Important message
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries, expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance. Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here: https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
Thanks for this, Chuck, Chris, and all the other birders who have
participated in recent discussions on the topic of bird reporting!
I want to add a few notes on the RBA (on GroupMe).
It is very strictly run. As Chuck states, there is a specific list of birds
to report. There is no discussion allowed- only for these rare sightings.
There is a list of group rules that I ask all members read before
participating. It can also be found in the pinned post at the top of the
group once you join.
The rules can be found at this link:
bit.ly/ctgroupme
If there are questions about the RBA, please reach out to myself or Chase
McCabe (Co-Admin).
—-
Information on the other alert system on GroupMe that I run, called
Connecticut Birding, can be found on the RBA group rules document. I can
also provide the link or information on it. That group is for reports of
notable birds that do not quite reach the level of true rarity, plus storm
birding planning, and real-time updates on migration conditions. No ID
requests, random talk or photo sharing, or common birds are allowed.
**If anyone is not familiar with GroupMe, it is a messaging app that can be
found in the Apple App Store or Android Google Play store. Once downloaded,
it will prompt you to make a simple account. If it asks for your phone
number, it needs to be your cell. Do not click any invite links before your
app is up and running (you’ll be able to see Chats at the top of your
screen) or else it will cause an issue.
Thanks again to everyone for the work that has been done to clarify these
channels.
Best,
Aidan Kiley
Fairfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 11:03 AM imbercj--- via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home
and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
Hi folks:
Wanted to follow up with sharing the invite link for the Connecticut
Birding alert on GroupMe directly.
If you join, please read the rules document which can be found in pinned at
the top of the group or at this link:
tinyurl.com/ctbirding
Joe Pescatore is the co-admin. Many thanks to Joe and Chase for their admin
help!
Join link:
https://groupme.com/join_group/95922127/yWPxygnW
Best,
Aidan Kiley
Fairfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 11:46 AM Aidan Kiley eezambo@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks for this, Chuck, Chris, and all the other birders who have
participated in recent discussions on the topic of bird reporting!
I want to add a few notes on the RBA (on GroupMe).
It is very strictly run. As Chuck states, there is a specific list of
birds to report. There is no discussion allowed- only for these rare
sightings.
There is a list of group rules that I ask all members read before
participating. It can also be found in the pinned post at the top of the
group once you join.
The rules can be found at this link:
bit.ly/ctgroupme
If there are questions about the RBA, please reach out to myself or Chase
McCabe (Co-Admin).
—-
Information on the other alert system on GroupMe that I run, called
Connecticut Birding, can be found on the RBA group rules document. I can
also provide the link or information on it. That group is for reports of
notable birds that do not quite reach the level of true rarity, plus storm
birding planning, and real-time updates on migration conditions. No ID
requests, random talk or photo sharing, or common birds are allowed.
**If anyone is not familiar with GroupMe, it is a messaging app that can
be found in the Apple App Store or Android Google Play store. Once
downloaded, it will prompt you to make a simple account. If it asks for
your phone number, it needs to be your cell. Do not click any invite links
before your app is up and running (you’ll be able to see Chats at the top
of your screen) or else it will cause an issue.
Thanks again to everyone for the work that has been done to clarify these
channels.
Best,
Aidan Kiley
Fairfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 11:03 AM imbercj--- via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable
birds some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the
time. It replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in
to find out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant
message technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added
benefits of location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is
listed with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new
set of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT
Birds listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the
new guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and
relevance. Sign up for CT Birds here:
ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at
https://ebird.org/home and then manage alerts for specific areas here
https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the
ornithological community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority, but not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries, expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance. Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here: https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
- I would appreciate still getting reports here too, though I did sign up
for the group today via Aiden’s link. - Watched Joes documentary today and enjoyed it-thank you for sharing that
with us and all of the time and work you put into it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XQeEaQlgQ - I would definitely also appreciate discussion and sharing of other
information on this list serve such as migration, and people’s favorite
birding spots and such. It’s nice to read people’s personal perspectives
and experiences. It also helps us to be on the look out for different birds
that might be passing through.
