Dave et al, Sure we all use whatever short cuts help us. Once one becomes familiar with the tetranomes for birds commonly reported, the "rules" fall into place and a look up table isn't needed. At least we then are all speaking the same language. Using the full name is of course the clearest form of communication as you point out. In our Odonate work we strive to use the scientific name as common names differ and some folks new to the avocation make up versions as they go along. In all my years of working with birds I've known only two colleagues who spouted scientific names -much to the confusion of others. ;-) That was especially true of the guy, anonymous as he's now a Univ. president, who compounded that sin by speaking soft or "church" Latin - think Accipiter pronounced Akchipitter.
It's been busy here the last few days with a great deal of post frontal movement. This morning we are closed due to wind gusts. We had 8 warbler species and Philadelphia Vireo on Monday and seven species of warbler yesterday. This morning we had three warbler species during our very brief attempt after dawn. Among the warblers were Tennessee in abundance, Nashville, Magnolia in mounting numbers, Mourning, Common Yellowthroat in abundance, many Chestnut-sided, American Redstart and Wilson's. We also had a large smattering of Song Sparrows and Gray Catbirds among several other more common spp. Yellows have been gone for some time now. Description and photos of most can be found on our Finger Lakes Natural History listserv at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/khamolistserv/ Best, John -- Dr.John and Sue Gregoire Field Ornithologists Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory 5373 Fitzgerald Road Burdett,NY 14818-9626 Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ "Conserve and Create Habitat" On Wed, August 25, 2010 21:54, Dave Nutter wrote: > John, > As I tried to indicate in my message, I did not just invent this system. > It was already in use for some time as of the mid-1980s at the Lab of O > in conjunction with other organizations, including federal researchers. > Perhaps they have since abandoned it (I don't know) but I find it very > useful, so I have not. > > I am not trying to confuse anyone, nor to force them to use this system. > I explained it because someone wrote to me confused, but I suspect that > person (& others?) would have been confused by a 4 letter code too. > I have no illusions about changing the habits of bird banders who long > ago went to the trouble to memorize their own 4 letter code and have used > it daily for years or decades to communicate mainly with other bird banders. > I am not so self-centered as to suppose that "my" system is the only one. > > I use it as shorthand when time and space are a higher priority, and as I > said, > I try to use the full English name first. The reason I prefer this system is > that > I don't have to go to a website to learn it, nor does it involve a great deal > of > memorization. That one paragraph of rules which I wrote out (in far more > words > than necessary) allows me or anyone to figure out nearly all codes when > writing > them or when reading them. I find fewer miscommunications with the 6 letter > code > because it involves easy rules instead of (mis)remembering or guessing, and > it's > easy to check because it contains more information than the 4 letter code. > It also > keeps my notes legible and easy to scan. As for using the same language, I > guess > English is best in this forum generally. To that end you will find that I > generally > use > complete standard English common names and refrain from ad hoc abbreviations > or cutesy nicknames, which again is somewhat a matter of taste but also a > matter > of precision, clarity, and discipline. (Let's see who else I can offend!) > > But enough word games. Tell us what cool birds you've seen or banded out > in Hector so far during this many-faceted fall migration, John! > I don't know if this is related to migration or not, and by now it's old news, > but just after midnight on August 22nd (the day it rained all day, I believe) > I heard an Eastern Screech-Owl in my backyard, a first for the year. > > --Dave Nutter > > > > On Aug 25, 2010, at 06:28 AM, John and Sue Gregoire <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Why confuse the issue by inventing yet another coding system? Shorthand is >> great >> for >> field notes and makes sense for information exchange when we all use the same >> system. The tetranome system accepted by the Bird Banding Lab and the AOU is >> not >> difficult. A guide can be found at >> http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/manual/aspeclst.htm. >> >> On the west coast a group reinvented the wheel as did Dave's source with >> five and >> six letter species codes that serve only a small group and inhibit >> information >> sharing. >> >> It's always easiest when we speak the same language. >> >> John >> -- >> Dr. John and Sue Gregoire >> Field Ornithologists >> Kestrel Haven Avian Migration Observatory >> 5373 Fitzgerald Road >> Burdett,NY 14818-9626 >> Website: http://www.empacc.net/~kestrelhaven/ >> "Conserve and Create Habitat" >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME >> http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES >> >> ARCHIVES: >> 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html >> 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html >> 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds >> >> Please submit your observations to eBird: >> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ >> >> -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html 3) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
