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Posted by Bill Pranty on 12:53:49 01/14/08
In Reply to: Re: 360 Greater Flamingo Dade County CBC posted by Vince Lucas
Hi Vince et al.,
In my annual letter to CBC compilers in Florida (current year's letter is posted to http://www.fosbirds.org/events/Letter%20to%20Compilers%202007-12-13.htm), I stress that compilers should include all species observed outside of captivity during their count -- we can't learn about species that we ignore. I also stress an Audubon rule -- which I agree with -- that only "AOU-legal" species can be include in the Species Total.
I wish that Audubon did not allow CBC data from the current season to be visible to the world UNTIL AFTER the data have been edited. There is a universe of people out there who appear to be completely unaware that there is an editing process to the CBC database. If I had a dollar for every Audubon chapter website that presented the "raw" (i.e., unedited) CBC data as the "final" product, well, I'd have at least several dozens dollars in my pocket. Having the raw CBC data available for public perusal on Audubon's website certainly doesn't help the situation.
So far this year I have edited only 4 CBCs (2 of them my own!) in Florida, and Dade County is not one of them.
I will presume that as a competent compiler Brian did not "count" in the Species Total box the Greater Flamingos listed on the Dade County CBC, but he did properly include them in the CBC results.
Best regards,
Bill Pranty
Bayonet Point, Florida
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