Record Keeping

Date: Wed, 09 Jan 2002 23:35:45 -0800
From: Linda Violett lviolett"at"earthlink.net
Subject: Record Keeping

Linda Violett, Yorba Linda, Calif.

My area is still a few months away from nest/egg activity and if there are sparrow problems, it starts around April. So we are still a few months away from HOSP/bluebird battles.

But, during this slow period, it might be helpful to swap log-keeping tips:

I keep current log sheets in 3-ring binders with one log sheet per site. Facing that current log sheet is last year's notes of that site in a sheet protector. Problems are marked with an orange highlighter while fledges and successes are marked with yellow. The ready reference of last year's log sheet alongside the current log sheet is often helpful in anticipating problems (ants, etc.) and timing.

Then, at the end of each season, old logs are retired to a "Historical" binder (again, filed by site). During the winter, it is fun to pull down the historical binder and flip through several years of site logs.  Since logs are marked with orange/yellow highlights, patterns of problems and successes at each location are easy to spot when several years are looked at together.

Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2002 05:49:34 -0600
From: "Keith & Sandy Kridler" kridler"at"1starnet.com
Subject: Re: Record Keeping

I use 5"x7" index cards that are punched to be inserted in a warehouse type ring binder. The heavy cards hold up better to rough treatment and the binder will hold over 400 cards. I normally do not check every box that often and just add to the same card each year until it is filled. I use my own form of abbreviations to keep it to 1/2 of one line. I use an automatic date stamp to stamp the date of monitoring for each visit. I am seriously thinking about going to a lap top for this year and just need to decide on a format. KK ....

Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 03:53:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tony Berg w1vah"at"yahoo.com
Subject: Trail monitors' abbreviations

When monitoring my trail, I record the contents of each nestbox on a 3"x5" card. To save space, and for fun, I use the following abbreviations:

BON: bird on nest
BWON: bird was on nest
C: chick(s)
CO: cleaned out
E: egg(s)
N: nest
SON: start of nest

I just wondered if anyone else does the same.

Tony Berg, Williamsburg, VA

From: "Mary Beth Roen" mbroen"at"hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Trail monitors' abbreviations
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 12:22:29 -0500

Tony and all,

I use a little field booklet I get from the Bluebird Recovery Program of MN that is pocket sized and has a page each, for about 24 nest boxes. I can make monitoring notes in it all summer. I have all the boxes' information together in one place for easy reference. They only charge 50 cents for these booklets. If you or anyone is interested, let me know and I can give you the address to order some. I do have my own abbreviaton system that works for me. Probably most monitors do.

Mary Roen, River Falls, WI

From: "Mary Beth Roen" mbroen"at"hotmail.com
Subject: Nestbox data booklets
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 15:43:02 -0500

Evelyn and all,

I was wrong on the price of the nest box data booklets. They are 2/$1.50. You can order them by contacting:

BBRP of Minnesota
P.O. Box 3801
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Or you can email Dorene Scriven at: scriv001"at"tc.umn.edu

Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2003 22:04:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: Daniel Sparks b4bluebirds"at"yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Trail monitors' abbreviations

Tony,
I use Y for young
D for discard
P for partial
I put a # in parenthesis after Y to indicate the age of the chick. This is very important in helping me to know what to expect the next time that I monitor.
Dan Sparks
Nashville, IN

...

From: crystal hill, crystaljhill"at"msn.com
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 2:43 PM
Subject: EABB Nesting Schedule

Hi, I am hoping that someone can help me, last year I downloaded PDF a bluebird nesting schedule form, that you could fill in with dates as to when nest was built etc........ I have lost the form and would like to have for this year. Thank you

From: Haleya Priest, mablue"at"gis.net
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: EABB Nesting Schedule

Haleya Priest Amherst MA

Our state affiliate group has a nest box report form that works well. You can find it and print it out from:
http://www.massbluebird.org

Pauline Tom President Texas Bluebird Society

From: Sherry [mailto:basketcasesherry"at"verizon.net]
Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2005 8:29 PM
Subject: novice question

You all will probably sigh and roll your eyes at this one, but I need to know the procedure for reporting the activity of my two BB boxes. Will Cornell even want such a small project? Thank you for your help, and your patience.

