Hey Steve & Tweets,

I understand the mix-ups. No one learns a new language the first day. I just wish more birders were open to it, but most birders are not in the scientific community and want to keep it that way. Which is fine, but it shouldn't completely preclude others from using "birder's shorthand", with a few rules of course. I do like Wayne's idea and the powers that be on Tweeters need to make it happen.

By the way, your birds would key out as follows: BARS for Barn Swallow, BANS for Bank Swallow, BNOW for Barn Owl, BDOW for Barred Owl and BTYW for Black-throated Grey Warbler. Like any language, there are exceptions to keep duplicates from happening.

Also, if anyone out there wants a list of AOU codes, to both educate themselves and to see what all of the fussing, whining and bellyaching is about, e-mail me offline. I have a spreadsheet I can send you (Excel). Good birding y'all!

Brett A. Wolfe
Seattle, WA (in San Joaquin Valley for summer 2005)
m_lincolnii at yahoo.com



Steve Ellis <sellis at coup.wednet.edu> wrote:
I concur with Wayne on the 4 letter codes- for one thing a BASW might mean
Barn Swallow to me and a Bank Swallow to you. Even the experts don't agree
on some of these codes. I helped with a census at a local state park for the
National Park people and they thought I meant Barn Owl when I counted Barred
Owls. They were hopelessly mixed up on Black-throated Gray Warbler even
though I followed their own instructions to the letter.
You say potato and I say.....

Steve Ellis
sellis at coup.wednet.edu

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