[Tweeters] eBird Hotspot Boosting

[Kevin Lucas]

I agree with Bruce's observations. I've long wished for a way to see on a
map and be alerted when I go into another county. That would help at
several locations here in (and not quite, *actually* in) Yakima County. It
would also help when driving cross-country, noting birds seen along the
interstate. It would be great to have a pop-up notification that one's
eBird location is in or close to restricted, private, prohibited areas, for
when warning signs are missing, vandalized, or ignored -- e.g. many
long-birded locations on Yakama Nation land.

I would also like a method to directly suggest that a hotspot name is
inappropriate or incorrect, including the ability to spell out the reason.
I know of several incorrectly and inappropriately named eBird "hotspots" in
Yakima County. As one example, there is no "forebay" at Priest Rapids Dam.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forebay_(reservoir)

It would also be GREAT to be able to click on a link in the eBird app to a
hotspot for information on what areas it comprises, and what restrictions,
cautions, considerations, and suggestions are pertinent -- like noting that
travel on Priest Rapids Dam is prohibited, as is travel in the Wanapum
village there, as is travel on the private Martinez Livestock Company
property that borders Priest Rapids Lake on the west/Yakima side, while
noting that legal access to Priest Rapids Lake can be gained by boat, with
launch sites on the Grant County (east) side near the dam (human-powered
boats only), at Desert Aire, and at Priest Rapids State Wildlife Area (SWA)
southwest of Mattawa. Warnings that there are many car break-ins at parking
areas; Lost & found entries. Suggestions how & where to obtain permits, or
from whom to request special authorization,.... A wiki style editable
resource, available from within the eBird app, as Merlin is, could do
wonders.

Good Birding,
https://www.aba.org/aba-code-of-birding-ethics/
Kevin Lucas
Yakima County, WA

*Qui tacet consentire videtur*


On Thu, May 20, 2021 at 11:44 AM Bruce Barrett <coddler at gmail.com> wrote:


> Fair enough, but I would ask some different questions - that perhaps the

> scientists using the data might want to comment on.

>

> Do we have too many hotspots in some areas?

> Should there be a minimum distance between hotspots?

> Should (could?) the eBird app generate warning signals when we wander out

> of one hotspot area into another, without starting a new checklist?

> Maybe, as proposed, some hotspots could be boosted, but are there also

> some that need to be consolidated?

> One implication of the current myriad of hotspots is that, instead of more

> accurate location-specific data, in many cases we have just the opposite.

> How many times do we start an ebird checklist at one location, choosing

> the best local hotspot, but then walk/travel, bird, and continue the

> checklist well beyond that hotspot area into others, without starting a new

> checklist, thus polluting the data for the original location?

>

> In summary, do we need better science in the selection of hotspots?

>

> Bruce Barrett

>

> On Thu, May 20, 2021 at 11:29 AM Joey McCracken <joemccracken3 at gmail.com>

> wrote:

>

>> Hi everyone, I've got an idea for those on eBird. What if we were to find

>> an eBird Hotspot in the area with not too many checklists or species and

>> then for the next week we try and get as many species as possible for that

>> location and we will change the location every week. We could really fill

>> in some missing data and maybe find some rarities in places that are not

>> well birded. It's just an idea for now but if you all want to do it maybe

>> we can start at Brierwood Park <https://ebird.org/hotspot/L7009887> just

>> south of Alderwood. Happy birding!

>> -Joey McCracken

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