The Sightings Log is essentially the list of birds that was seen at that particular location on that specific day. To enter sightings, begin typing quantities and common names (or band codes) in the sightings log. The row with the asterisk (*) beside it is the "new row" - just start typing in it to add birds to the list. To delete a row, right-click on the row (in any column OTHER than the common name column) and choose the delete option from the context menu that appears (see the Delete a Sighting topic for more information).
The "Quantity" field is for the number of birds that were seen at that particular location.
In the "Common Name" field, you can type either the common name, the latin name, or the band code. The latin name and band code will automatically be converted to the common name when you hit enter or leave the field.
The Latin Name field is an automatic lookup - it can't be edited directly.
The "Sensitive Entry" field should normally be left unchecked. If it is checked, the sighting won't be displayed in the internet-based database. This is useful for rare or sensitive birds.
The "Record Type" field allows you to choose either "RS - Regular Sighting" (the default that means "just a regular sighting"), or to choose one of the breeding bird atlas record types.
The "Bird Comments" and "Habitat Description" are free-form fields for additional information to be entered and are optional.
The "Product" field is read-only and is used by the software to determine which database is being used (either the bird log or the dragonfly log).
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On the right-hand side of the screen in the sightings editor is the Bird List. Although entering birds using band codes is the quickest way to enter sightings, you can also enter the common name or the scientific name in the bird log. When doing it this way, the bird list will dynamically update to match the first few letters of the common name. You can then double-click the bird in the bird list to quickly add it to the sightings log. |
