Відео

I’m in Northeastern Oregon and I had an Anna’s hummingbird stay in my yard over the 22-23 winter. I’m not certain if it was a female or an immature male, but I have pictures of it taken in December and January. I have not seen them over-winter here since then.

As a fairly private person, I'd honestly have to think twice about reporting an especially rare bird on my property at all (or at least within the 7 day RBA window on eBird) simply because I don't want the headache of herding cats or playing host. The only way I'd even consider making such a bird at my residence public knowledge and publicly available is if there was someone else I could rely on to do that work for me and manage the flow of people. In any other case, I'd always make a point of posting it as quickly as possible once I'm sure I've got the ID right (or at least correct enough to be certain the bird is rare, whatever it is) because I want to make sure everyone else who wants to gets a chance to look for it themselves.

I had a Rufous Hummingbird in my yard in Michigan a few years ago. We also had it banded and definitively ID’d in a few days and then I just had people message me on Facebook to let me know when they wanted to come. It worked well and everyone (save for the very last person who came in November) was able to see it. If another one ever comes I will definitely get a guestbook for people to sign lol. It was a fun experience and everyone was great about it!

As an Android application developer, there are so many things I wish I could contribute to eBird. Not just for quality of life like faster loading, but also for data critical elements, like auto-removal of backtracking. I would definitely apply to work for Cornell if I was living in the States, but sadly this expat is abroad.

Your approach to set up a google form is genius. While bad individuals can cause distress to a bird when alone, massive crowds of well behaved people can be just as hectic. Too many people is simply overwhelming for locals and wildlife. Metering the traffic is a great solution. I suppose the only downside is that some birds don't hang around too terribly long, so metering may result in later scheduled people missing the opportunity.

My birding buddy and I would use humor to dispel disappointment. We picked a common bird in the area. Then pretended it was rare. We would shout with joy when we saw one. Then when something truly rare came along, we enjoyed it even more.

Very informative I love it! I feel safe to say I use most of these correctly such as the subspecies option. I only add subs if I feel 100% confident in the ID. Some of the breeding codes I am not sure if I've been doing right such as the flyovers. I've been adding them any time of the year to most birds if they displayed a behavior of flying high over a habitat such as a forest with at least more than one individual clearly traveling together going one direction, but not including certain groups like raptors and swallows that have a habit of spending lots of time airborne. I am also unsure about the distance tracking you mentioned in this video, because I have always included the backtrack 9/10 times as part of my track because I bird just as hard on the way back as I do on the way forward, but only adding new species that weren't detected and/or carefully adding to species already detected if I can definitely say there were more individuals detected on the way back making sure I don't double count.

Nice tips, will be very useful on my first "actual" pelagic trip in Mexico. Thank You Also, congrats for your fist thousand subscribers!!

Just found your channel, Doug. Found several of your videos very helpful! Thanks.

Were always so caught up with trying to get the perfect video that we often forget to just soak up the moment and observe for yourself :)

Is this reviewing proccess the same in Latin America?

Is there a reason you tried to run it over? Was the throttle stuck? Was it a deleted scene from Speed 2?

Looks awesome. How early, approximately, does registration open up for the 2025 trip. Thanks in advance

As a hunter and a photographer, "shoot first and ask questions later," is terrible advice for one of my hobbies. I always Identify first and then decide which way Im legally allowed to shoot.

I went on my first pelagic trip recently! I was on the Sunday boat during the Western Field Ornithologist conference. Pretty much every bird outside of the harbor was a lifer for me since it was my first boat out but there were definitely some highlights! We almost twice doubled the San Diego county record for Guadalupe murrelets, the county record was 4 and we saw a total of 7! We also saw a very tolerant South Polar Skua, stayed by the boat for a few minutes when they apparently usually fly away quickly. Our group also spotted a Manx shearwater out of a group of black vents! There was also a Brown/Cocos booby, but unfortunately I really didn't get a good look at it. It was an awesome experience!

To add to the idea that sharing a rare bird feels good, nothing beats the feeling of someone driving from out of town or even out of state to see a bird you spotted!

Thank you for this video. I regularly have to respond to questions from other birders about the eBird review process. Your video will help me answer those questions!

Much better in the UK. Just saying 😜

If it's calling, get a sound recording. Smart phones do this just fine. Could be the difference between accept and not proven

An excellent video with important information for all birders!

Gotta love all the great additional birds that are found in response to so many eyes looking for a rarity.

I love your shirt. What a nice shirt

Thanks Doug for this extremely informative video! I've been finding these super helpful! Keep up the good work!

Is there such a thing as too much detail when submitting a rare species you found to eBird? Likewise, if it's a bird where I'm not 100% sure of the ID (such as the long-billed dowitcher I recently saw where I didn't actually know for sure it was a long-billed while observing it, but both types are rare here and I wanted it to show up in the RBA so others might get to see it, which wouldn't happen with the slash tag) and I later learn what I need to positively ID it, is it at all confusing to the reviewer if I go back and edit my notes extensively before they've contacted me? The two or three rare species I've personally discovered since I started using eBird this year were all in rather poor conditions for my smartphone camera or I didn't have my digiscope attachment with me, so I've basically been relying on my written report. Unrelated to this video, but is there a certain point where I should take action (not sure what action) if my rare sighting has not been reviewed? I've had a peregrine falcon sitting in queue for nearly two weeks, despite having clear pictures attached (the photos still have the unconfirmed mark on my profile, which is how I know) and the rest of the rare bird alert being marked confirmed multiple times in the meantime.

have been birding for only a few years and went down this road a couple days ago. thought it was just an uncommon bird I hadn't seen yet. Was lucky it was cooperative. I take lots of pictures no matter how far because I'm not that certain on lots of birds. Ended up taking 450 of just this one bird. The 1st were very far away and the last were very close no doubters. I wanted someone to tell me what it was. Posted it to a local FB page within an hour. Will be only 4th record for this bird in the state. Take lots of pictures you can always delete them.

