The Demise of Birding Software (1 Viewer)

[njlarsen]

I know I am late the party, but there is also always Excel. I've always just use that program to write up my lifelists and equivalent lists. Yes, it won't update automatically with each checklist update so requires more hands-on maintenance to manage, but it also give you total freedom on formatting, organization, and taxonomic decisions, and the tabs option allows multiple different list types to be stored in the same file. Then again I find tweaking and editing of my life list files strangely comforting, so maybe I am a poor person to get an opinion from!

What I would be missing with this option (at least as I once implemented it) is the ability to return to each individual outing. If one is only interested in summary tables, then no problem using excel.
Niels

 

[awiner]

What I would be missing with this option (at least as I once implemented it) is the ability to return to each individual outing. If one is only interested in summary tables, then no problem using excel.
Niels

If you have good record keeping elsewhere (full paper checklists for reference), then it's fine, but a basic "check off my lifers" approach breaks down with some a lot of the splits these days. E.g. seeing Rufous Antpitta in Peru or Oriental White-eye "a few times in Asia", leaves you pretty much SOL...

I've got a few ancient records of my own that are unrecoverable, so "record every sighting everywhere you go, all the time" is my recommended approach.

 

[JakeM]

Yeah, that's why I built Scythebill - I wanted software that worked on the desktop, no dependency on an external provider.

Hoping that Scythebill isn't what you're describing as "ugly" or "painful to navigate" - it's not flashy software, but I literally designed it so a self-proclaimed computer illiterate (not going to name them here!) could use it.

Let me add a huge thank you to for Scythebill ! I have been using it for a number of years. Highly recommended.

 

[Owene]

I use birdjournal and am very happy with it but find having some checklists installed causes it to crash. Reptiles of the world especially makes it unworkable.

 

[Blincodave]

I have used Bird Journal for years. It is a great piece of software.

 

[Richard G]

Yeah, that's why I built Scythebill - I wanted software that worked on the desktop, no dependency on an external provider.

Hoping that Scythebill isn't what you're describing as "ugly" or "painful to navigate" - it's not flashy software, but I literally designed it so a self-proclaimed computer illiterate (not going to name them here!) could use it.

Another thanks from me for Sythebill - only discovered it earlier in 2021 when I had a catastrophic computer failure & lost my records on SWIFT and needed something easier to use. For my listing it is perfect.

 

[PeterBird]

I mostly use Bird Journal, entering my sightings in the field,( and I love it ) but every few weeks I export them to Scythebill, both as a backup and for the extensive report options. Beautiful software!

 

[Stuart Goodwin]

I mostly use Bird Journal, entering my sightings in the field,( and I love it ) but every few weeks I export them to Scythebill, both as a backup and for the extensive report options. Beautiful software!

Evening.

How easy do you find transferring data from BirdJournal to Scythebill?

Thank you in advance.

Regards

 

[Scridifer]

Evening.

How easy do you find transferring data from BirdJournal to Scythebill?

Thank you in advance.

Regards

I managed it okay and am a total luddite when it comes to IT!

Chris

 

[Cettia]

Hi:
I have just start using phone apps (only ebird so far) for some of my observation. I see there are quite a few options, but I am a completely newbie, and I wonder if any app would allow to record the Lon-lat of any record added to a list (eBird would place all the records of a list on the same place).

Thanks in advance and have a great 2022!!

 

[RichardBaatsen]

I do not like most of the web based recording software. I ended up writing my own data-base which based on "easy to use" and interfaced with a cheap bit of mapping software. The fact that I created it myself means that it be changed and modified as I needs change. The one thing that complicates all recording systems, is every record has to be linked to a site. So there is a lot of effect needed, to load these and to get things working sweet. I could load records and come back to the sites at a later date. Which makes load simple. The ability to use short names is also good ie LRP (Little ringed plover) and LSW Lesser spotted Woodpecker. Having target lists for regions and also dip analysis - the customizing is where ever your imagination takes you. Creating seasonal graphs and annual occupancies etc . The ability to import and export is needed to allow simple record submissions to various organisation - these can be formatted to allow simple uploads.

I have a suit of validation checks which can be run.
Simple things like not allowing future dates.
My d-base runs on MS Access which be purchased as part of MS office professional (£30 amazon)

Back up files on the cloud - off site.

