Birds are back! There have been 38 Manhattan alerts already today, including American Bittern. It's been a big day in the other boroughs, too. And the season is just getting started.
These alerts cover both rarities AND non-rarities of interest, such as the first few arrivals of expected migrants, like the Palm and Louisiana Warblers we had today. Posts of birding news or general birding conditions are fine, too. To receive these alerts, follow the accounts on Twitter that are of interest to you. The alerts are always publicly-viewable and searchable, both on Twitter and on the web. Click on the links to see the stream of recent alerts: Manhattan: @BirdCentralPark, https://twitter.com/BirdCentralPark, #birdcp Bronx: @BirdBronx, https://twitter.com/BirdBronx, #birdbx Brooklyn: @BirdBrklyn, https://twitter.com/BirdBrklyn, #birdbk Queens: @BirdQueens, https://twitter.com/BirdQueens, #birdqu You can set your phone to notify you with sound or vibration as alerts arrive. To issue alerts yourself, first become a followed user by sending a direct message on Twitter to one of the above accounts. Or email me and I will get you set up. Then to send an alert you just "tweet" using the appropriate hashtag as above. For example, to send an alert for Queens: Piping Plover at Rockaway Beach Edgemere #birdqu I have written software that will see your tweet and immediately and automatically relay it from the main account to all followers. If you have never used Twitter before, it's easy. You can make a free account for yourself in a few minutes on the web or by downloading the Twitter app on your device. See my site for complete directions on getting started with Twitter and on using these alerts: https://bigmanhattanyear.com/ I hope these alerts will make your birding more productive and enjoyable. Email me with any questions. These alerts are a great adjunct to eBird -- you can post quickly to them without having to halt your eBird list and go through all the steps of finalizing and sending your list. Twitter also has some advantages over listservs: 1) It allows you to attach map screenshots, photos, and videos *directly* – no photo site needed. 2) It allows followers to immediately view these multimedia files without opening a browser. 3) It's faster to use in the field -- no need to write a topic heading or provide name/city signature. 4) There are no restricted species. 5) You'll get "likes!" And you can carry on discussions publicly or privately with other birders. 6) You do not need a smartphone -- just a regular phone that can send text messages. 7) Twitter has millions of users, offering the potential for wider exposure and more participation. Good birding, David Barrett Manhattan -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES.htm http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/NYSBirds-L 3) http://birding.aba.org/maillist/NY01 Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