All in all, I do appreciate this list serv!
Sincerely,
Deirdra Wallin
Brookfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:44 PM Andrew Block via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB
group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority, but
not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use
them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a
wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved
away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will
miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will
probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via CTBirds
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home
and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
Hola, I don’t use the apps. Nor will I. I do like this service.
Thanks,
Jim
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 8, 2024, at 5:44 PM, Andrew Block via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority, but not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via CTBirds <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries, expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance. Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here: https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
Hi Andrew and Deirdra -
I'm glad you asked these questions and I am replying to all since others are likely wondering the same thing.
There's nothing wrong with continuing to post rarities on CT Birds! I always try to cross-post to this listserv when I see rarity reports on the GroupMe or other places like Facebook. I will continue to do so, and I would encourage everyone on CT Birds to do the same.
If you know of a rare bird, it couldn't hurt to let the CT Birds community know!
I hope this clears things up.
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
From: Deirdra Wallin via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:10 PM
To: Andrew Block ablock22168@yahoo.com
Cc: CT Birds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org; imbercj@comcast.net imbercj@comcast.net
Subject: [CT Birds] Re: Important message
- I would appreciate still getting reports here too, though I did sign up
for the group today via Aiden’s link. - Watched Joes documentary today and enjoyed it-thank you for sharing that
with us and all of the time and work you put into it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XQeEaQlgQ - I would definitely also appreciate discussion and sharing of other
information on this list serve such as migration, and people’s favorite
birding spots and such. It’s nice to read people’s personal perspectives
and experiences. It also helps us to be on the look out for different birds
that might be passing through.
All in all, I do appreciate this list serv!
Sincerely,
Deirdra Wallin
Brookfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:44 PM Andrew Block via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB
group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority, but
not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use
them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a
wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved
away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will
miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will
probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albumshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via CTBirds
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time. It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at https://ebird.org/home
and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
Thanks, Chuck. You're the best. I am afraid that this segmentation forcing
people onto phone apps is, in my opinion, a classist move. Not everyone in
my acquaintance can afford new phones, internet service, and new apps. I
fear we are shutting some folks out, which makes me very sad. I was just
saying to Andrew that I had been trying to get a young birder plugged in to
the birding community, but that she lives on a shoestring and simply cannot
afford high tech.
I am so grateful for your cross posting! Perhaps COA needs to move beyond
the rarified Ffld County air? (speaking as a person whose family lived for
decades there) I guess this move simply institutionalizes what has been
happening among some.
Sigh.
Dana
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 9:33 PM imbercj--- via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Hi Andrew and Deirdra -
I'm glad you asked these questions and I am replying to all since others
are likely wondering the same thing.
There's nothing wrong with continuing to post rarities on CT Birds! I
always try to cross-post to this listserv when I see rarity reports on the
GroupMe or other places like Facebook. I will continue to do so, and I
would encourage everyone on CT Birds to do the same.
If you know of a rare bird, it couldn't hurt to let the CT Birds community
know!
I hope this clears things up.
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
From: Deirdra Wallin via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:10 PM
To: Andrew Block ablock22168@yahoo.com
Cc: CT Birds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org; imbercj@comcast.net <
imbercj@comcast.net>
Subject: [CT Birds] Re: Important message
- I would appreciate still getting reports here too, though I did sign up
for the group today via Aiden’s link. - Watched Joes documentary today and enjoyed it-thank you for sharing that
with us and all of the time and work you put into it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XQeEaQlgQ - I would definitely also appreciate discussion and sharing of other
information on this list serve such as migration, and people’s favorite
birding spots and such. It’s nice to read people’s personal perspectives
and experiences. It also helps us to be on the look out for different birds
that might be passing through.
All in all, I do appreciate this list serv!
Sincerely,
Deirdra Wallin
Brookfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:44 PM Andrew Block via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB
group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority,
but
not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use
them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a
wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved
away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will
miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will
probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums<
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via
CTBirds
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable
birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time.
