Diario del proyecto Great Southern Bioblitz 2021 Overstrand

domingo, 07 de noviembre de 2021

IDs PLEASE!

Reminder that the #GSB2021 closes tomorrow night at midnight - and there is a desperate need for identifications to be done! Pls - all of you who are confident in your knowledge, go and ID observations over the remaining hours. Thanks!

The best way to make IDs is with the ID curation tool. Please. It is really efficient and a great aid. This is how it works (a 2 min tutorial): https://vimeo.com/246153496

Publicado el domingo, 07 de noviembre de 2021 a las 12:16 PM por sandyi sandyi | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario

domingo, 31 de octubre de 2021

TIME TO IDENTIFY

If you have not already, please join these projects:

The first is the most important. In it we will guide you to making identifications.
If you have missed it, plesae see the journal post on the southern African umbrella:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/great-southern-bioblitz-2021-southern-africa-umbrella/journal/59378-time-for-identifications

Instructions on how to do IDs are there.

Identifications are an essential part of the Bioblitz.

  • Who will make the most IDs in your region?
  • Which place will identify the highest proportion of the observations?
  • Can you get all your observations to Research Grade?

The show aint over until the fat lady sings, and we have only just finished with intermission.

Time for you to help with IDs!!
After all admiring the flora, fauna and fungi can only really start when we know the names ...

Publicado el domingo, 31 de octubre de 2021 a las 02:05 PM por tonyrebelo tonyrebelo | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

miércoles, 20 de octubre de 2021

Hermanus Botanical Society (HBS) Outings: Fernkloof Nature Reserve

Fernkloof Nature Reserve

Contact Di Marais maraisdianne@gmail.com 082 462 3624 for more details

Friday 22 October

  • Elephant Path to Klipspringer meeting behind Country Market at 08:30
    Contact Derek 083 448 3338

  • Klipspringer and up Kanonkop meeting opposite HBS Fernkloof hall 08:30
    Contact Veronica 082 776 4848

  • Droekloof to Jeep track and De Mondsekop, meeting 08:30 gate top of Reservoir Road
    Contact Wouter 081 016 7914

Sunday 24 October

  • Up Voelklip Zig Zig to Jeep track and De Mondsekop, meeting at Voelklip Jenkin home 08:00
    Contact Sandy 082 899 9630

  • Rotary Way to Summit Peak and on to Galpin hut. Meeting 08:30 Hamilton Russell Gates on Rotary way
    Contact Di 082 462 3624

Monday 25 October
From Marais home along Jeep track to recently burnt areas in FNR and Vogelgat. Limited places so please phone to book.
Contact Di 082 462 3624 maraisdianne@gmail.com

Publicado el miércoles, 20 de octubre de 2021 a las 02:53 PM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Join CREW Bioblitzing!

Publicado el miércoles, 20 de octubre de 2021 a las 12:12 PM por sandyi sandyi | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario

Join Magriet Brink and Bioblitz our Biosphere!

If you would like to join Magriet Brink on her outing/s please contact her via WhatsApp for details: +27 72 921 1757

Friday afternoon 22nd October
Kleinmond mountain below Jean's Hill with Strandlopers eco group (tbc)

Saturday 23rd October
Kleinmond coastal, plots, sidewalks and garden

Sunday 24th October
Vogelgat 9am - 2pm

Monday 25th October
Kleinmond mountains contour path and beyond with Vic and Kleinmond kiekieklub

Publicado el miércoles, 20 de octubre de 2021 a las 08:38 AM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Join Jenny Parsons and Bioblitz our Biosphere!

If you are keen to join Jenny Parsons on one of her outings, please contact her on jennyparsons.63@gmail.com for details:

Friday 22 Oct
Birding & botanising Rooiels to Palmiet Sewage works (includes Harold Porter & Penguins) from 8am.

Saturday 23 Oct
Birding and botanising Kleinmond to Arabella 07:30- 13:00

Botanising at Buffelstal (old Somchem Nature Reserve area at the dam) 14:00 - 17:00

Sunday 24 Oct
Botanising Brodie Link corridor and in and around Pringle Bay 09:00 - 12:00 targeting specific species

Monday 25 Oct
Arabella Estate & surrounds 09:00 - 12:00

Publicado el miércoles, 20 de octubre de 2021 a las 05:55 AM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

martes, 19 de octubre de 2021

"Getting the Big Picture" - Tim Attwell

'Conservation begins with understanding the landscape and what it contains. Join us on Saturday, 23rd October at 09h00 at the Centre (Shop, Caltex) in Betty’s Bay for a walk up Rod’s Trail from where we will have fine view of (almost) the whole of the Betty’s Bay landscape and all its vegetation types. Please bring your cell phone with the iNaturalist.org app or your camera to upload observations for the Great Southern Bioblitz.
Wear sturdy hiking footwear and bring a jacket, refreshments plus PPE (mask and sanitizer). The outing will take about three hours. Hope to see you there.’
Should you have any questions please contact Tim on 082 343 2501, or email address: attwells@mweb.co.za
Let's get Bioblitzing in the Overstrand!

