Comments on: The rainbird and the 2009 monsoon http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/ News and updates on bird migration in India Sun, 01 Aug 2010 10:02:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: D.S.Dhadwal http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-4927 D.S.Dhadwal Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:35:57 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-4927 It is very nice to have such an idea/vision to check the migration pattern and it will have far reaching results if reporting will be authentic/systematic and also other factors(local and micro) effect have to be taken care in analysing the arrival and departure of birds.I am working in international RAMSAR site,PONG-LAKE,H.P.for the last 7 years and observing pied cuckoo since 2003 around Pong-Lake.Pong-Lake is home of 1.50 lac water fowls during winter season.This time i will try to send the arrivla dates and departure dates of Pied cuckoo.The migratory birds have left Pong-Lake and only 150 Bar Headed Goose,8 Tufted Ducks, 5 Common Coots are in Pong Lake. It is very nice to have such an idea/vision to check the migration pattern and it will have far reaching results if reporting will be authentic/systematic and also other factors(local and micro) effect have to be taken care in analysing the arrival and departure of birds.I am working in international RAMSAR site,PONG-LAKE,H.P.for the last 7 years and observing pied cuckoo since 2003 around Pong-Lake.Pong-Lake is home of 1.50 lac water fowls during winter season.This time i will try to send the arrivla dates and departure dates of Pied cuckoo.The migratory birds have left Pong-Lake and only 150 Bar Headed Goose,8 Tufted Ducks, 5 Common Coots are in Pong Lake.

]]> By: D.S.Dhadwal http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-4926 D.S.Dhadwal Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:30:38 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-4926 It is very nice to have such an idea/vision to check the migration pattern and it will have far reaching results if reporting will be authentic/systematic and also other factors(local and micro) effect have to be taken care in analysing the arrival and departure of birds. It is very nice to have such an idea/vision to check the migration pattern and it will have far reaching results if reporting will be authentic/systematic and also other factors(local and micro) effect have to be taken care in analysing the arrival and departure of birds.

]]> By: Ravi Rajasingh http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-2289 Ravi Rajasingh Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:07:51 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-2289 This is my first blog here, I joined this site just yesterday after seeing the website in the sunday Hindu. I live in the foot hills of the Shevroys in Tamil nadu and saw my first pied cuckoo 17 yrs ago when it heralded the pre monsoon rains . The books say , its locally and internationally migrant. And there is a resident population too. The resident popultion is a silent forager of berries durng winter. The Pied crested Cuckoo, lays its sapphire coloured eggs in the nests of the common babbler ( 7 sisters) in June and after being weened , the young adults group togther when they are independant ( thats when they get noisy again ) and fly away in Nov. I see that, the emigration part isnt discussed here. It may be worth observing that also, do these birds fly back to East Africa ? Ravi This is my first blog here, I joined this site just yesterday after seeing the website in the sunday Hindu.

I live in the foot hills of the Shevroys in Tamil nadu and saw my first pied cuckoo 17 yrs ago when it heralded the pre monsoon rains .
The books say , its locally and internationally migrant. And there is a resident population too.
The resident popultion is a silent forager of berries durng winter.

The Pied crested Cuckoo, lays its sapphire coloured eggs in the nests of the common babbler ( 7 sisters) in June and after being weened , the young adults group togther when they are independant ( thats when they get noisy again ) and fly away in Nov.

I see that, the emigration part isnt discussed here. It may be worth observing that also, do these birds fly back to East Africa ?

Ravi

]]> By: Shyamal L. http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-2080 Shyamal L. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:45:22 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-2080 Hi Suhel, there was a second attempt I tried on that same site belonging to IBM http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/visualizations/monsoon-and-cuckoos Of course I realize that the data is far from good enough to do much, but I think part of the goal of such a system (which is not just about results but method as well) should be to inform contributors that the system can only be as good as the contributions allow it to be (just like Wikipedia) - and so another goal, <a href="http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss2/resp2/" rel="nofollow">should be to share the joy of scientific exploration and discovery and that is something that would be nice to see on the migrant watch system. Now that data access equity has been achieved, it would be great if the developers/maintainers of the system can be encouraged to set up a data analysis system in the style of ManyEyes - so as to make the methods of analysis available as well. Perhaps the <a href="http://mars.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/mediawiki/sk/index.php/R_Extension_for_MediaWiki" rel="nofollow">R plugin for mediawiki</a> (example <a href="http://mars.wiwi.hu-berlin.de/mediawiki/statwiki/index.php/Binomialverteilung" rel="nofollow">here</a>, which seems to have a glitch) is worth examining. Since users can then set up pages with their own ways of analysis of the data, the results of which are updated as data comes in. good luck Shyamal Hi Suhel, there was a second attempt I tried on that same site belonging to IBM
http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/visualizations/monsoon-and-cuckoos

Of course I realize that the data is far from good enough to do much, but I think part of the goal of such a system (which is not just about results but method as well) should be to inform contributors that the system can only be as good as the contributions allow it to be (just like Wikipedia) - and so another goal, should be to share the joy of scientific exploration and discovery and that is something that would be nice to see on the migrant watch system. Now that data access equity has been achieved, it would be great if the developers/maintainers of the system can be encouraged to set up a data analysis system in the style of ManyEyes - so as to make the methods of analysis available as well.