It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits
of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many
of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify
birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at
all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is
listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new
set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and
relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at
and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the
ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
I can understand thinking it could be “classist”, but I think more overall it’s generational. Connecticut is one of the few remaining states with an active listserv. The rest have all died as younger people continue to join the birding community and prefer apps such as WhatsApp, Discord, and GroupMe. If you travel to any state and want to be in the know, you have to have at least one of those three because there’s no immediate information anymore on email chains. It’s all text-based. In fact, most young birders laugh at listservs and don’t take them seriously, from what I’ve witnessed. I know I’ve had discussions with multiple CT birders over the last couple years as to how surprising it is that our listserv has survived while almost every other has died.
For example: 50 birding listserv emails have been sent across the whole USA today, with 12 of them coming from CT, the 3rd smallest state. It’s an example of how much things have changed.
It’s also not just listservs that have taken a hit. For years, Facebook has been the bridge between listservs and texting. But even now, younger people are shunning Facebook and many rare birds don’t even make it to statewide RBA groups or nationwide ones for hours, if not days, when previously it would be within seconds of an initial report coming through. It’s just a sign of the continual changing times.
A reminder that you don’t need a smartphone though, to access any of the apps. GroupMe has a web portal (https://web.groupme.com/signin) and the other ones I mentioned, WhatsApp and Discord, both have desktop apps for both PC and Mac computers. If you do have the GroupMe app, it’s also worth noting that MA, RI, NJ, ME, and NH are all also on GroupMe, so if you want links to those groups as well just ask and someone (including myself) can get you in the invite link. And of course, crossposting of mega rarities will continue. That’s something that definitely can't be forgotten.
-Matt Bell
Vernon
On Aug 8, 2024, at 21:58, Dana Campbell via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
Thanks, Chuck. You're the best. I am afraid that this segmentation forcing
people onto phone apps is, in my opinion, a classist move. Not everyone in
my acquaintance can afford new phones, internet service, and new apps. I
fear we are shutting some folks out, which makes me very sad. I was just
saying to Andrew that I had been trying to get a young birder plugged in to
the birding community, but that she lives on a shoestring and simply cannot
afford high tech.
I am so grateful for your cross posting! Perhaps COA needs to move beyond
the rarified Ffld County air? (speaking as a person whose family lived for
decades there) I guess this move simply institutionalizes what has been
happening among some.
Sigh.
Dana
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 9:33 PM imbercj--- via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Hi Andrew and Deirdra -
I'm glad you asked these questions and I am replying to all since others
are likely wondering the same thing.
There's nothing wrong with continuing to post rarities on CT Birds! I
always try to cross-post to this listserv when I see rarity reports on the
GroupMe or other places like Facebook. I will continue to do so, and I
would encourage everyone on CT Birds to do the same.
If you know of a rare bird, it couldn't hurt to let the CT Birds community
know!
I hope this clears things up.
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
From: Deirdra Wallin via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:10 PM
To: Andrew Block ablock22168@yahoo.com
Cc: CT Birds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org; imbercj@comcast.net <
imbercj@comcast.net>
Subject: [CT Birds] Re: Important message
- I would appreciate still getting reports here too, though I did sign up
for the group today via Aiden’s link. - Watched Joes documentary today and enjoyed it-thank you for sharing that
with us and all of the time and work you put into it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XQeEaQlgQ - I would definitely also appreciate discussion and sharing of other
information on this list serve such as migration, and people’s favorite
birding spots and such. It’s nice to read people’s personal perspectives
and experiences. It also helps us to be on the look out for different birds
that might be passing through.
All in all, I do appreciate this list serv!
Sincerely,
Deirdra Wallin
Brookfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:44 PM Andrew Block via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the FB
group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority,
but
not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use
them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a
wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have moved
away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and will
miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will
probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums<
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via
CTBirds
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable
birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time.
