@BBCKingsbirds
Hi all,
With the coming frenzied spring in which reports via SMS or text messages will become the norm with multiple messages, here is some advice and self discipline I am applying to myself. With workdays a priority for me in that I cant get interrupted way too often as well as many other working weekday birders, it is prudent that we be mindful how difficult it is for many birders to get out on weekdays for those great birds.( weekends, well thats a different story, and we wish more of them !)
Anyway, some pointers.
TWITTER is a great tool to use for quick alerts reaching many . I encourage people to open an account . With TWITTER, you have the power to :
1) FOLLOW or UNFOLLOW anyone
2) if your cell number is on file in your account (see "Settings") : TURN ON or TURN OFF notifications of those you follow
Its that easy and power is in your grasp.
On the latter point #2 , click on the twitter user you are Following ( their profile) and look for the little man icon for the menu.
The other issue is quality of birds that are reported. For one to "Keep Life Sane" (like me) , its best to report anything rare to uncommon or fallout spots ( high activity) ,See the Prospect checklist on the Brooklyn Bird Club website for the species classification. This minimizes the reports. Even on weekends, I like to bird more then answer the texts all the time. and then have resend out with typing ( darn I missed that Golden winged ?) . For common stuff, I will simply ignore.
Reports cover for me Brooklyn and Queens.
Now, this applies to me. If folks want to receive zillions texts, again you have the power to follow or unfollow, and additionally turn on or Turn Off notifications.
I currently follow 9 regular Prospect birders who post under the guidelines above ( in blue) rare bird to uncommon and only bird reports. If you post personal messages (social), I cannot follow. U will have to create a new user name. Below are the birders I follow. To follow or turn on the cell phone notification , u must do for each twitter user.
One more thing: I will no longer retweet a tweet ( that's the twitter text message) to reduce redundancy messages. Only to those who don't have twitter on my cell phone limited groups distribution list If everyone follows each of the birders below with cell phone notifications, u will get the single tweet.
Have fun and email me if you questions ( Even I don't understand the whole concept )
Note, please don't reply to a sender's tweets, send a direct message (separate from twitter, though there is a direct message option on twitter) to the sender for more information of a sighting. When u tweet a personal message , everyone sees it ( that for me at least 80 followers) .Thanks.
.Users i follow ( twitter@....)
@Thewarblerguide
@Adamwelzbirds
@chreliot
@themeowking
@thecitybirder
@deepseaganster
@railbabbler
@robsbate
@BobbilnBrooklyn
All these followers and who they are can be seen on my personal twitter below or go to the side menu for the link -->
@BBCKingsbirds
Good birding and happy tweeting !
Peter
