March program meeting

Join us as our own Mark Nolen presents “Exploring the Birds Around Us:  Tips and Tricks for Using eBird to Enhance your Birding Experience.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird has revolutionized the way that many of us keep lists of birds. It has even changed how some of us go about looking for birds and structure our bird trips. Have you ever wondered if you’re using eBird the right way? Well, there are as many ways that this platform can be used as there are types and levels of birdwatching! For example, we can find out when ruby-throated hummingbirds are expected to return to Kansas or when dark-eyed juncos are expected to leave. We could explore which counties in Kansas offer the best chance at seeing a large diversity of birds or plan a trip to Arizona to maximize finding birds at the best hotspots. Mark will give us an introduction on how to use eBird, from the basics to the more advanced topics, including making a checklist, sharing a checklist, compiling a trip report, adding photos and audio recordings, finding target bird species, and more. While the purpose of eBird for the lab of ornithology is citizen science, its features make gathering data fun! Whether you are an advanced user, a researcher, a daily dabbler, or a complete newbie to eBird, this useful platform will have something for you. Mark will also discuss using eBird for help with bird ID, how to download data from eBird, how to check for rare birds in your area, and how Merlin (Cornell Lab’s sound ID app) and eBird work together (or sometimes why they do not play well together). While technology is ever present in our lives, the best birding experiences are to be had in-person with friends, so please join us to talk about eBird and share your experiences!

Mark Nolen is a Biology Professor at Hutchinson Community College. He received a PhD in Biology from Purdue University where he studied the behaviors of Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice, and white-breasted nuthatches. As a teacher, Mark especially enjoys helping his students learn about evolution and biodiversity. As a birder, he has become particularly interested in challenging bird ID problems including gulls and Empidonax flycatchers. Mark grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he began birdwatching and kept daily records of every bird he saw during the mid-90s, often birding with his dad and brother. He is currently on the board of Wichita Audubon Society as Vice President and serves on the Kansas Bird Records Committee. Mark lives in the Riverside neighborhood of Wichita with his partner, Christie. When not bird watching he enjoys hiking, jogging, gardening, photographing insects, and other bird-adjacent pursuits.

The program will be on Tuesday, March17, 7 pm, at the Great Plains Nature Center. If you can’t attend in person, a recording will be on Youtube the next day.