Adam
Dear fellow bird bloggers,
Jason and I are delighted at how successful this blog has been: it only works because people actively post sightings and it's great how well used the blog is. In fact it's become the de facto main sightings report service in the county which is really fantastic and I'm sure we all appreciate just how useful it is as a centre for county sightings.
However, it has been noted that it's not so easy to get the sightings from the blog into the OOS database at the end of each month and there is even talk about someone having to take on this task to ensure that records aren't missed. With this issue in mind I'd like to make a proposal to you all about starting up a new sightings service which would run alongside and which would complement this blog. The service is the Going Birding one designed by Marek Walford and which is already being used by Berks, Bucks and Hants. You can see how it works by looking at Berkshire for example. This is a well tried and tested sighting service which does everything that you'd expect in an easy and intuitive way and the records can be exported at the end of the month into the OOS database.
What I am proposing is that Marek sets up an Oxon version for us (which he can do very quickly) and which we can then use in addition to the blog to log our sightings for export at the end of each month to the OOS database. At present some of us log sightings with the OOS site in addition to the blog and others send in a spreadsheet to Jon Uren at the end of each month and I expect others do neither. I personally feel that if we had a better sightings service then more people are likely to log sightings but I'd like some feedback as to whether this would actually be the case.
One advantage of Marek's site is that it wouldn't be exclusive to any club so we'd get far more county sightings posted from e.g. non OOS members, widening the net of what gets reported. I've spoken to Ian Lewington about this idea and he's very much in favour of it.
So what I would like to know from people is whether you like this idea and whether you'd use it as a complement to this blog. I suggest the easiest way is if people make comments to this posting so that we can see how people feel about it. I've made a comment to get things started.
Regards
Adam & Jason
Just to kick things off, I like the idea and would certainly use it (but then I am proposing it in the first place!).
ReplyDeleteI looked at goingbirding a few weeks ago and thought that might be a good idea for Oxon, but hadnt got any further. Well done, like the idea.
ReplyDeleteIt would mean that anyone,anywhere,& at any time
ReplyDeletecould log their bird sightings on to a permanent data base for future reference.
These could be the birds visiting your garden, something seen when 'out & about' or something a little more unusual(which we could then up load on to the Bird Log)...
I have long been a fan of Marek's site for Berks and subsequently other counties. Will this make the OOS website sightings page redundant? There has been a huge debate recently on the Hoslist Yahoo Group about whether or not to automatically feed Going Birding sightings through to the Yahoo pages.
ReplyDeleteOOS site, plus Blog, plus Oxonbirds on Yahoo, plus Going Birding - hmm not sure I would post to all four. I think some rationalization is preferable. Going Birding could be adopted by OOS as its own site. That would get my vote.
Cheers
The blog was originally set up because of the large amount of "noise" on OxonBirds which has now become more a forum for off-topic chat rather than bird news which is now provided by the blog. In my opinion the only role of the OOS site now is to provide a way of submitting sightings to the OOS database and once Marek's site is working it will also serve this role but in a better more user-friendly way that is open to more people. As I said, the OOS might give up their sightings service in favour of Marek's site soon anyway.
ReplyDeleteI would like to have a way to combine comment observations and records that would flow much more seamlessly into the oos/county database. We need to use the much more sophisticated technology that we have now to get a more precise and dovetailed data gathering system and enhance and broaden the range of records gathered. I report every week but my data takes a very circuitous route into the database.
ReplyDeletepeter
The blog is an excellent way to communicate interesting bird sightings. Reasonably instant local bird news to enable people to connect same day if they wish. I think it should continue to be used for these purposes, and will involve a limited number of records (or updates on whether still present/not) where time is of the essence.
ReplyDeleteMore detailed sightings (regular counts, commoner stuff etc) which forms the backbone of the county records can be input over a longer time period (eg daily or at the end of the month, as people prefer). To be successful any system should enable users to input these as simply as possible, including space for comments, with a direct link to the OOS database. The OOS website could provide this but in current form may not reach as wide an audience as needed (ie non members). Happy to see OOS adopt a Going Birding type system for detailed records if this is easy to complete and reaches this wider audience (and these records could be visible to all subject to the sensitive species rule). Personally I like the simplicity of the monthly spreadsheet option (with quick copy and paste options it makes short work of submitting 100+ records a month...) so keen to retain that route if its not to burdensome for Jon. Also, not everyone will want their records made public so this alternative will cater for those too.
This combination would mean one data entry point for all records plus a quick post to the blog of any newsworthy finds/updates.
BTW: On the blog is there any way of sending out a free alert or RSS feed to let users know when its been updated?
Stuart, I think you're right in how you see the various methods functioning: the blog for current news as well and for posting video, photos and more extensive comment than the few characters available on a sightings site; Going Birding for records which are not time sensitive or so important but which need to go into the database (though the time-sensitive ones from the blog still need to get into the database somehow); spreadsheet for those who prefer this method for the database.
ReplyDeleteI'll look into the RSS feed option.
Copied from private e-mail:
ReplyDeleteAs a fairly 'casual' birder, I have found the blog provides an excellent overview of what's around in the County - many thanks on setting this up and maintaining it so well.
The suggestion of a new sightings service also sounds good but it might be useful to have a short article explaining how sightings are used and why they are valuable. Finding rarities is always exciting but there are the more mundane matters of populations changes and the effects of housing developments and other habitat changes. I think there is an opportunity here to attract a wider spectrum of contributors and enhance our view of Oxon bird life.
Regards,
Mike Flemming
Mike, you're absolutely correct that it's very important to keep track of the more everyday sightings, ones which wouldn't necessarily make it to the blog page and this is why I feel that we need two services. Marek's site will be open to everyone who wishes to contribute so even the most occasional of birders would be able to make a valuable contribution.
ReplyDeleteI'm mainly a Berkshire birder but spend a lot of time in south Oxon. How many records do the OOS get from places like the Henley Road gravel pits or the many woods between Woodcote, Sonning Common and Stoke Row - Probably only from a couple of observers? The Going Birding system allows far more casual records to be submitted from occasional observers. Bucks had long debates about ensuring their Yahoo group stayed vibrant and relevant alongside Going Birding. This Blog is an excellent addition to Oxon and adding a universal sightings site can only improve things even more.
ReplyDeleteChris said
ReplyDeleteas as frequent user (and ex-Berkshire birder) of Mareks superb website, I am all for having the same service for Oxon. I am only a casual birder, not interested in chasing down rarities, love chasing the common stuff but found Mareks website excellent for knowing what is out there, where and when.....whether it be rare as rocking horse dung or common as muck. I vote for all 3 please.
Well Done! Adam & Jason for attending tonights OOS indoor meeting to explain how the new sightings system will work. An added bonus is the talk by John Tyler on 'The Ridgeway' looking forward to an enlightening evening.
ReplyDeleteBarry Hudson.