Sherry Kanaras
Perryville, Maryland

From: mrtony8 [mailto:philip.berry"at"mchsi.com]
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 6:38 AM
Subject: Re: novice question

Cornell should be happy to have your info. Go to their website and register to enter your data.
Phil Berry

Hi Tina - Maybe this has been done before, or maybe someone already decided it wasn't a good idea,
or it's too totally pie in the sky, but here goes...

Has The Birdhouse Network (TBN) considered developing and providing a "shareware" simple program
that people could use to track their monitoring data (box by box) on their own computers, print out
a simple report for them with their own results (that they could also give to their local bluebird
societies), and also have it be uploadable to the TBN database?

Couldn't some braniac Cornell intern develop this? It would be nice if it also tracked the data NABS
collects....

Bet the Dreamer from CT

Hi Bet,

Thanks for your question, which we have pondered here at the Lab for several years. Mostly it comes down to striking a balance between ease of data entry and ensuring consistent data quality. From the standpoint of software development, it is far easier for us to deploy web-based tools to perform the tasks you mention, rather than create stand-alone programs that run on individual computers. Stand-alone software requires distributing media or downloads, distributing revisions, worrying about Mac vs. Windows installations, and many more issues. Web-based applications allow us to deploy improvements and fixes at the same time to all users, keep all data in sync with the primary database, track use by participants, and most importantly show your data in context with all other users.

This is not to say that what you suggest is out of the question, it is just not in the scope of what the Lab can do currently given our staff and financial constraints.

I hope that helps answer your question.

Tina Phillips

Tina already answered as to why CLO and TBN prefer on-line data input. The reasoning is sound. CLO citizen science projects and the CLO IT staff are probably more skilled at data collection and processing than any other group in the world.

> Couldn't some braniac Cornell intern develop this? It would be nice if it also tracked the data NABS collects....

Other than making it uploadable to TBN, your suggestion is practical. A spreadsheet program exists for monitoring Purple Martin colonies.
It will print out the data requested by the Purple Martin Conservation Association (PMCA) in the format that they prefer. See http://cipma.zionsvilleswimclub.org/download.htm
The 'Electronic Purple Martin Prognosticator' is great even for me even though my colony is still small and young.

Automation is helpful if the program is done well. You can see comparisons with previous years at a glance. During the nesting season, the spreadsheet calculates probable hatching dates if you know the day the first egg was laid and fledging dates if you put the hatch date in.
The program doesn't save any time since I keep all my paper-and-pencil notes, too. It does help with comparisons and summaries over time as the volume of paper grows.

For someone with a background and/or training in Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice Calc, a similar spreadsheet program could be created for Bluebirds or for all cavity nesting birds. It's not really that difficult but such a program is extremely time-consuming to develop and debug. Perhaps someone on the list can devote next winter to this?

Take care,

R J 'Tree' Greenwood
Catlett VA

Thanks Tree, I like the idea of Excel as it is commonly used, and not as hard to learn as things like Dbase. I just would really like something I can use on my OWN computer, on a daily basis, to generate a log and my own reports at the end of the year. I maintain a word table that is a pain.

I downloaded the Prognasticator spreadsheet - it is almost identical to what I was looking for!
Wow, there is even a formula for projected hatch date! There are some things I'd like to see added (lat and long, species). Cool graph generation capabilities too.

Think there is any chance we can convince Roger Lee to do a bluebird version if we're really really nice to him and not too demanding?

It would be wonderful of NABS or TBN to sponsor something like this on their website hint hint.

Bet from CT

From: bluebirdsnbirdfeeders"at"gmail.com [mailto:bluebirdsnbirdfeeders"at"gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 11:26 AM
Subject: Re: Automated spreadsheet for monitoring data

Microsoft Excel can do a lot more than most people think. It is just a matter of knowing it. I don't know it very well, but have worked with people that do, and they have created some very neat databases. As was mentioned earlier, when you start making your own programs you run into a lot of problems. It is then preferable to use a program like Excel.
A penny for your thoughts.

