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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GENERAL BIRDING DISCUSSION -> BirdTrack phone app
Post Info TOPIC: BirdTrack phone app
Steve Atkins


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BirdTrack phone app
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Hi Dave,

When you register for BirdTrack there is an option box to tick if you wish your records to be made available to the relevant county bird recording group.

We would like to be able to forward some of the records that you submit via BTO on-line surveys to relevant county and local bird recorders so that your records also contribute to knowledge about the birds of your local area. Local bird recorders also need to be supplied with your name, address and email address so that they can contact you if they have any queries about your records. Once such data have been supplied responsibility for their use rests with the local bird recorders concerned and not with the BTO. An indicative list of local recorders to whom data may be supplied can be viewed here. This does not apply to any ringing data. 

 

Please forward my records and personal details to relevant local bird recorders where appropriate

My preference would be for the BTO to make this an opt out rather than opt in choice. As one GM birdwatcher who started using BirdTrack last year had inadvertently not ticked the box, and as a result her records were not included in the GM download. Had she not contacted GMBRG to seek advice on recording we would have been none the wiser and not have received her valuable records. So if anyone is currently using BirdTrack in GM it would be worth checking your settings to make sure you have ticked this option.

As far as GMBRG is concerned, it does not cause a problem if you submit your records both to us and BirdTrack, assuming of course you have the time to input them twice. As when I download the BirdTrack records from the BTO, it is relatively simple to just filter out the records from any observers who are submitting directly to GMBRG as well.

I use the BirdTrack app on my phone for recording birds outside of GM and have found it quick and easy to input records. At the end of the day, you verify your records against a set of county specific criteria stored on the BirdTrack database and then upload them to your BirdTrack account where you can view and edit them from your pc/laptop by logging on to your account.

However, GMBRG's preferred methods of record submission remain as follows:

1. MapMate - the beauty of this is that records are transferred electronically from the recorder's computer to the GMBRG database. 2016 records from five birdwatchers are already in the database with the most recent records being from yesterday.

2. GMBRG Excel file

Records submitted via the above options are transferred monthly to the GM Ecology Unit and are used on a daily basis to help protect Sites of Biological Importance and other areas of importance to birds and other wildlife.

3. GMLRC RODIS - there is a direct link to this at the bottom of the page. The records go straight to the GM Ecology Unit and a copy is given to GMBRG

Everyone has their personal preferences which is why GMBRG offers the above 3 options with BirdTrack as an alternative.

Thanks to everyone who does submit their records by whichever means. By doing so you are putting something back for all the hours of pleasure you get from birdwatching. We shouldn't take for granted the amazing diversity of sites and birds we currently enjoy in GM. They face many threats and the publication of Birds of Conservation Concern 4 should be a  wakeup call with TWENTY new species moving on to the RED LIST including many we are familiar with such as Curlew, Grey Wagtail and Mistle Thrush. 

We all lead busy lives (don't I know it!), but surely everyone can spare one hour a week (that's all it needs), especially in the winter evenings,  to input their key records and submit them to GMBRG. Just in case anyone is in any doubt, nothing happens to the sightings posted on this forum. Although it is of course a great way for GM birders to find out what else has been seen in the county, as clearly stated at the top of the forum (**NOTE: this forum is NOT a method of submitting bird records to the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group; therefore please take the time to submit your sightings to the group via one of the available methods)

If you would like advice on recording and how to submit your records to GMBRG then please contact Ian McKerchar or me. Information is also available on Manchester Birding http://www.manchesterbirding.com/recordingcountybirds.htm

Steve



-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 7th of February 2016 03:17:22 PM



-- Edited by Steve Atkins on Sunday 7th of February 2016 03:23:55 PM

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dave broome


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I'm unfamiliar with BirdTrack, but was wondering, are all records inputted to it forwarded on to the relevant county recorder? If so, does this cause a problem at the county end of things if it results in lots of duplicate records where an observer also submits their records directly to the county recorder?



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Paul Wilson


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Not tried it on iPad yet - I wouldn't take the iPad out on a birding trip anyway!

Charles Farrell wrote:

Doesn't work on iPad with iOS 5. I had been trying to avoid. The upgrade to v6. guess I will have to do it as I have been moning about the lack of an apple version for a while.

The updated Birdtrack page is nice and the new maps are a huge improvement!




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Charles Farrell


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Doesn't work on iPad with iOS 5. I had been trying to avoid. The upgrade to v6. guess I will have to do it as I have been moning about the lack of an apple version for a while.

The updated Birdtrack page is nice and the new maps are a huge improvement!

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Paul Wilson


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Just a note for anyone who enters their sightings into BirdTrack. They now have an iPhone/Android app which you can use whilst visiting a site to record your sightings as you see them. As your phone knows where you are it is simple to use - just add species as you see them. These records are them synched to you normal account and can be edited if needed later, on your PC.

I haven't tried it yet, so don't know how successful it is in use. Looks good though.

It also gives you locally recorded sightings by other people in the last 3, 7 or 14 days. Tap on a species and it shows where they were recorded.

Has anyone used it yet?

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