Subject: [Tweeters] re: Missing the Birdbox
Date: Aug 30 20:27:58 2009
From: Scott Downes - downess at charter.net


Tim,
Your point on the birdbox was well taken my me and it was the subject of quite a bit of time at 2-3 board meeting this year for WOS. I wanted to comment as not only somebody involved in those WOS discussions, but also somebody who lives and birds in Eastern WA (as you do as well). The WOS Board looked into replacing the Birdbox with something up to date and the research we came back with was, the birdbox wasn't being used as it was so why should WOS invest money into a new system? We actually found a up to date phone call in system that might have worked but didn't pursue due to current interest level in the birdbox. I remember the last couple of years of the birdbox and sometimes there was 1 maybe 2 messages a month on it and I would venture to say that 80-90% of the rarities found in the last couple of years were not posted first on the Birdbox but rather on Tweeters.

As for Bob's question today on updates, this also came up last year on the Variegated Flycatcher. People are eager to chase the bird if given an update, however those that bird the Columbia Basin know that some places cell phone coverage is spotty and not all birders have cell phones always with them. I do want to thank Hal for Tweeters alerts as I think it will grow to be something that is able to be used for quick alerts. In the future, coverage will probably also improve as well. In migration though, I would like to mention that sometimes it really doesn't matter how quickly birds are reported. A good deal of migrants are one day wonders (or one hour wonders in the case of vagrant warblers). Maybe I'm being philosophical here, but I'm always amazed how quickly birds are able to be reported in 2009 than say only 15 years ago with antiquated methods of being on the right phone tree or lucking into the group that saw it. Now, the whole birding community is somewhat connected and I think we all benefit from it. I'm sure in 15 years we'll all be looking back and marveling how we ever got along with such an archaic device as the birdbox!

Scott Downes
downess at charter.net
Yakima WA