...
Daniel Smoker
1728 W Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522

From: Kenny Kleinpeter [mailto:kpkmajk"at"cox.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 6:57 AM
Subject: RE: Automated spreadsheet for monitoring data

Hi, Daniel. I currently use Excel but have been frequently told by IT people that MS Access is a much more appropriate program for data collection. Excel is primarily a “numbers” program (as in accounting functions) but it is very easy to work with. For data collection and unlimited ways to organize or “work” the data, Access is the way to go but it has a much higher learning curve, initially. Now that I monitor hundreds of nestboxes and dozens of martin houses, it might be time for me to take the “leap of faith.”

Kenny
Baton Rouge

[Note from webmaster: see related thread continuation under TBN.]

From: F Lovelett [mailto:flovelett"at"verizon.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 12:23 PM
Subject: RE: Automated spreadsheet for monitoring data

Hi Daniel and Kenny,

I have used both Excel and MS Access to create simple databases for many years to manage art material inventories in my studio. While it is true that Access has a more powerful set of tools for managing data, it is not a user-friendly program and is not included in the basic MS Office suite. I would not recommend Access for general data collection; it is easier for non-IT types to use Excel.

Excel creates a “flat” 2-dimensional data table: each record (row) must have the same number of fields (columns). Excel is appropriate/efficient for data that is much the same from record to record. A spreadsheet becomes unwieldy when records might include long text fields or image data and/or when there are hundreds of records.

Access creates a 3-dimensional database made up of more than one data table. It is possible for the user to manipulate and view slices of data re-arranged in novel ways. Any individual record may/may not include certain fields (such as long notes, images or detailed numerical data).

Although Excel can support many sophisticated automated functions (from simple calculations to running an external BASIC program) these additions are not necessary to use the program. An MS Access user MUST at least design a simple (no programming required) interface and define the data tables. More sophisticated database applications require considerable programming.

It is extremely simple to import Excel files into a MS Access database at any time. I prefer to use Excel to enter a group of 50-100 new records and then import the data into Access. Without a full-blown (programmed) Access interface, I find it easier to cut, paste, copy and edit the initial data in Excel.

While most IT professionals would scoff at this inelegant system, it is very flexible and easy to trouble-shoot. One must remember that the purpose (in part) of any database’s interface is to isolate (and protect) the data from the user. Certain user operations that are simple to perform in a spreadsheet are intentionally more difficult to accomplish in any true database application.

Hope this helps. Please feel free to email me off the list,

Felicia Lovelett
Sykesville, MD

From: Kenny Kleinpeter [mailto:kpkmajk"at"cox.net]
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 3:16 PM
Subject: RE: Automated spreadsheet for monitoring data

That’s some great information, Felicia! Please take a look at my records from last year and see if you can see anything I’m doing right or wrong. Since I have Access 2000, I’ll try to import it and see what happens to it and then, start playing with Access to get the feel of it.

Since attachments don’t make it through the list, anyone who would like a copy of my Excel bluebird, purple martin or wood duck records can contact me off list.

Yours,

Kenny
Baton Rouge, LA

Last year I designed and posted a series of nesting season reports, the full results of which can be found at

This year, in an effort to simplify, I'm trying to break the reports down into smaller pieces - each report asking for only one or two pieces of information. This will eliminate the problem of folks having only some of the information they need when they go to fill out the report.
As the season progresses, I'll add new reports for additional activity.

To begin with, I've created three quick and easy reports -

First sighting: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=787531855071

First nestbuilding: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=310921855074

First Egg: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=609981855067

As you observe these activities in your area, please go to the appropriate report and fill in the dates for these events, and your location (city, state, zip).

No personal information will be collected in the taking of these reports.

Cher
www.BluebirdNut.com - Bluebird Awareness and education & Home of the Bluebird Nut Mealworm Feeder www.BluebirdNutCafe.com - Bluebird Discussion Group

http://www.bluebirdnut.com/survey_results_4.htm

Roger received an email from Bet Zimmerman asking about the electronic purple martin prognosticator.

I received this from Roger today:

"By the way, the EPMP (electronic purple martin prognosticator) is about to morph into the EBBP (electronic bluebird prognosticator)."

Roger is a member of our Central Indiana Purple Martin Asso. and has been a
valuable member to us. He took over the Mayflower Martins and did an
outstanding job there.

