Tweets, as Michael Price mentioned, the RBA becomes an interesting
beast when you're the one updating the tape. Surely the tape becomes
a reflection of the compiler, and individual tastes, attitudes, and
objectives come into play. As the compiler of one of these things,
here's my two cents worth...

> What are the goals of an RBA?

Advise folks of unusual (not necessarily rare) sightings.

> If you phone an RBA (local or out-of-town), how detailed do you want the
> directions to a location to be?

I take the point of view that if you just stepped off a plane in
Spokane on a two-day business trip, and you call the RBA, it should
give you enough information that you can go find the bird, without
stopping at a convenience store for a map, waiting until that evening
to call for directions, spending hours trying to find some little
town on a highway map, etc.

> Should the RBA operator proactively phone birders for unreported sightings?

I do. And beware, I prowl Tweeterdome for sightings, too! Often,
folks don't think their sighting is "rare" enough, but for somebody
new to birding, or new to the area, it might be a great bird.

> What would you describe as an acceptable minimum level of service?

My benchmark for acceptable service is telling you what was seen,
when it was seen, who saw it, precisely how to get to it, and if
applicable, a follow-up name or number for more information. On the
eastern WA, northern ID RBA, I'll give you some DeLorme coordinates
to help you in your search as well.

> What is the RBA operator's role in screening/accepting reported
rarities? Should the tape and script report the observers name?

I agree with the thread that's it's not really my job to screen
reports, but I still do it occasionally. If it's really far-fetched (9
Yellow-crowned Night-herons at Medicine Lake),I'll give the observer
a call. I put the observer(s) name(s) in the RBA for two reasons: 1)
it passes the buck, so to speak, and 2) if it's a really rare
sighting, reported by a very credible birder, that lends support to
the validity of the sighting. You may argue that conversely, a
mega-rarity reported by a novice could be ignored due to lack of
credibility; perhaps, but you miss out if they're right! As for
spooking off the novices, I don't really think it's a problem.

Further, if you're an out-of-region birder, carrying your trusty ABA
membership directory, you have a could chance of finding those
observers if you really want to chat with them.

If the whole idea of a RBA is getting folks to a particular spot to
see a particular bird, then I think the RBA should cram as much
detailed information as possible into the text, while keeping the
entire play-back time managable.

Kas Dumroese
Moscow, Idaho