Date: 1/1/26 6:10 am From: Duncan, Scot via groups.io <scotduncan99...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Long-eared Owl
Listservs for distributing near-real time information about birds are dead,
but they do have a valuable purpose. This isn’t just a phenomenon in
Alabama, but across the world. They have gone the way of phone trees and
RBA recordings. The advent of instant messaging has replaced them. Try
posting on a email listserv a back of camera shot to show others you
actually had a rare bird!
Donald has set up a Signal group and I posted the Pacific Loon I saw at
Guntersville yesterday, with a photo. Thank you, Donald! As I type this
others are exchanging messages.
There will need to be some guidelines established for the use of Signal so
that we are not being bombarded with texts and pictures about common
species or sightings, and we keep chatter focused on posting about rare
bird details and photos. I don’t want to know about how many cardinals are
at someone’s feeder, for example. Otherwise with hundreds of birders, our
phones will be blowing up with text notifications constantly. That would
be my advice or people will stop using the group chat. Other birding
groups in other states have done this successfully, we can borrow their
guidelines – no need to reinvent the wheel.
What instant messaging apps are NOT GOOD FOR are conversations about birds
and birding that require text-heavy messages and lots of conversational
back and forth, much like what has been going on with ALbirds over the past
36 hours or so. I argue we still need ALbirds to rally the troops on
conservation issues, have discussions about birding culture, etc.
Conversations on instant messaging like this one about the LEOW and
gatekeeping would cause people to drop out of the group chat in droves.
As difficult as this email discussion has been to witness and participate
in, some good may be emerging from it. Grace is right, gatekeeping is a
phenomenon that is very real in some birding communities. Whether and to
what degree that happened intentionally or unintentionally with the LEOW is
not known to me as I was not involved. Let's move on and build a better
birding community, learning from the past.
Happy new year everyone. My first bird of the year was a robin. As always
here in Bham!
On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 11:25 PM Shirley Farrell via groups.io <shirfarr=
<gmail.com...> wrote:
> We will do an article for the AOS newsletter, *The Yellowhammer*, and
> post on social media to promote the use of this listserve.
> I can promote at AOS meetings and provide a QR code to sign up. While I
> may be preaching to the choir, it doesn’t hurt to be reminded and share
> with other birders.
> I know this doesn’t reach everyone but we need to start somewhere.
>
> Shirley Farrell
> Tyler, AL
>
>
> On Dec 31, 2025, at 8:26 PM, Beth D via groups.io <bthdbsk=
> <yahoo.com...> wrote:
>
> They’re
>
>
>
> My dogs are Milly & Bailey & Bella
>
> On Dec 31, 2025, at 20:09, Melinda W via groups.io <Modoodle1989=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
> I consider myself tech savvy but listserves have always been difficult to
> negotiate for me. I’m not even sure if I’m replying to the group now?
> Apparently similar apps are used all over the country as ways to connect. I
> think it’s fair to give it a try and see if it’s more user friendly and
> then people might use it more. If not, it appears to be very easy to leave
> the group and delete the app.
>
>
> On Dec 31, 2025, at 7:59 PM, Damien J. Simbeck via groups.io <tnbarredowl=
> <aol.com...> wrote:
>
> That just means folks will have another media option that they don't post
> findings on. If they don’t post on the listserve, why would they post on a
> different app.
>
> I do not want anyone to think I disrespected anyone. I just wonder why no
> one posts bird sightings on the listserve anymore. Folks just put their
> lists in eBird and their done.
>
> Damien Simbeck
> Killen AL
>
> Sent from my (non-Apple) phone. You can teach an old dog new tricks!
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 5:35 PM, Donald Dehm via groups.io
> <donalddehm...> wrote:
> If/when you have the app and you want to join the group select the link
> here:
>
>
> https://signal.group/#CjQKIOpmuDz2GLdbYu8ghH6xOMm56hhzEecjkNNQI4wTnxFqEhAoxqofkKKH76d_4awlY6K_ >
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 17:30 Donald Dehm via groups.io <donalddehm=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
> The “Signal” App allows up to 1000 members in a group.
>
> I have created a group called “Alabama Birding Group”.
>
> You can download the App in your phone platform store. You can also use it
> on your desktop.
>
> No hate keeping, no disrespect towards others, always put the bird’s well
> being first.
>
> Donald
>
> On Wed, Dec 31, 2025 at 16:41 Grace via groups.io <larwood=
> <aol.com...> wrote:
>
> The gate keeping isn’t eBird.
>
> It’s the fact that when I arrived to see the owl - there were a lot of
> people that already knew about it.
>
> The info could have been shared safely on an app with instructions rather
> than just the same people who always seem to know …
>
> I’m done. Remove me from the list.
>
> Grace
>
> On Dec 31, 2025, at 4:37 PM, Mason Currier via groups.io <masonacurrier=
> <gmail.com...> wrote:
>
>
> That being said, ebird’s never gonna change the status of the Birmingham
> sightings. If someone reports a Long-eared anywhere in the US on ebird,
> that report will always be sensitive.
>
> No one is gate keeping. It’s just how the website we all have chosen to
> use for birding works.
>
> Mason C
>
>
>
>
