org/</A><A=20
href=3D"http://biosci.cbs.umn.edu/~mou/"></A><BR></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D572111123-30102005></SPAN><FONT =
face=3D"Book Antiqua"=20
size=3D2>H<SPAN class=3D572111123-30102005>awk Ridge Bird Observatory=20
Supporter</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT size=3D+0><SPAN =
class=3D572111123-30102005></SPAN><SPAN=20
class=3D572111123-30102005></SPAN><FONT face=3D"Book Antiqua" =
size=3D2>&nbsp;<SPAN=20
class=3D572111123-30102005>&nbsp;&nbsp; <A =
title=3Dhttp://www.hawkridge.org/=20
href=3D"http://www.hawkridge.org/">http://www.hawkridge.org/</A></SPAN></=
FONT></FONT></DIV></FONT>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"Book Antiqua" size=3D2>Cornell Lab =
Member=20
(PFW)<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <A=20
href=3D"http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/">http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/</A><=
/FONT></DIV><FONT=20
face=3D"Book Antiqua" size=3D2>
<DIV align=3Dleft><BR>EMail: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:BirderGuy@comcast.net">BirderGuy@comcast.net</A><BR><BR></=
DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft>See My WEB pages at: <A=20
href=3D"http://home.att.net/~alongtin/Index.htm">http://home.att.net/~alo=
ngtin/Index.htm</A><BR><BR>NO=20
SPAM NEEDED HERE PLEASE!!!!!</FONT></DIV></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>
<HR tabIndex=3D-1>
<FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><B>From:</B> mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu=20
[mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Mike=20
Hendrickson<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, May 23, 2006 2:46 PM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
MOU-Net<BR><B>Subject:</B> [mou] Documenting birds<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<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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