The Mayflower Martins is a wonderful story and can be read on the CIPMA web site. See web address below:

CIPMA: http://www.cipma.zionsvilleswimclub.org/.

Dottie, Hickory Hollow
Brown County, Indiana

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 5:10 PM
Subject: Update - a bluebird prognosticator

A week ago I posted about my dreams of a better system to track activity on my trails. Tree told me about Roger Lee's PUMA Prognosticator (http://www.cipma.zionsvilleswimclub.org/download.htm) for purple martin landlords. I checked it out and was very impressed - it was so close to what I had been thinking of! So I contacted Roger Lee, the developer, and was amazed that he got back to me right away and expressed interest in a bluebirdy version.

Tina Phillips inquired about the purpose of such a system for bluebird trails, and whether it duplicated what TBN was doing. In my mind, it would be as follows:

1. to help monitors track their own nestbox data in real time (productivity, when they can expect eggs to hatch, when to stop checking box to prevent premature fledging, etc.) for their own use, on their own personal computers, on a regular basis. Right now I track my info in a word table, or in a notebook, which is very cumbersome.

2. Able to print out a pre-populated sheet(s) that monitors could bring along with them to record data in field.

3. have the ability to generate summary data (and trends) for monitor's own use, so they can see how they are doing, think about what it means, and act on that information.

4. have the ability to generate summary reports to share with state bluebird societies or other monitors (e.g., on the Bluebird_Listser). Right now I do all my number crunching manually (oh the pain and time lag).

5. maybe some day (in fantasy land?) be able to generate data that can be uploaded to Cornell TBNs or NABS TBTs databases (by generating a .txt file or something similar that can go into an Access or Dbase file, etc.) At a minimum, a tool like this can help ensure we CAPTURE the info that TBN or NABS wants, and be on hand when entering data. A lot of times I forget some of the items, because I only enter TBN data once a year.

6. be available to anyone for their own use, at no cost. Downloadable off the Internet.

7. be easy to use and not overwhelming, with optional tracking of 'extra' info.

To come up with some specifications for what would go INTO a system like this, I looked at:

- Cornell's The Birdhouse Network, which is a very useful database for scientific purposes. After paying a nominal fee, monitors can enter data, nestbox by nestbox. Most people do this at the end of the season.
- NABS online system also, called The Bluebird Trail (TBT), which is currently in the process of being reborn (its offline right now). Also usually done at the end of the season, summarizing trail results.

I also looked at monitoring forms for some of the State bluebirds societies (the ones that I found online anyway.)

What I came up with as the MAXIMUM set of information that could be tracked is at http://www.sialis.org/prognosticator.htm. The list includes information on the following: (Roger - this has been updated from what I sent you earlier.)
• Trail - who monitors it, where it is located, type of habitat, etc.
• Nestbox Info – relatively stable info about the box, such as style, predator protection, etc.
• Species Info - types of species using the box
• Nesting Results - eggs, chicks, fledging, etc.
• Instructions - on how to use the spreadsheet, codes etc.
• Summary statistics and graphs

At this point I'm looking for input.
• Is anything missing?
• Is this something that you (as a monitor or a bluebird society) would actually use?
• Do we need to pare it down to make it more manageable? Either for beta testing or long term use?
• Would you be willing to beta test it?

Looking forward to your input, which I will track on that same webpage! And thank goodness for someone like Roger Lee!

Bet Zimmerman from CT

From: David Gwin [mailto:David.Gwin"at"cityofcarrollton.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 5:38 PM
Subject: RE: Update - a bluebird prognosticator

Hi, Bet:

I think this looks great and I would definitely be willing to beta test the system. Also, I can already think of few additions, but if we can just get a good base system up and running ... I think it would be valuable for many of us. Just let me know what you need from me.

Thanks for staying after this for us,
David

Bet, I'll send you an Excel sheet I use. It used to have room to keep all data from the season on the sheet and auto calcs for season totals and averages were included. But it became more important for me to be able to see the active snapshot of trail at a glance with detailed current *needs* of each nestbox, so I omitted the historical (fledged) data from the working trail sheets.

