Hi Everyone,

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their enthusiasm toward documenting early arrivals this spring. Maryland eBird somehow continues to improve, and we are excited to see an increasing number of users providing notes, photos, and audio for noteworthy sightings. In addition to saying "great work!", I thought I'd share some thoughts on why this is so important. Because eBird data will be used in researching key environmental and climates issues, as well informing tough conservation decisions, the reliability of the data is crucial. By ensuring a systematic and conservative review, the data is far more valuable. As eBird reviewers, we are asked to be conservative with flagged sightings to ensure data reliability.

There is no doubt about it. This has been a very unusual spring marked by many record early arrivals. Here in Maryland we have thoroughly documented the widespread early arrival of many species such as Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. These early arrivals, the warm temperatures, and blooming wildflowers have suggested that everything is happening two weeks early. Is this significant? Certainly. One of the things that fascinates me most about birds is their remarkable consistency in timing and habitat preferences. Variations are noteworthy and tell us important things about the environment. Although significant, the early arrival of these more northerly wintering species are not totally unprecedented. If neotropical migrants expected in mid- and late April begin to show up two weeks early, it would have even greater significance. Species wintering in the Caribbean and Central and South America have incredibly
 consistent migration patterns, and variations are significant. While many birders find the greatest excitement in regional rarities, the temporal outliers are generally less appreciated and equally (or much more) significant. Because of the important implications of birds that challenge what we know of timing and distribution, we have a special obligation to document them. An April 10th Eastern Wood-Pewee is far more significant than a November Ash-throated Flycatcher. The former is extremely consistent in appearing around 4/25 in Maryland, while November and December Ash-throateds, though coveted, fall squarely into a known pattern of vagrancy.

Because of the implications of early arrivals (as well as early/late departures, high counts, and range changes), I hope eBirders will agree that a conservative approach is appropriate. When we validate a new early arrival date for a species without documentation, we are carelessly changing what we claim to know about that species. The next year, that record could be used to defend still earlier casual reports, creating a feedback cycle that damages the data set and its trustworthiness. When a record is not accepted, it does not mean that someone doesn't believe you. It means that a team of reasonable reviewers (who donate a scary amount of time reviewing Maryland bird distribution minutiae) do not feel comfortable standing by the documentation. In fact, especially when it comes to validating records that go against years of trend data, I would argue that "trust" and "belief" have no place in a review. Everyone wants to feel trusted, but where does one
 draw a line in such belief? I assure you that if confidence in a sighting were a gauge of its accuracy, we'd quickly learn that Black-capped Chickadee is an abundant resident throughout Maryland. Even if we accepted an April 12th Alder Flycatcher with no comments, any researcher encountering the record will have no choice but to toss it out during a later review. Plus Marshall hits us. I didn't just fall off the boardwalk again.

I see a sense of responsibility for strong data growing in the birding community, and it's exciting. In addition to accepting that many birds get away, it is always an option to add comments like "I saw this bird well enough to count it, but it probably shouldn't be accepted in eBird. Feel free to not accept." A sighting can be on your list and not accepted in the eBird database. (No one can take a bird off your eBird lists.) In fact, I invalidated an old winter Lincoln's Sparrow report of mine because it warrants a stronger defense than I have for it. I urge everyone to consider Maryland eBird data OUR data and embrace a conservative approach toward documenting unusual sightings, especially early arrivals. Fortunately, eBird and modern technology are making it easier (and more fun!) to document birds. With the attractive new eBird checklists, I really enjoy embedding photos and adding comments. I like knowing that my unusual sightings are
 well-documented and useful, and I like seeing them later and reliving excellent days of birding.

An increasingly easy way to document rare birds, especially spring passerines, is via the standard voice recorder on your smart phone. I have worked with Mikey Lutmerding, Matt Hafner, Dan Haas, and Matt Grey to test Droid, iPhone, and Blackberry voice recording apps to see if they will work for documenting singing birds. The answer appears to be consistently "yes!", that most bird sounds will be picked up under normal conditions. Sample recordings using smart phones picked up singing songbirds, a distant bobwhite, a booming bittern (wow!), and a Black Rail on a windy day with a power plant in the background (last year). You might have to crank up the volume on your computer, but the sounds are usually there.

Here are the steps to record audio with some popular smart phones!

Droid

1. Go to "All Apps"
2. Select "Voice Recorder"
3. Use typical recording buttons (e.g., red circle to start recording, square to stop)
4. Type a file name and click "Save"
5. Click the Share button (circle with two arrows pointing away)
6. Click "Mail", enter e-mail address, and click Send

iPhone Audio (courtesy of Matt Hafner)

1. Open "Voice Memo" app
(On Matt's iPhone 4, it is in a "Utilities" icon with Contacts, Calculator, and Compass)
2. Tap the red button on the bottom left to start and stop recording
3. Tap the button with three horizontal lines on the right to save the recordings and see previous recordings
4. Highlight a recording and hit the "Share" button
5. Select the option to Email or Message the file

iPhone Video (courtesy of Dan Haas)

** Dan makes the great point that video adds the extra element of recording the habitat as well as sound.

1. Open the camera and slide the bar to set the camera for 'video' capture.
2. Press the button and hold it steady. NOTE: fumbling with the device or moving it too much will add noise to the recording.
3. If the bird continues to sing, change the angle of the phone so that the part you speak into is facing the direction of the bird that is doing the singing / chipping / shrieking / clapping / hammering, etc.
4. Press stop when an adequate sample has been acquired.
5. Close the camera setting and open iPhone.
6. Find the video that you just made and click on it to review.
7. In the lower left corner of the now-opened video there is a button (box with an arrow popping out of it) that will open three options for the user: Email Video / Message / Send to YouTube.

Touchscreen Blackberry (courtesy of Matt Grey)

1. Go to "Media" on the home screen
2. Select "Voice notes recorder"
3. The recording program resembles any other audio file record/play program (the round button in the middle controls record/stop)
4. Afterward, as with most other recording apps, the save or delete prompt appears.

If your smart phone allows you to move apps to your "home page", I suggest moving it there for ease of use. Try it out on the Carolina Wren in your yard and be ready for the singing Harris's Sparrow!

Good Spring (e)Birding!

Bill

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com

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