[Tweeters] How to 'target' a species?

[Doug Santoni via Tweeters]

Hi Jim —

If you're interested in targeting a specific species in Washington, you might want to consider the Washington Birder’s Dashboard (https://birddash.net/us/wa/).

It’s a great tool with a very user-friendly front end, and is essentially a compilation of all bird species seen in Washington (and reported on an eBird list) in the prior 14-day period. The tool makes it easy to zero in on rarities, but it’s also easy to focus on more common species.

Hope this helps.

Doug Santoni
Seattle, WA
Dougsantoni at gmail dot com



> On Jan 18, 2025, at 9:26 AM, Jim Betz via Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> 

> Hi,

> 

>   I'm wondering what others do to target (seek out and find) a specific bird species?

> 

> 

>          I am -not- talking about rare/unusual birds ... I'm interested in viewing and

> 

>          photographing species that are new to me.

> 

> 

>   I look on eBird and find pics and checklists and pay attention to the date and

> 

> location - usually I can find a few sightings here in Skagit that are from

> 

> approximately the same date.  And the pics help to understand probable

> 

> habitat for a sighting.  But going to the same location often does not

> 

> produce that bird - and usually is even an 'unbirdy' location. Even checking

> 

> recent checklists on eBird does not produce a high probability of finding

> 

> any particular species.

> 

> 

>   I do most of my birding alone, I'm 80 so I can't just go scramble up a

> 

> mountain easily.  I'm pretty poor about birding-by-ear ... I hear the

> 

> birds (most of the time) but id-ing them is not one of my strong skills.

> 

> I don't carry a scope - I have a long lens on my camera and use it.

> 

> However, I usually find the bird visually before I use the camera.  I go

> 

> birding about 3 to 5 times a week and  usually for 3 to 5 hours -

> 

> always with my camera.

> 

> 

>   Is there something else that you do that I'm not doing?

> 

>                           - Jim in Skagit

> 

> P.S. An example of this kind of search is the Northern Pygmy Owl which I

> 

>        just looked up today ... but have close to zero confidence I'd be able to

> 

>        find one in even a week of birding.

> 

> 

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