To display a list of trip reports, click the Trip Reports link at the top of the page. You can view all trips that happened prior to the date you specify, or you can narrow your search by specifying who made the reports, what target bird was seen, and/or where the trip took place. Unless you choose the ‘everywhere’ option, all reports listed are for trips within about a 200 mile radius of the target zip code.
To display details of a specific trip, click the report in the report list to display the Trip Report Detail page.
Create/Edit Trip Reports:
If you are a logged-in member, you can add your own trip reports, listing the birds you saw, where you saw them, and who you want to share the report with.
To create a trip report, click the ++Report Your Bird Sightings link on the Trip Reports page. Then, fill in the form to indicate when and where you saw birds, what birds you saw, and who you want to share the report with. You can make it so everyone can see your report, only you can see it, or only a specified ‘flock’ can see it. (A ‘flock’ is a group of other members.) When you’re finished describing the trip, click the ‘Submit Report’ button. You must be a logged-in member to create/edit trip reports.
To edit a trip report, click the ++Edit This Report link on the Trip Report Detail page. Fill in the form and press the ‘Submit Report’ button.
View, Add, Edit Site Descriptions:
To see a list of sites in the target zip code area, click the Site Info/Lists link at the top of the page. You can list ‘community sites’ or sites belonging to a specific member.
To display details of a site, click the site in the site list to display the Site Details page.
To create a site description, click the ++Add Site link on the Site Descriptions page. You must be a logged-in member to add/edit sites.
To edit a site, click the ++Edit This Description link on the Site Details page.
View Member and Flock (member group) Info:
To view info about a member, click the Flocks and Member Info/Lists link at the top of the page to display the Member info page. Then type in a member name in the Show member info for: box, and click the 'Show Info' button. If the member permits it, this page displays the member’s flocks (flock=member group), the flocks the member belongs to, the member’s bird list, and comments.
To view details about a flock, click it in one of the flock lists. This displays a Flock Details page that shows the members of the flock and a cumulative list of the birds these members have seen.
Create/Edit Flocks:
To create a flock, click the ++Create New Flock link on the Member Info page to display the Add Flock page. Then enter a flock name, specify who can view flock details, (optionally) add a description, and enter member names for the flock. To enter a member, type the member name in the Flock Members: box and then click the 'Add Member' button. When you’re done entering the flock info, click the 'Add Flock' button. You must be a logged-in member to create/edit flocks.
To edit a flock, click the ++Edit This Flock link on the Flock Details page, then change, delete or add stuff.
Export Trip Report Information:
You can export (download) information from a trip report to a file. You can use this file as input to other birdwatching databases, for printing your own reports, for maintaining your own database of trip report information, or ....
To export the info from one of your trip reports, display the report and then click the 'Export Report' button. A ‘save as’ dialog should display and you can name and save the file somewhere. The file that’s created is a ‘comma separated values’ or ‘csv’ file. This format can be opened and manipulated using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and probably lots of other programs. You can also import csv files into some other birdwatching databases. Refer to the documentation of these other databases for information on what requirements they have for organizing and formatting data for import.
Share a Flock:
You can share another member’s flock and then use it as though it were one of your own for the purposes of viewing and sharing trip report, site and member information.
To share a flock belonging to another member: First, display the Member Info page for that member, then display one of the listed flocks, and then click the 'Share' button. Note: If you set the access to any of your trip reports, site descriptions or your member details to a shared flock, and then the flock is deleted by its owner, access to these trip reports, site descriptions or member details will change to ‘Just me’.
(Background photo: "Snow Geese fly in unison near Route 9 Coastal Heritage Scenic Byway." Public domain photo by Jamie Richie courtesy of National Scenic Byways Online.)