It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added benefits
of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as many
of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify
birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at
all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is
listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new
set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and
relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not. We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at
and then manage alerts for specific areas here https://ebird.org/alerts
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the
ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate, with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or "leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing birders together statewide. Please support COA: https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For list rules and subscription information visit: https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
I'm 90 years old and don't have a so-called smartphone. This is my only
source of CT birding news.
What does all this mean to me and the few remaining old-time birders like
me?
Paul Plotnick
Stamford
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 11:12 PM Matthew Bell via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I can understand thinking it could be “classist”, but I think more overall
it’s generational. Connecticut is one of the few remaining states with an
active listserv. The rest have all died as younger people continue to join
the birding community and prefer apps such as WhatsApp, Discord, and
GroupMe. If you travel to any state and want to be in the know, you have to
have at least one of those three because there’s no immediate information
anymore on email chains. It’s all text-based. In fact, most young birders
laugh at listservs and don’t take them seriously, from what I’ve witnessed.
I know I’ve had discussions with multiple CT birders over the last couple
years as to how surprising it is that our listserv has survived while
almost every other has died.
For example: 50 birding listserv emails have been sent across the whole
USA today, with 12 of them coming from CT, the 3rd smallest state. It’s an
example of how much things have changed.
It’s also not just listservs that have taken a hit. For years, Facebook
has been the bridge between listservs and texting. But even now, younger
people are shunning Facebook and many rare birds don’t even make it to
statewide RBA groups or nationwide ones for hours, if not days, when
previously it would be within seconds of an initial report coming through.
It’s just a sign of the continual changing times.
A reminder that you don’t need a smartphone though, to access any of the
apps. GroupMe has a web portal (https://web.groupme.com/signin) and the
other ones I mentioned, WhatsApp and Discord, both have desktop apps for
both PC and Mac computers. If you do have the GroupMe app, it’s also worth
noting that MA, RI, NJ, ME, and NH are all also on GroupMe, so if you want
links to those groups as well just ask and someone (including myself) can
get you in the invite link. And of course, crossposting of mega rarities
will continue. That’s something that definitely can't be forgotten.
-Matt Bell
Vernon
On Aug 8, 2024, at 21:58, Dana Campbell via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Thanks, Chuck. You're the best. I am afraid that this segmentation
forcing
people onto phone apps is, in my opinion, a classist move. Not everyone
in
my acquaintance can afford new phones, internet service, and new apps. I
fear we are shutting some folks out, which makes me very sad. I was just
saying to Andrew that I had been trying to get a young birder plugged in
to
the birding community, but that she lives on a shoestring and simply
cannot
afford high tech.
I am so grateful for your cross posting! Perhaps COA needs to move beyond
the rarified Ffld County air? (speaking as a person whose family lived
for
decades there) I guess this move simply institutionalizes what has been
happening among some.
Sigh.
Dana
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024, 9:33 PM imbercj--- via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
Hi Andrew and Deirdra -
I'm glad you asked these questions and I am replying to all since others
are likely wondering the same thing.
There's nothing wrong with continuing to post rarities on CT Birds! I
always try to cross-post to this listserv when I see rarity reports on
the
GroupMe or other places like Facebook. I will continue to do so, and I
would encourage everyone on CT Birds to do the same.
If you know of a rare bird, it couldn't hurt to let the CT Birds
community
know!
I hope this clears things up.
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
From: Deirdra Wallin via CTBirds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org
Sent: Thursday, August 8, 2024 6:10 PM
To: Andrew Block ablock22168@yahoo.com
Cc: CT Birds ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org; imbercj@comcast.net <
imbercj@comcast.net>
Subject: [CT Birds] Re: Important message
- I would appreciate still getting reports here too, though I did sign
up
for the group today via Aiden’s link.
2. Watched Joes documentary today and enjoyed it-thank you for sharing
that
with us and all of the time and work you put into it.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=U2XQeEaQlgQ
3. I would definitely also appreciate discussion and sharing of other
information on this list serve such as migration, and people’s favorite
birding spots and such. It’s nice to read people’s personal perspectives
and experiences. It also helps us to be on the look out for different
birds
that might be passing through.
