Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 15:37:54 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Marshall Iliff Subject: Our database (NAB letter) - PART III (database) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit MDOsprey, The below account is excerpted from our seasonal letter requesting bird sightings (came through in two previous emails). The first part "OUR DATABASE" details the work we have been doing to create a master file of reported sightings in the Region, while the second part "LOCAL INTERNET RESOURCES" includes what most of you must already know - the merits of MDOsprey, VA-BIRD, and the MOS website... Enjoy, Marshall OUR DATABASE Since 1995, Jim Stasz has put a prodigious amount of time into compiling a master database of ALL sightings reported to VA-BIRD, MD Osprey, WV-BIRD, PA-BIRD, The Voice of the Naturalist, and, formerly, Valley Birds. We have encouraged our local compilers (listed above) to submit their reports to us in compatible format which divides the task and makes the work compiling the reports much easier. With increasing computer literacy (dependancy?), more and more observers are maintaining their bird records on computer and a number of active birders in the Region regularly share their data with us, further adding to the database. Contributions continue to grow. In 1995 the data for a season would contain about 5991 lines, while the Spring 2000 season had upwards of 36,000!!! And we've only scratched the surface. Now, with more than 5 years of data in the computer, we are attempting to merge it all into one master database file, which will probably be stored as an Excel document. The database includes all REPORTS, not all records of birds. Therefore, a single popular bird may be reported numerous times over the internet, hotlines, or privately to us. EACH REPORT is maintained as a separate field. Most reports are from Maryland, Virginia, or DC, but since Delaware and West Virginia sightings have sometimes been reported via our primary sources (internet groups, hotlines), some of those are entered as well. There has also been no editing of questionable or possibly erroneous reports. Some subject to review by the Maryland or Virginia records committees, certainly would not pass muster. Still, the reports are maintained in the database which will provide source information for anyone curious about where any given report originated. The database contains the following fields of information: * sort code (a number that we add that sorts the species by AOU checklist order) * species * number of birds (an actual number or words like "lots", "many", "100s" or a default "*") (we use the word "nest" when the comment field contains nesting information) * date (3 fields, month, day,year to allow better sorting by date) * location * county * state * observer(s) * source (e.g. reported to us by observer, report received from sub-sompiler, internet report, Rare Bird Alert report etc.). * comments (anything of interest: e.g. imm.male; ad. feeding 2 young; nest w/ 4 eggs; 3 ad., 4 imm.; feeding a cowbird; being fed by a ScTa) We believe that such a database would be extremely useful to all students of bird distribution, bird biology, etc. Field birders and even backyard birdwatchers generate enormous amounts of data, much of which might have scientific value, but which "falls through the cracks". The journal North American Birds tries to catch the obvious highlights and publishes those in the quarterly magazine. However, many sightings of extreme interest simply do not fit into the 3500 word season report that is published in North American Birds. We hope our database will store the rest. As we merge the data we are trying to catch a few of the errors that have crept in. While a few errors make little difference in the overall value of the database, a change in a single field (i.e. date, species) will have a greatly different meaning. Most such errors are easy to catch by various sorting methods. I would like to make two calls here: * FIRST, I would like to offer these data to anyone and everyone who is interested, to anyone that may have an interest in bird distribution in the region, or to anyone fulfilling any curiosity imaginable. This compilation was made possible through the generous reports of the birding community of the Region. It is available to anyone for any reason. We can send the files via e-mail or burn a CD. If you want the information for just VA, MD, DE, PA, or WV, or for any particular county or groups of counties, or for a particular location [e.g. Huntley Meadows, Ridgley WWTP, Ocean City inlet], or a particular species, we will tailor a file to suit your needs. [NOTE: for Rare/Threatened/Endangered species we will not disclose critical habitat locations and edit the Location Field before sending] *SECOND, I would like to make a call to anyone who would be willing to computerize their bird sightings, and _especially_ to those that already do. We would very much appreciate you sharing your data with us and with the birding community as a whole. We can read many formats (Lotus, QuatroPro, Excel, Access) and will accept any that you care to e-mail. You need not reformat, just send us a copy of what you normally prepare for yourself. LOCAL INTERNET RESOURCES I would also like to make sure all Field Notes subscribers are aware of the two excellent email listserv groups covering the Region. MDOsprey discusses birds and birding in Maryland and is run by listowner Norm Saunders. Subscribe by sending an email to him at . VA-BIRDS is the Virginia analogue covering birds and birding in Virginia specifically. It was recently set up in September 1999 but now has a broad subscription base of birders across Virginia and beyond. To subscribe send a message to and include "Sub VA-BIRD" in the body of the message. Alternatively check out . I encourage anyone interested in birding in either (or both) or these two Regions to consider a subscription. Be sure to check out the M.O.S. website (www.mdbirds.org) if you carry an interest in birding in Maryland and the D.C. area.. In addition to a wealth of information about the Maryland Ornithological Society (M.O.S.) and its chapters, the website also carries information on the birding sites in Maryland, the Maryland/D.C. Records Committee, and even photos of recent Maryland rarities (including Kelp Gull, the possible Slaty-backed Gull, Arctic Tern, White-faced Ibis, and Fork-tailed Flycatcher). Recently it has been linked to a new shorebird page that details the local conditions and recent reports from shorebirding locations in Maryland. Thanks to Fran Saunders for doing such a great job maintaining this site! Marshall Iliff miliff@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================