Hi Bristol Birders!
As the first breeding season of the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas wraps up,
we’re interested in getting some feedback from the birding community. The data
entry process for this second VA BBA relies on the eBird data entry system,
which is a huge leap forward in our ability to collect and collate data in
real-time. It also allows the user to track their own observations and those
of others in their area. However, we also realize that this may be an obstacle
for some people, stemming from lack of internet or computer access, less
experience with online tools, etc.
So! We’d like to get a clearer sense of how many people may not be reporting
breeding observations, due to these technical limitations. If you (or more
likely, someone you know) is not contributing data to the Atlas portal AND
would start contributing data if a paper data submission method were possible,
please shoot me a quick email. I’d like to get a better estimate of how many
people fall into this group.
For those of you that already use the eBird system to contribute data to the
Atlas project, THANK YOU for your efforts. We just broke 14,000 checklists for
our first season, which is AWESOME! However, we are in dire need of birder
contributions in SW VA still.
I’ve had the chance to interact with many birders across the state over the
last 6 months and I know many of you have grappled with and finally conquered
the eBird learning curve, so that you could volunteer on this project. I
appreciate your tenacity and look forward to working with you in our next
breeding season!
Quick Atlas update! Keep an eye out for Atlas workshops/programs over the Fall
and Winter. I’ll be traveling around giving talks to various bird clubs,
Audubon societies, at birding festivals, etc. The focus of these talk is
generally how we did and season one and how to use the winter to prep for
season two! Check out the Atlas News and Resources webpage for regular updates
on these events.
Stay tuned to the Atlas list-serv and Facebook page for updates throughout the
Fall and Winter seasons.
Happy Fall Migration Birding!
Ashley Peele, PhD
Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator
www.vabba2.org | ebird.org/atlasva
www.facebook.com/vabba2
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Conservation Management Institute, Virginia Tech
1900 Kraft Drive, Suite 250
Blacksburg, VA 24061
(540) 231-9182 office
(540) 231-7019 fax
ashpeele@xxxxxx