Perhaps the R plugin for mediawiki (example here, which seems to have a glitch) is worth examining. Since users can then set up pages with their own ways of analysis of the data, the results of which are updated as data comes in.

good luck
Shyamal

]]> By: Suhel Quader http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1867 Suhel Quader Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:24:25 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1867 Thanks, Shyamal. I submitted a comment on your ManyEyes page, but it doesn't seem to have gone through. Just wanted to suggest that it might make sense to "reverse code" the symbols so that earlier sighting dates are represented by larger symbols. Madhu -- thanks for your comments. Do use the MigrantWatch data for Greenish Warbler or any other species. Anyone is free to download and use this information! By the way, normal html does work --- I think you forgot the closing '/a' tag! Thanks, Shyamal. I submitted a comment on your ManyEyes page, but it doesn’t seem to have gone through. Just wanted to suggest that it might make sense to “reverse code” the symbols so that earlier sighting dates are represented by larger symbols.

Madhu — thanks for your comments. Do use the MigrantWatch data for Greenish Warbler or any other species. Anyone is free to download and use this information! By the way, normal html does work — I think you forgot the closing ‘/a’ tag!

]]> By: vinaya kumar thimmappa http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1735 vinaya kumar thimmappa Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:12:17 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1735 this is just superb... this is just superb…

]]> By: ketki http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1726 ketki Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:57:27 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1726 makes wonderful reading. you have really taken a lot of effort to make it simple. ketki makes wonderful reading.
you have really taken a lot of effort to make it simple.
ketki

]]> By: Uttara http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1723 Uttara Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:17:25 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1723 Dear Deepa and Karuna, just a quick clarification-– the data presented here are from the 2009 pre-monsoon and early monsoon period (May-June); only posted at the end of monsoon :-) . Yes, we are really looking forward to making this a yearly exercise and hope you will be able to join the 2010 campaign year (starting May 2010). General sightings will be good to collect through winter; we can use these to try and map the distribution of the resident population in southern India. Many thanks for your comments. Dear Deepa and Karuna, just a quick clarification-– the data presented here are from the 2009 pre-monsoon and early monsoon period (May-June); only posted at the end of monsoon :-) . Yes, we are really looking forward to making this a yearly exercise and hope you will be able to join the 2010 campaign year (starting May 2010). General sightings will be good to collect through winter; we can use these to try and map the distribution of the resident population in southern India. Many thanks for your comments.

]]> By: Deepa Mohan http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1717 Deepa Mohan Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:30:42 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1717 Another very *general* comment...when I saw bar-headed in several countries, earlier I would look and be content...now I come and check if the sightings have been reported on MW! :) Another very *general* comment…when I saw bar-headed in several countries, earlier I would look and be content…now I come and check if the sightings have been reported on MW! :)

]]> By: Deepa Mohan http://migrantwatch.in/blog/2009/10/06/the-rainbird-and-the-2009-monsoon/comment-page-1/#comment-1716 Deepa Mohan Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:29:16 +0000 http://migrantwatch.in/blog/?p=277#comment-1716 I too feel that since the 2009 summer monsoon is nearly over, perhaps data from the pre-monsoon period next year, as well as data from non-Indian sources, should be included before attempting to make a picture. But...what a fantastic effort. I think it's slowly snowballing and will gain even more credibility as the database widens. One of the great problems we Indians have is that we are NOT used to recording data...."karNa paramparA" seems to be our way, the level of accuracy being remarkable when one realizes how unreliable a method it is...but like the whispering game, one does not know what is accurate and what is not. In this sense, having a recording program like MW is a pioneering effort, and it will take a while for everyone to get into the habit of reporting the sightings....certainly some of the birding egroups are propogating this message now. Thank you for a most interesting read! Obviously, since I am very ignorant of any but the sketchiest outlines, my comments cannot be anything but very general. :) I too feel that since the 2009 summer monsoon is nearly over, perhaps data from the pre-monsoon period next year, as well as data from non-Indian sources, should be included before attempting to make a picture.

But…what a fantastic effort. I think it’s slowly snowballing and will gain even more credibility as the database widens.

One of the great problems we Indians have is that we are NOT used to recording data….”karNa paramparA” seems to be our way, the level of accuracy being remarkable when one realizes how unreliable a method it is…but like the whispering game, one does not know what is accurate and what is not. In this sense, having a recording program like MW is a pioneering effort, and it will take a while for everyone to get into the habit of reporting the sightings….certainly some of the birding egroups are propogating this message now.

Thank you for a most interesting read! Obviously, since I am very ignorant of any but the sketchiest outlines, my comments cannot be anything but very general. :)

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