Subject: Re: Christmas Bird Counts
Date: Jan 5 10:25:15 1995
From: Stuart MacKay - stuart.mackay at mccaw.com


Don Baccus wrote:

> I think it is too bad that no effort has been made to make CBC data
> electronically available, but the expense involved in data entry

> would be immense. Even for a single year.

What scope would there be for attacking the problem at source. Rather
than rely on the collecting organisations to put the data onto
computer, what about local compilers or the group leaders who
coordinate the counts.

This at least breaks the problem into relatively manageable chunks.
One downside is that not everybody has access to the technology, but
there are enough computers kicking around (yes, when things go wrong,
they make great footballs, but personally I prefer the sledgehammer
approach.) that it is at least feasible.

The British Trust for Ornithology has been encouraging banders in the
UK to submit their records on floppy for some time now. Over 1
million birds a year are banded in the UK so it is not a trivial
task. However it is a very slow process. One major holdup was the
creation of a standardized data entry program - which took 2 years to
write. Getting everybody to accept it was a problem - if the same
response applies to the US then the task will be impossible.

However this does not exclude, areas of excellence, which could
create local databases. This makes the process organic and
potentially encourages others to follow suit. A national database
could be assembled more easily from these pieces rather than create a
single collossus from day 1.

Stuart
---
Stuart MacKay McCaw Cellular Communications
Consultant Developer The Plaza at Yarrow Bay
Axys V3 10230 NE Points Drive

ph. (206) 803-4909 Kirkland, WA

fax (206) 803-7405 98033

stuart.mackay at mccaw.com
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