Hey all- Sounds like a few people are having trouble with the long maps link. Try this tiny one: *http://tinyurl.com/cxdvjd8* <http://tinyurl.com/cxdvjd8> Thanks for the feedback so far! Jesse On Wed, Nov 23, 2011 at 9:59 AM, Jesse Ellis <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hey WI and MN birders- > > The number of Snowy Owls thus far reported in the upper midwest makes it > clear this is an invasion year for this species. To get a sense of their > distribution so far this winter I plotted all the sightings I could find on > a google map, and I thought I would share. Currently the public may add new > sightings as they occur. > > A couple of major points: all of the points on this map are intentionally > plotted inexactly. The point here is to get a look at the overall > distribution in our area. Because google maps is a very different sort of > public forum than either of our listserves, I want to keep this points with > significant error for the safety of the birds. I have generally plotted the > point to the nearest population center mentioned in the posting to the > listserve. If you want to get more information on a particular sighting, > you'll need to check the appropriate listserve. If you are going to add > points to the list, please use the rule of major population center noted > above. DO NOT USE THIS MAP FOR BIRDING! > > Another major point! Only a small fraction of the reported individuals are > currently in eBird <http://ebird.org/>! (And at least one sighting is in > eBird <http://ebird.org/> but was not reported to the list.) Ideally, I > wouldn't have to make my own map, because everyone sighting these birds > would put their list into eBird <http://ebird.org/>. However, I can't > legitimately add someone else's sightings to eBird <http://ebird.org>. If > you haven't tried this amazing tool for recording and viewing bird > sightings, I suggest you give it a shot. You can now even include links to > photos if you want to support an ID or simply make your list look snazzy. > > > http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=204094329457575509162.0004b268568ba73710764&msa=0&ll=45.752193,-92.021484&spn=10.164185,23.269043 > > Please keep posting your general sightings to the lists, with as little or > as much detail as you see fit, and keep an eye out for these magnificent > birds! > > Jesse Ellis > Madison, WI > > > > -- > Jesse Ellis > Post-doctoral Researcher > Dept. of Zoology > University of Wisconsin - Madison > Madison, Dane Co, WI > -- Jesse Ellis Post-doctoral Researcher Dept. of Zoology University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, Dane Co, WI ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html