Plotting with eBird

I am sure I must have mentioned this before but I am obsessed with eBird. Or at least, obsessed with the data that is able to spit out at every conceivable level. I've previously used it to manage what I would term 'big area' lists such as countries, states and counties, as well as years, but it has only been relatively recently that I've been using it for site-specific data. Whereas within big areas you can run out of targets relatively quickly, especially during quiet times of the year, I find that if you move down a level to site lists a whole new spectrum of possibilities opens up.

When I was in Fife in August and noted a fall of Wheatears at Fife Ness, including a bird coming in off the sea, I realised that I would probably be in with a decent chance of adding Wheatear to a number of other sites in the county that I visit regularly, and so it proved. I.e. rather than mooch about not being bothered about Wheatears in Fife, I used the data as a spur to go and visit a number of sites. And I did so with a spring in my step, and with all my senses straining for that particular species, homing in on areas of habitat I felt most likely to be concealing Wheatears. And the joy I experienced when I did was equal to the joy and excitement befitting of much grander birding moments. That and a few similar experiences recently have been a bit of a light-bulb moment, and it has given a new lease of life to local birding, at least in Scotland. Somehow I need to try and transfer this enthusiasm to London where I spend most of my time, even though it is somehow different. I think the biggest barrier would be having to cover multiple patches, yet I know of several London birders who do this, rotating sites over the course of each week.

This past weekend in Fife the mostly grim weather forced a change of plan. I had been planning to spend the majority of the time looking at the sea, but instead I found myself thinking about sites I visited reasonably frequently and the possibility of being able to add species to those lists. The 'targets' functionality on eBird is excellent, albeit that it is only as good as the data of those who have come before you. I was able to see, for example, that I had never managed to record Blue Tit or Goldfinch at Angle Park. And so when I was checking out whether the Egret was still there on Monday morning (it was) I was also on alert for these much commoner species. In the event I found both with relative ease, and in fact added five new birds, including Sparrowhawk and Water Rail which must have been far enough down the list of possibles not to have registered, but the point is that it gave me purpose. Despite being what other birders might regard as slim pickings, for me it was exciting enough to get me out and about and enthused. 

So now I have a mental hit list of what I need for where, and if the birding is slack, or the weather uncooperative, I have options that will nonetheless get me up and out. This isn't a massive list by any means, after all if you run this to its logical conclusion you need to see everything everywhere (but not all at once) which is clearly a) impossible and b) very stupid. But if you can limit yourself to a handful of sites I think you will find it to be very beneficial to your desire to go birding. Of course not everyone is the same, some people just want to go birding for the pleasure of birding (bloody purists...) but personally I need the extra incentive that numbers bring. 

Where the target functionality doesn't work is with personal hotspots where there are no other data contributors, which includes the garden here in Fife. This is of course harder but no less rewarding, and I've spent a bit of time analysing what might be likely here. Remarkably I added Mallard (#68) as I was writing this post. Literally five minutes ago. I'd got up from the computer to have a look a distant Gull and three Mallards flew through. Unbelievable, as I'd not long looked up the list to try and come up with the obvious targets. Redwing is now the obvious miss, I have no idea how I've not managed to get one here and it's something I aim to put right later this year. Curlew and Lapwing, being both large and vocal and present in some numbers in the local area are also top targets. And there are large numbers of Coot nearby, and stacks of Little Grebe, so if I were to engage in a little noc-mig those would be quite high up on the list of possibles. And finally, there are also lots of Gannets in the Forth and so earlier today I went up to the highest room in the house and scoped the Bass Rock. Nothing. Nada. I was convinced I could pick up a Gannet at 21 miles but apparently I can't. Pah.