birding-aus

BirdData: some problems?

To: James O'Connor <>
Subject: BirdData: some problems?
From: Carl Clifford <>
Date: Fri, 8 May 2015 10:27:59 +1000
Hi James,

Thanks for the explanation. Gremlins get in all systems. Hope the sorting out 
is not too problematical.

Carl Clifford


> On 8 May 2015, at 8:22 am, James O'Connor <> 
> wrote:
> 
> Hi all, thanks for raising this. Turns out it's a technical problem with the 
> postcodes function, rather than spurious sightings. It wouldn't show up on a 
> data extraction so the researchers are safe. We're looking into it, and might 
> need to take this function down for a while.
> 
> All the best,
> James
> 
> 
> James O'Connor
> Head of Research
> BirdLife Australia
> 
>> On 8 May 2015, at 7:16 am, Carl Clifford <> wrote:
>> 
>> Not really. Even by taking in of the whole 111Km x 111Km square, there is no 
>> way that some of the species could be sighted there. Obviously, there are 
>> well meaning, but ornithologically deficient people out there who post to 
>> BirdData, sightings that are furphys. Pity, because the database is used for 
>> researchers, and junk data gives junk results, as we know from the first law 
>> of computing, GIGO.
>> 
>> Carl Clifford
>> 
>> 
>>> On 7 May 2015, at 5:58 pm, Peter Shute <> wrote:
>>> 
>>> According to http://birdata.com.au/help_lists.vm, it's displaying data for 
>>> the entire 1 degree x 1 degree grid cell that postcode falls within. How 
>>> far is that where you live? Does that explain the anomalies?
>>> 
>>> Peter Shute
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPad
>>> 
>>>> On 7 May 2015, at 4:56 pm, Carl Clifford <> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Out of idle curiosity, I typed my postcode (2263, on NSW Central Coast) 
>>>> into BirData, just to see what it would throw up. I am going to have to 
>>>> start looking a bit harder around my patch, as I have obviously been 
>>>> missing a few cracking birds. Some I have missed are; Red Junglefowl, 
>>>> Cotton Pygmy Goose, Baudin's Black Cockatoo, and Common Greenfinch, to 
>>>> name a few. Has anyone else on the list looked up their postcode in 
>>>> BirdData to see if there are any "ghost" species lurking?
>>>> 
>>>> Carl Clifford
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 
>> <HR>
>> <BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
>> <BR> 
>> <BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
>> <BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
>> </HR>

<HR>
<BR> Birding-Aus mailing list
<BR> 
<BR> To change settings or unsubscribe visit:
<BR> http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
</HR>

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Admin

The University of NSW School of Computer and Engineering takes no responsibility for the contents of this archive. It is purely a compilation of material sent by many people to the birding-aus mailing list. It has not been checked for accuracy nor its content verified in any way. If you wish to get material removed from the archive or have other queries about the archive e-mail Andrew Taylor at this address: andrewt@cse.unsw.EDU.AU