All in all, I do appreciate this list serv!
Sincerely,
Deirdra Wallin
Brookfield
On Thu, Aug 8, 2024 at 5:44 PM Andrew Block via CTBirds <
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> wrote:
I hope people still do post rarities here since for some this and the
FB
group is the only place they get reports. I know I'm in the minority,
but
not everyone is interested in using those phone apps. If you could use
them on a computer then maybe I would use them. These lists were a
wonderful place to get rarity reports and it's a shame people have
moved
away from them in most states. I loved getting a rarity report and
will
miss them. A shame. Sad. I see so many less rarities now:-( I will
probably leave the list if rarities are not posted here anymore.
Andrew
Andrew BlockConsulting Naturalist
Yonkers, New York www.flickr.com/photos/conuropsis/albums<
On Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 11:03:41 AM EDT, imbercj--- via
CTBirds
ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org wrote:
A message from the COA President and the CT Birds Moderator:
Communications Resources for Birders in Connecticut
The CT Birds listserv began as a tool to report rarities and notable
birds
some 20 years ago, using the email technology that was new at the time.
It
replaced a system where birders could report rarities (or call in to
find
out about them) using the telephone. Today, there are instant message
technologies to get alerts out quickly and these have the added
benefits
of
location and photo sharing.
Unfortunately, a proliferation of these new technologies led to some
fragmentation and confusion in our Connecticut birding community, and
at
the same time reports of notable birds on CT Birds have declined as
many
of
the listers and chasers have adopted the new instant message tools.
Recognizing this reality, and since birding is about more than chasing
rarities, we would like CT Birds to become more than an additional
alert
resource. We hope that future posts on CT Birds will emphasize
migration
trends and patterns, discussion of birds and birding issues, notify
birders
of events and activities, raise questions and seek assistance, and
generally serve as a birding community discussion forum for birders at
all
levels of expertise. We hope and expect that Connecticut’s more
experienced and active birders will continue to contribute discoveries,
expertise, and assistance to the birding community via CT Birds.
Below are some birding communications resources available - each is
listed
with its primary purpose:
• CT Birds will be an open discussion group as described above. A new
set
of guidelines is being developed and will be released soon. The CT
Birds
listserv will continue to be moderated by Chuck Imbergamo under the new
guidelines which will include the standard rules of civility and
relevance.
Sign up for CT Birds here: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
• CT RBA GroupMe group is an instant message application for your
smartphone. This tool is intended for reporting truly RARE birds for
our
state. Examples would be vagrant birds from other regions and birds
considered rare on migration. There is a limited list of birds which
should be reported using this tool. You can join the CT RBA group
here:
https://groupme.com/join_group/83300607/1yz3Vwak
• eBird, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is widely considered to
be
the best place to record sightings of any and all birds, rare or not.
We
encourage all Connecticut birders to create eBird reports to contribute
valuable data to the eBird database. eBird also provides hourly or
daily
alerts of rare birds in a given area, statewide or countywide, among
many
other useful features. You can sign up for eBird at
and then manage alerts for specific areas here
Among COA’s organizational objectives are to
• promote an interest in and an appreciation of birds;
• disseminate accurate scientific information about birds and their
habitats; and
• help facilitate understanding and cooperation between the
ornithological
community and the general public.
We intend to further these objectives in part through the existing CT
Birds listserv and we hope all Connecticut birders will participate,
with
thanks to those that do.
Christopher Wood
COA President
Woodbury
Chuck Imbergamo
CT Birds Moderator
Madison
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join"
or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join"
or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/
To subscribe or unsubscribe via email, send an email with just "join" or
"leave" in the subject or body to: ctbirds-request@lists.ctbirding.org
CTBirds, a service of Connecticut Ornithological Association - Bringing
birders together statewide. Please support COA:
https://www.ctbirding.org/join-us/
CTBirds is for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For
list rules and subscription information visit:
https://www.ctbirding.org/birds-birding/ct-birds-email-list/