Hi Ian, thank you for this helpful clarification. Some time ago Kent (I think) said no CAWR were reported in the Kingdom, and I thought it might be a good idea to start keeping (correct) track. but it was midJune before the singing (intense, for weeks, still ongoing when it's warm in the morning) began so I assume no nesting, and have only seen one individual in the feeder area at a time. Veer Frost, Passumpsic

---- On Sat, 01 Nov 2014 13:14:57 -0700 Ian A. Worley <[log in to unmask]> wrote ---- 

Hello Veer, 
 
Good questions ..... 
 
The big red box query appears any time you have only one species on your 
checklist (or no species), except if you have indicated it is an 
"Incidental" checklist the red box doesn't show. 
 
You indicate a checklist is "Incidental" when you were not making an 
effort to report all birds at location, area, or distance traveled 
during the time reported, especially when you were engaged in other, 
non-bird activities that occupied much of your time. Also, If you spent 
a trivial amount of time making your observation, such as hearing or 
seeing the Carolina Wren (i.e. just enough time to recognize the bird 
and decide what it is) then you would list the checklist as "Incidental." 
 
However, suppose you watched your feeder and the area around it intently 
for a period of time, (perhaps three, or five, or eighteen minutes ), 
recording all the birds that you saw or heard. Then you would submit 
the checklist as "Stationary", indicating the time, etc., and say "Yes" 
to the question ""Are you submitting a complete checklist of the birds 
you were able to identify?" .... That is, you are confirming it is a 
"Complete" checklist. 
 
Suppose you heard or saw the Carolina Wren (it makes no difference if 
you heard or saw it, only that you were sure that it was a Carolina 
Wren) but no other birds in a five minute duration of focused birding. 
Then when you submit your checklist you only one species will be on it. 
But since you made an effort in that time at that location for the five 
minute duration, it would be a "Complete" checklist and in this case it 
would also be "Stationary". But, since there was only one species on 
the checklist, the big red box will appear and ask you if your checklist 
truly is "Complete" or not. In this case the answer is yes, so you 
click appropriately, and submit your checklist. 
 
Does these comments answer your questions? If not, let me know. 
 
Best wishes, 
 
Ian 
 
Ian Worley 
Vermont ebird County Coordinator 
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