This new thing is my New Year's resolve to empower more birders to stay connected with those wishing to help relay quickly rare bird sightings and /or exceptional/hyperactive / astounding bird activity ( like warbler fallouts, massive gull feast on clam kills,etc).The Twitter feature also gives me a little more freedom (bypassing me as an intermediary conduit) in allowing others in informing birders who choose to become part of this alert network. You , of course ,must set up and customize thru a Twitter account ( free) on http://www.twitter.com/ (read more thru the help feature on that website). Twitter's fun feature are postings called "tweets". (ironic ,huh? birders hear tweets all the time)
Since I am not a computer genius , I did a lot of head-scratching in figuring out creating a rare bird sighting alert listserve for the Kings County area or nearby (like Queens areas regularly covered by Brooklyn birders) for BBC members .
I understand with TWITTER-- which allows short postings ,less than 140 character "tweets" ( abbreviated usually nonformatted sentences) --is pretty cool with mobile cell phones; here is an opportunity to jump on the bandwagon if you so choose to subscribe. Make note of my TWITTER http web address below and figure out how you can work the magic using the help pages if Twitter is new to you. ( I don't expect a large following but i want to empower interested birders to post individually without having me pass along info. It saves me much time with text message restrictions with my Palm Centro cellphone shortcomings and work schedules) Especially look at "SETTINGS"on the menu for the "Mobile" features and enter your cell phone number, turn it on and all that requirement which I'll leave to you to follow and customize.
Again, my requirement for this twitter list is only
1) Bird Rarities (like last week's Mew Gull at Ceasars Bay, Lesser Black-backed Gull at Ikea last winter,etc) anywhere in Brooklyn (including Prospect/BBG/GWC) or fringes of Queens . (Queens is Jamaica Bay, Fort Tilden, Riis Beach,Breezy Poiny etc) . My regional location restriction here is to avoid overindulgent reports on my cell from everywhere which i can read "outside kings county" sightings on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebirdsnyc/
2) Rare birding occurrences at the moment.. i.e warbler waves, huge loon flocks, huge gull flocks on clam kill beaches, Xmas count or May Birdathon rare sightings or totals,etc
Please do not post Owl roost sightings before conferring with me. Any question RE what makes a rare sighting, email me below at Prosbird@aol.com ( yes, i know could use the twitter but rules are rules....)
Here is my twitter address
http://twitter.com/home#/list/prosbird/bbcbirds
Hopefully, this will work.It'll be all trial and error, working out the bugs...it's a miracle I figured this out ;)>
contact me at prosbird@aol.com if necessary.. if something needs tweaking.
