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Re: Maryland Pelagic Data in eBird

From:

Harry Fink

Reply-To:

Harry Fink

Date:

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:37:05 -0500

Pelagic refers to the zone of open waters.  It does not have to be an
ocean, large lakes (i.e. Great Lakes have a pelagic zone and pelagic birds)
and seas will have a pelagic zone.

A person of 5ft or more will be able to see about 2.6 nm (equal to 2.99
land miles) from shoreline to the horizon, due to the curvature of the
earth. Thus the 3 mile demarcation, since it is presumed that to see birds
that are beyond that limit you must go to the birds.

Note: Getting sea-sick is just a bonus perk and is not mandatory in order
for the outing to be called a pelagic, but it does add credibility.

Pelagic birds are ones that have adapted to live entirely within this zone
except for breeding, most have salt removing glands, the ability to find
food, alight and sleep on water or on the wing.

Harry Fink
Clarksville, MD

On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 3:53 PM, Robert Ostrowski <>wrote:

> Hi Joanne,
>
> Good question. In quick factual terms, a pelagic is a birding trip taken by
> boat on the ocean at further than three miles from shore. When we talk
> about pelagic species, we are referring to birds like albatrosses, petrels,
> storm-petrels, shearwaters, alcids, skuas, etc. Although, on winter
> pelagics for example, we see plenty of other birds, like loons and scoters,
> these are not considered truly pelagic species.
>
> It's also important to note that not all birding trips by boat are
> pelagics. You can take a boat out on a river or the Bay, and even see a
> pelagic species, like Wilson's Storm-Petrel, but the trip itself is not
> considered a pelagic because it's not on the ocean and it's not at least
> three miles from shore. Likewise, you did not go on a pelagic just because
> you found a Razorbill, a "pelagic species," at the Inlet. Lastly, I think
> purpose is relevant too, because you can take a luxury cruise, be further
> out than three miles, and be recording pelagic species all along the way,
> but I would hesitate to call this a "pelagic," personally.
>
> This explanation/definition should only be read in the context of birding,
> as I'm sure there other considerations in the general scientific community
> of what "pelagic" means. It's also probably a Maryland-centric definition,
> as other (inland) states may feel deprived to the point of adopting
> different definitions, so they too can have "pelagics."
>
> Rob Ostrowski
> Crofton, MD
> 
>
>
>
> On Mon, Feb 27, 2012 at 2:24 PM, Joanne Howl <> wrote:
>
> >  Sorry for what is probably a very elementary question -
> >
> > Can someone define exactly what a "pelagic" is?
> >
> > Is it anytime one is in a boat?  In a boat on the Bay? On a boat in the
> > Ocean? Or?
> >
> >
> >
> >  Joanne
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Bill Hubick <>
> > To: MDOSPREY <>
> > Sent: Sun, Feb 26, 2012 6:22 pm
> > Subject: [MDOSPREY] Maryland Pelagic Data in eBird
> >
> >
> > Hi Everyone,
> >
> > Disappointed about the Maryland pelagic being canceled this weekend?
> Well,
> > here's an easy we can still contribute to improving Maryland's pelagic
> > data in
> > eBird! We've created a new eBird hotspot called "Maryland Pelagic
> > (General)",
> > and it's intended for use when no precise location is available for a
> > Maryland
> > pelagic report. This is rarely the case for current trips, but is
> > certainly the
> > case for most pelagic data from years past.
> >
> > The Maryland pelagic map is pretty messy right now. While most of us
> would
> > never
> > dream of plotting a land-based sighting at a best guess within 100 miles,
> > most
> > of us have picked a random location at sea and plotted all of our pelagic
> > data
> > there. In some cases, there are reports of the same birds from vast
> > distances
> > apart. We understand that we can't go back and recover the GPS track for
> > old
> > trip, and we appreciate that so many users want their full lists in
> eBird.
> > That's great! However, there are many benefits of merging all of this
> > general
> > pelagic data into one "general" hotspot:
> >
> > - Significantly increased accuracy of our pelagic data
> > - Cleaner, more useful Maryland pelagic map
> > - Best of all, more useful pelagic bar charts once checklists are merged
> > into
> > this location
> >
> > Maryland pelagic birders have been awesome about pelagic data collection
> > for the
> > last couple years. We keep full lists for each 30-minute block, capturing
> > valuable, detailed information on where pelagic species are being seen.
> The
> > eBird lists are compiled, usually by Rob Ostrowski (thanks, Rob!), and
> then
> > shared with all participants. This process is time-consuming and
> sometimes
> > takes
> > a few days, but it's well worth the wait!  For observers who want to
> report
> > sooner as a placeholder, please use the new "Maryland Pelagic (General)"
> > hot
> > spot.
> >
> > Please consider merging all of your general Maryland pelagic reports into
> > this
> > new hotspot!
> >
> > 1. Look up the name of your general Maryland pelagic location. One way to
> > do so
> > it to check your Maryland life list and check the location for pelagic
> > species
> > such as Great Shearwater.
> > 2. Go to My eBird > Manage My Locations.
> > 3. Select the name of your general pelagic location.
> > 4. Click the "Merge" button.
> > 5. Find and click the "Maryland Pelagic (General)" hotspot.
> > 6. Check the "Delete after merging" checkbox.
> > 7. Click "Merge"
> > 8. If you had just one catch-all pelagic location, you're done.
> Otherwise,
> > repeat for the others as applicable.
> >
> > THANKS!
> >
> > Some photos from the weekend:
> > http://www.billhubick.com/photos/updates/20120226.php
> >
> > Good birding!
> >
> > Bill
> >
> > Bill Hubick
> > Pasadena, Maryland
> > 
> > http://www.billhubick.com
> >
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