Hi! Jeff,

Last question for today! I have been reentering sightings for an Alaskan trip in 2004 (hence previous posting). When I print my Alaska Life List, the first four records are for 08/20/2001 (when I was in Grand Manan, NB).  It gets stranger-3 of the 4 species should be on the Alaskan list but aren't. When I check in the Edit window, they have been entered.

The extreme cold better end soon-so I can bird instead of reentering data!

Thanks again!

Jean

Hi! Kevin,

Thanks for the reply. I am using ABA-2007 with subspecies. The first 4 species on the printed list are fairly common: Bald Eagle, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, and Common Eider. The last three were seen early in the trip, are seen in the edit window for the correct day and location, but do not appear on the state life list.

All four entries have the same date 08/20/01 but the Alaska trip was from 06/30/04 to 07/15/04.  I have had a problem in the past with some sightings "migrating" to a different location namely Aliso Park in CA when they were actually seen in different states.

Best,

Jean

Hi Jean,

I need to know all of your exact settings for the Life List report. A screen shot would be best, else simply list all of your settings.

Actually, the tax list doesn't matter much here and the checklist data isn't even a factor.

The life list report simply counts the first sightings (regardless of checklist data) of each species of a tax list found at the specified location (for the specified observer) or sub-location.

Where you seem to have a Nebraska sighting showing up on a Life List report, where you specified Alaska for the location, I would suspect that somehow you have made Nebraska (or the exact location of the specific sighting) a descendent of Alaska somewhere in the location hierarchy. So my suggestion would be to examine the location heirarchy of the location in question and see if it doesn't indeed track back up to Alaska.

First things first - let's make sure we don't have some location performance table corruption. To refresh this table do this:

1. Open the Locations window
2. Add a new location "TESTABC" and make World its parent.
3. Close the location window, this forces a rebuild of the performance table.
4. Re-run your life list report. If this fixes it, then that was the problem. If not, then at least we know the performance table is in good shape.

Now, if you are not seeing some sightings show up (e.g. sighting for bird A on date B at location C) that you expect, then the solution is one of the following:

• Another sighting for bird A under location C occurs earlier than date B - look for bird A on your life list report earlier
• location C is not a descendent of the location your specified for your report
• the taxonomy you specified for your report does not contain bird A

That is it. This report has stood the test of time and I am pretty sure there are not any bugs to be found here.

Let me know.

Jeff

Hi! again Jeff,

Settings: Report   Then Life List Tab

The saved "Alaska Life List" Report is checked in left window.

Observer: My name

Location : ALASKA

Date windows- no date specified other than MM/DD/YYYY

Report Set Up

Title: Alaska Life List

Output Columns  Life/Common Name/Sighting Date/Time

Taxonomy Birds-ABA-NA 2007 with subspecies.

The errant sightings are from New Brunswick not Nebraska. I checked the location tree for Grand Manan Island. All sublocations are tied to Grand Manan (Parent) to New  Brunswick. No location name comes close to any location in Alaska.

I performed the test-opened the report and nothing has changed. The first four birds have the date 08/20/2001 (when I was in Grand Manan). The fifth specie is correct with the starting date 06/30/2004.

I have not run any other State Life List recently, . However, I did run a life list for Aliso Park (today) which is in CA. I was in CA in 2002. The first 3 birds on the list are correct in all detail including the date 02/22/2002.

The next 12 birds are incorrect:

Turkey Vulture 02/16/2004 (seen in Texas)

The next 10 birds were seen in Colorado between 04/15/2005 and 04/18/2005.

The last bird was seen in Texas on 02/26/2006. This has happened enough that I check this location every so often and then edit the sightings to the right location, I have had up to 125 sightings on a report for this location when in reality there are 3.

We have discussed this before.

Now that I have probably confused you more than ever, I have a birding meeting to go to. If you have more questions, I'll try to answer them.  Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Have a good weekend!

Jean

Posted By cowboyinbrla on 02/06/2009 3:59 PM
That'll teach me! Actually, part of my goof is that I keep a "Checklist" report (checked, for that location) as my "Life List" for each location I track closely - state lists, for instance. I know that by definition that's not a "Life List," of course. But since I'm usually looking to see if I "need" it for the list, this route seems faster. Next time I'll think harder before suggesting unneeded help

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I very much appreciate your help and insight on these forums. I knew what you meant when you were saying it. And thanks much for jumping in on this and others.

Jeff

Hi Jean,

Can you ZIP and upload a copy of your database (after you do a backup) using the Support => File Upload page on this site?

This will allow me to follow along with your data.

Let me know please. Hope your meeting went well.

Jeff

Jeff,

I ATTEMPTED to ZIP my database and upload it to you just now. Not sure if I did it right (I am entering uncharted waters here).

I have used both methods of entering data in the past. However, I am deleting and then reentering previous trip data by the Keyboard method and that is how I enter all data now.

I did not edit the Aliso Park  list so you can see what I mean.

Yes, the meeting was very enjoyable.

Jean

Hi Jean,

The file you uploaded was 0KB in size. You must wait for a completion message when uploading.

How about I get onto your system today and grab a copy. Let me know if/when you are around today. I will be here at work for at least a few hours this morning.

Thanks,

Jeff

Jeff,

I am home for about 15 more minutes and then will be gone for several hours..

Jean

Hi Jean,

I got your database. Thanks!

Now - let's stick to one reported error and analyze it. I went with your Alaska Life List template in your database. I added Location to the list of output fields and then ran the report.

I got 125 for a count. And no records in the report are from "Grand Manan" nor "New Brunswick". All locations seemed to be within Alaska.

So - sticking completely with this report, let me know which record (just one) that you feel should not be on this report.

Thanks,

Jeff

Hi! Jeff,

I'm glad you got the database-third time was a charm.

I duplicated what you did. Yes, the location says Anchorage but the date is wrong.

Example:

1. Bald Eagle   08/20/2001  Anchorage

In August of 2001,  I was in Grand Manan. Alaska was from June 29 to July 17, 2004.

Please try Aliso Park, CA. I see multiple sightings for several different years but in California in 2002 only.

Thanks,

Jean

Hi Jean,

What do you mean the date is wrong? I checked your sightings and the first sighting of a Bald Eagle in Alaska in your database is 8/20/2001. So this is a lifer for your Alaska count.

Perhaps are you thinking that this is just listing your World lifers that occured in Alaska? Not what this report does. This report actually produces a life list for Alaska. The first sighting of a species in Alaska.

Let me know,

Jeff

Jeff,

To clarify further- the Bald Eagle sighting on 08/20/2001 was a sighting that took place in Anchorage Provincial State Park on Grand Manan Island, NB. That is how it was entered. It holds true for the next three birds on the Alaska Life List. Somehow the sightings ended up on the Alaska list. I assume it had something to do with the name of the park?

However,There were other sightings at the same park that did not show up on the Alaska Life List.

Jean