Date: 3/2/25 11:14 am From: Trish G via groups.io <trishrg62...> Subject: Re: [OrangeCountyBirding] Your Bell's Vireo (Least) observation in eBird
Hi Betty,
It was not really necessary to copy the entire OC birding community on your
Ebird checklist being flagged. Maybe that was unintentional. However, since
you did... and I have some free time.
Ryan is just doing his job and this checklist wasn't singled out due to
anything other than exactly why it should be singled out, it has an unusual
observation in it and that's how they keep the data in ebird clean (ish),
by requesting MORE DOCUMENTATION. Provide it. Pretty simple. They will
either accept it or they won't.
If this is the first time you've ever had a checklist flagged, consider
yourself a really good birder or really lucky. I get flagged at least once
or twice a year. Usually due to clicking on the wrong thing, but sometimes
legit birding failure. I had a Northern Parula in my front yard. I had bad
recordings but no photo. It was not accepted. It is what it is.
Don't take it so hard. Birding should be fun. Ryan is volunteering. No need
to beat up on him. He knows his stuff. Birds sing on territory. If they are
really there, then they're like still there. Go back and get a recording.
Or simply provide more than "Singing" in comments. Too simple. And if your
obs. is not accepted, so be it.
FWIW I gained a life bird by mis-identifying a Thrasher on ebird out in the
desert and my checklist was flagged like 2 years later. Listed it as a Le
Conte's and turned out my photo showed a Crissal Thrasher. I got a freebie.
Pretty surprising how much time the ebird reviewers put into checking data.
Happy Birding!
Trish Gussler, Anaheim
On Sun, Mar 2, 2025 at 7:57 AM Betty Kanne via groups.io <bettykanne=
<hotmail.com...> wrote:
> Hi Ryan,
> I’m willing to remove the entry if you feel it’s entirely implausible.
> I made the entry and description based on reports by a Sandy Smith who was
> walking
> fairly close to me and by Ann Marshall who was about forty feet back from
> me in our large group and reported it to me independently. (Sandy Smith has
> extremely perceptive hearing and auditory discernment of bird sounds.)
> It may have been a single individual heard individually in two places. I
> tried to describe it in terms that I know and do recognize when I hear it
> myself. Sandy also drew me a rough sonogram that she said I could show you.
> I made a screenshot of our text conversation as well.
> Let me know how you want it handled. We’re fine with doing anything you
> recommend.
> Sorry to make so much extra work for you and Tom. It is always my
> intention to report accurately and conservatively.
>
> Betty Kanne
> Huntington Beach
> <bettykanne...>
> 714.321.6900 cell/text
>
> Attachments:
> [image: image0.jpeg][image: image1.jpeg]
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From:* Ryan Winkleman via eBird <ebird-review...>
> *Date:* February 28, 2025 at 3:47:57 PM PST
> *To:* <jak86094...>
> *Cc:* <jak86094...>, <memopad332...>, <am20...>,
> <bettykanne...>, <briangbleecker...>, <Debragala...>,
> <yetanothersmith...>, <lenahayashi...>, <rswinkleman...>
> *Subject:* *Your Bell's Vireo (Least) observation in eBird*
> *Reply-To:* <rswinkleman...>
>
>
> This is a crazy early date to be claiming two singing birds. Did anybody
> take any field documentation?
>
> Dear James Kendall,
>
> Thank you for being a part of eBird. To help make sure that eBird can be
> used for scientific research and conservation, volunteers like me follow up
> on unusual observations as a part of the eBird data quality process.
>
> I am writing about the following observation:
>
> Species: Bell's Vireo (Least)
> Count: 2
> Observation Date: Feb 28, 2025
> Location: Huntington Central Park--Shipley Nature Center, Orange,
> California, US
> https://ebird.org/checklist/S215897538 >
> The species you reported was flagged for review and is unusual for this
> date and/or location. Could you please edit your checklist to add field
> notes or a description of the bird in question and other information about
> how you identified this species? Essential things to cover include size,
> shape, color pattern, behavior, vocalizations (if heard), and habitat.
> Notes on how similar species were eliminated are especially important.
>
>
>
> Photos and audio recordings are the best possible supporting information,
> so if you do have those please do upload them to your checklist
> <https://ebird.org/checklist/S215897538>. Once you add media or
> additional details, I will be prompted to rereview the observation. Minimum
> standards of documentation are required for observations to be used
> publicly, although they still will appear in your personal lists.
>
> Thank you again for your contributions to eBird—your observations help to
> make eBird useful to millions of people each year, providing real-time bird
> information and powering eBird science around the world.
>
> Learn more about eBird data quality here
> <https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000795278> > and eBird science here <https://ebird.org/science>.
>
> Ryan Winkleman
> <rswinkleman...>
>
>
> --
> Betty Kanne
> Huntington Beach
>
>
>