It now has Box Name, Status/comments, date last checked, nest, #eggs, #young, estimated first egg. Then the rest of the row data is automatic for expected hatch (uses est. date of first egg + number of eggs + 14 days incubation) and "Closed" date (using previous estimated hatch date + 14 days) and expected fledge date (estimated hatch date + 21 days). There is plenty of space for comments.

One row of data/space is provided for each nestbox (landscape on legal size paper)
My trail requires two legal sheets which I tape together and take with me on the trail.
When I return to the truck between locations, brief notes are entered into the "real" notes in a binder.
During the evening after a trail check, data changes are made on the computer sheets.
Boxes needing special attention are yellow-highlighted for the next monitoring trip.

If chicks are in trouble/abandoned, all I have to do is scan the sheet for similar hatch dates for fostering.
If a parent is lost/missing, there is space on the sheet to mark for "mealworm" help.

When an attempt is finished (fledged or failed) it is cleared from the sheet and uploaded to Cornell. My wish list is that Cornell would enable each user to segregate their own data for individual averages/totals.

Linda Violett
Yorba Linda, Calif.

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Friday, April 21, 2006 2:09 PM
Subject: Bluebird Prognosticator ready for Beta Testing!

As you may recall, the Kind and Generous Roger Lee agreed to work with us to develop an automated
program to track bluebird trail monitoring data, based on the Purple Martin Prognosticator. The
Beta version is now ready for your testing and feedback! Because of the complexities of nesting
timetables for various species, the initial version is set up for EABL, MOBL, WEBL and TRES. There
are linked files that can track lots of nestbox specific info (style, hole size, location etc.)

You can download the excel files at this link: http://www.sialis.org/prog.htm

If you have forgotten by now what the purpose of this program is (mind like a steel sieve?),
background information is found here: http://www.sialis.org/prognosticator.htm with an excerpt
below.

I think this could really be a nifty and useful tool, but at this point it really needs to be
tested.

Thanks, and I am really looking forward to seeing some of you at the NABS conference next week. (On
the other hand, my husband is hoping there will be plenty of "tasty beverages" available, as he is
not sure he will be able to handle that much concentrated bluebird blather :-)

Bet from CT

***

GOALS FOR SYSTEM - are we reinventing the wheel? I don't think so. The goal of this tool would be
to:

. help monitors track their own nestbox data in real time (productivity, when they can expect eggs
to hatch, when to stop checking box to prevent premature fledging, which boxes have predator
problems, averages and totals, etc.) for their own use, on their own personal computers, on a
regular basis. Right now I track my info in a word table, or in a notebook, which is very
cumbersome.

. Able to print out a pre-populated sheet(s) that monitors could bring along with them to record
data in field.

. have the ability to generate summary data (and trends) for monitor's own use, so they can see how
they are doing, think about what it means, and act on that information.

. have the ability to generate summary reports to share with state bluebird societies or other
monitors (e.g., on the Bluebird_Listser). Right now I do all my number crunching manually (oh the
pain and time lag).

. (O) maybe some day (in fantasy land?) have a program that will generate data that can be uploaded
to Cornell The Bluebird Network (TBN) or NABS Transcontinental Bluebird Trail (TBT) databases (by
generating a .txt file or something similar that can go into an Access or Dbase file, etc.) and
maybe something that can interface with a Palm Pilot (to avoid entering data twice). At a minimum, a
tool like this can help ensure we CAPTURE the info that TBN or NABS wants. You can have it on hand
when entering data into the online database. A lot of times I forget some of the items, because I
only enter TBN data once a year.

. be available to anyone for their own use, at no cost. Downloadable off the Internet.

. be easy to use and not overwhelming, with optional tracking of 'extra' info.

From: Bet Zimmerman [mailto:ezdz"at"charter.net]
Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2006 10:51 AM
To: BLUEBIRD-L"at"cornell.edu
Cc: lee.roger.d"at"gmail.com
Subject: FW: Bluebird Prognosticator Beta 1.3

Version Beta 1.3 of the Bluebird Prognosticator (automated Excel spreadsheet for tracking monitoring and nestbox data) is now available for download at http://www.sialis.org/prog.htm for your testing pleasure!

Please get feedback to Roger lee.roger.d"at"gmail.com so we can have this in full blast mode for the next nesting season. Thanks!

Bet from CT

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