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Super insightful and well structure video as always! The quote “It’s better to be fast and wrong than to let something good get away” will stick with me. Love it!

Thanks for this!

That’s not a bittern, it’s a tree trunk in the beaver pond

I have lived on the coast for over thirty years and have been birding for sixty … in my experience many day trip pelagics for birders are ridiculously overpriced. I am fully aware of the cost of running boats … having done so myself. Many of these skippers, who of course need to turn a profit, are absolutely taking the p***. I thought the prices in the UK were steep enough, but one on the west coast of Canada this autumn / fall - that we boycotted, was offered at, and promoted by a local birder at the equivalent of £250 for a day. Absolutely crazy. Joining pelagics at these prices, on the possibility of gaining one or two ticks, when if you are unused to seagoing, you will almost inevitably end up sick as a dog, is madness. Don’t get me wrong, I have been on plenty of pelagics and would love to do more … but I won’t feed this greed and make things worse - whatever the species on offer.

Good video, Typically I'm content to just watch the birds that I happen upon. I have chased rare birds, but only those very close to me. A year or so ago a red-shanked bluetail showed up in a Seattle suburban neighborhood about 3 miles from me. Birders and photographers paid little attention to private property. They caused traffic problems, parked on private property, chased the bird over fences and through gardens. In the process getting "Nancy's" neighbors angry with her. Eventually "Nancy" roped off a viewing area in her own back yard and scheduled visits.

Bringing plants on your boat just in case a distressed terrestrial bird needs them is honestly really cool and not something I had ever thought of before.

The whole idea of backtracking is slippery anyway. What if i walk a loop trail, but 1/4 mile of it is within 50ft of another part of the loop? 100ft? How far do I have to be to subtract the mileage? Ebird should just take the full gps track and apply one algorithm to estimate a distance consistently instead of asking users to make impossible, arbitrary, and highly variable decisions (not to mention poorly documented and user-interface unintuitive ones).

Doug, this was great. As someone who has never done a pelagic trip I found this quite interesting. The habitats across one trip was something I had never though of for a pelagic. Congrats on 1k and keep up the great work!

Thanks for sharing your insight!

I don't like feeding wild animals for pictures, specially when isolated chemicals are used (and a simples miss calculation and much stronger results is easier to happen). The birds learn'd to follow dimetyl sulphide to find krill. You are teaching it something else and it may not be as adapted to its environment. Specially when its a comercial pelagic trip the incentives are not aligned. Wild animals are to watch not to feed.

Hey Doug! Just wanted to say congrats on hitting 1,000 subscribers! I've thoroughly enjoyed your content over the past few months I've been subbed. You are doing excellent work, and I know myself and many others appreciate you sharing your experiences and knowledge. You have truly made me a better birder. Also, quick question: Ironically, I was considering visiting Maine next year with plans to search for a pelagic opportunity! Is there a way to sign up for the pelagic you discussed in the video? Thanks!

I knew a nothing about birds but when the algorithm calls, I answer!

Congrats on 1,000 subscribers! You’re making some of the best birding content on this platform. I hope many more thousands discover your channel soon!🎉

Congrats on 1k! I haven't done a pelagic yet but I grew up in Maine (now in Chicago) and enjoy seeing your content and some birds of my childhood, so to speak 😁 (I didn't realize some pelagics brought out little trees or vegetation! Is that common, in your experience? I'm not sure whether or not they do it on the Great Lakes pelagic trips here.)

I subscribed on all 1000 of my burner accounts! Congrats on the success you deserve it!

Birds are cool

My experience is not being believed without a clear photo. I get it but ..also had a problem with pelagic birds from the deck of a fishing boat. (All three N.Hemisphere albatross around boat~ a short-eared owl perched on bowsprit at night 60miles off Kodiak Is.) ..still its fun and following Kaufmans lead about what to anticipate in your area is good. Having fun 😎 🪶

As a huge WhatsApp hater (Facebook products are the only boycott I've ever stuck to...) I've really been trying to promote using the California RBA discord server, unfortunately my county of Los Angeles still primarily uses WhatsApp and annoyingly also has probably the least active listserv in southern California. I end up mainly relying on eBird alerts for most things. If this was San Diego next door where the listserv is incredibly active I wouldn't mind as much...

keep a list of all different sandpipers and plovers you see, but you don't pay any attention to all the gulls around. totally me! I'll do better next time.😂

started birding and using ebird a few years ago. I would use the out and back distance but try not to double count. last year I started just using one way distance and count. one advantage is I get back to the car faster. good info never thought about actual instructions for ebird just did it. 👍

I had a somewhat rare kittiwake sighting that never got confirmed. I accidentally left eBird running all the way home, nearly sixty miles! Eventually I got it sorted out and the checklist is now public.

Wow thank you for making this! As a relatively new birder and “bird tuber” I can’t write enough how helpful this is!!! You laid all the information out so clearly and it’s so helpful to know. Thank you for both your work as a reviewer and sharing this!

If my area just found out about a secret txt group that shares info. plus people that have spots only they are allowed in or wait before reporting something.

Great video and commentary. It’s interesting to see how people of different generations feel about communication and identification technologies. Oregon has a fantastic and fairly newly established discord with numerous channels within so you can customize locations and content. It’s decently active with moderators who encourage and enforce community norms and rules, and make it a welcoming place.