 

[LittleBitOfBreadNoCheese]

Hi:
I have just start using phone apps (only ebird so far) for some of my observation. I see there are quite a few options, but I am a completely newbie, and I wonder if any app would allow to record the Lon-lat of any record added to a list (eBird would place all the records of a list on the same place).

Thanks in advance and have a great 2022!!

BirdTrack under optional details lets you key in lat and long etc of a specific record on top of the overall visit location, see

Optional details

A very handy feature in BirdTrack is the facility to record much more detail about the birds you see without having to enter large amounts of text in the comments box. To access the 'Optional details' submenus, simply click on the at the end of the row in a species entry to open the 'Optional...

www.bto.org

It is on the app if you click the little arrow on the right of the record.

 

[Cettia]

BirdTrack under optional details lets you key in lat and long etc of a specific record on top of the overall visit location, see

Optional details

A very handy feature in BirdTrack is the facility to record much more detail about the birds you see without having to enter large amounts of text in the comments box. To access the 'Optional details' submenus, simply click on the at the end of the row in a species entry to open the 'Optional...

www.bto.org

It is on the app if you click the little arrow on the right of the record.

Thank you very much. Not only for bringing a solution close to perfect (it could only be improved by hiring myself an app engineer to make it at order), but also for making me going down the street to the pub for a pint with the (self) excuse of rapid testing .

 

[RichardBaatsen]

I would be great to collect all the wants that very one has and write a spec based on that and then get someone to create / write it.
It would need to be supported by someone.

As birders we are all different. Some are local birders, some are out and out twitchers, others bird the WP or the world.
Some people are very details recording down to the exact bush and other by a mega site (ie Portland) others what the see that day.
To accommodate all of these is all most impossible.

Richard Baatsen

 

[RichardBaatsen]

I created my own dbase on MS Access but that will not help you if you are on a Mac.
I would be happy to share. (and develop more features)

 

[bittern]

I guess this has been going on for awhile, but I just now discovered that it seems as if most of the birding software out there, especially for the Mac desktop, has disappeared. Either the creator has died, or the web site is gone, or the software has been discontinued, or - for the few remaining, the interface appears to have been designed before the turn of the century. If it exists, it's ugly and/or very painful to navigate.

I guess that helps me narrow things down. Basically I will end up using either eBird or iNaturalist. Or maybe both. My desire to keep my own records on my own hard drive that I can access without an internet connection is evidently no longer realistic.

I hold out hope that I have missed some rare app, but I know that's just a pipe dream...

I am using Wildlife Recorder, currently at V4. It never seems to get much in the way of mentions here but I find it very effective and started using well over 20 years ago. It copes with all the world's birds and can easily be set to whichever is your prefered taxonomy it also updates whenever there are taxonomical changes. It runs on Windows but I am not sure whether there is also an IOS version. Info here: Wildlife Recorder - Wildlife and Birding Software

 

[Ms.Townsley]

Yeah, that's why I built Scythebill - I wanted software that worked on the desktop, no dependency on an external provider.

Hoping that Scythebill isn't what you're describing as "ugly" or "painful to navigate" - it's not flashy software, but I literally designed it so a self-proclaimed computer illiterate (not going to name them here!) could use it.

Are there any videos describing its use?

 

[KC Foggin]

Are there any videos describing its use?

Just going to jump in here to say:
Hi there and a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum
We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like.

 

[njlarsen]

Are there any videos describing its use?

AWiner was very willing to help me when I jumped in. I have not missed having videos explaining how.
Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

Hi:
I have just start using phone apps (only ebird so far) for some of my observation. I see there are quite a few options, but I am a completely newbie, and I wonder if any app would allow to record the Lon-lat of any record added to a list (eBird would place all the records of a list on the same place).

Thanks in advance and have a great 2022!!

Not quite what you're asking but perhaps helpful: ebird will record the track of your whole trip (default behaviour). I don't understand why you can't download this from the website (you can download lists of species seen). However, with a bit of jiggery-pokery, it's possible to recover the track from your phone.

If you take photos and your camera doesn't have gps, you can use this track or one generated by a dedicated app to geocode your photos