Publicado el martes, 19 de octubre de 2021 a las 01:52 PM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

lunes, 18 de octubre de 2021

Photographing Minibeasts

USE THIS LINK: https://greatsouthernbiobl.wixsite.com/website/post/photographing-minibeasts-with-your-smartphone

"Here are my 6 tips on taking photos of insects and other small creatures with your smartphone, based on my experience taking HUNDREDS of blurry and unidentifiable photos.

  1. The Full Picture

As best as you can, when photographing insects, try to get at least one shot of the entire creature, including antennae if they are very long.

Although close-ups of a particular feature can make for interesting photographs, they are often very difficult to identify. I like to try and get at least two angles: a "birds-eye view" shot, and one showing the creature from the side or underneath.

One way I like to do this is when I spot a moth on our glass doors. I get a photo of the underside from inside, then I creep around to the outside to get a shot of the upper-side. Having the underside photo can often aid ID.

  1. Getting the Focus

One of the most frustrating things when trying to get a photo of a tiny bug is getting it in sharp focus.
For example, if you are trying to photograph an insect sitting on a flower, it can be hard to get your phone to focus on a small object in the foreground. If you can, without disturbing it, carefully move your hand behind the insect to give your phone a larger target to focus on. Some people carry a piece of white or blue card for this purpose (I am never that organised). Sometimes it is possible to use your hand as the focal point, then quickly take it away and snap the photo without your phone focus readjusting.

  1. Know Your Limits

You will find there is a point when you get so close to your subject that your phone can't focus anymore. This is because you're getting closer to the subject than the phone's focal length allows. No matter how hard you try, the bug is still blurry - in this case, back it up. You can take the photo from further away and crop it down later.

One way to improve the focal length and magnification of your phone is to use a lens. I use a clip-on 15x lens, ordered online. However, before I had that, I found you could take decent photographs with a handheld magnifying lens. This takes some patience but the results are worth it.

  1. Slow It Down

Sometimes, you just can't get a good shot because your subject is TOO FAST. Target insects when they are not moving too much e.g. while basking in the sun, feeding, mating etc. Sit and observe behaviour for a moment so you get to know when to take the shot.

Another way to get shots of an insect that is moving too fast is to use the burst shot function. This produces clearer photos than taking a video and pulling a single frame out, as videos are often compressed and lose sharpness.

  1. Location, location, location

I always feel irritated when I neglect to record where I took a photo. Location is so important when identifying insects, and getting the most accurate location possible will really help your chances of getting an ID. In most phones you can turn on geotagging for photographs, otherwise, be sure to keep detailed notes on where you were.

  1. Fix it in Post

I never used to put any effort into editing my photos after I took them. If you are also no Photoshop-wiz, at least consider these three edits:

CROP: So you saw a butterfly, but could only get so close before it flew off. You think someone could still identify it, but it's in the upper right corner of the photo and not very obvious. This is when you should use the crop tool: even if the image loses some detail from being enlarged, it helps the IDers see what it is you want IDed and saves them from having to zoom aaaaall the way in.

ROTATE: I like to rotate my moths so that their head is at the top of the picture. This just helps when comparing your photo to documented specimens, which are almost always photographed with the head at the top. For butterflies, I rotate so that the forewing is at the top, and the hindwing at the bottom. You may also like to do this for other insects such as beetles.

BRIGHTEN: Sometimes you see an interesting insect but it's just too dark, and flash is not helping. You can slightly adjust the brightness later to help highlight patterns that weren't obvious before."

Publicado el lunes, 18 de octubre de 2021 a las 10:09 AM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

miércoles, 13 de octubre de 2021

Some more great tips for GSB!

Short and sweet ... please watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po8a00tAo9Y

Publicado el miércoles, 13 de octubre de 2021 a las 11:22 AM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

viernes, 08 de octubre de 2021

TIPS FOR GSB PHOTOS

Remember to upload your observations to our project - only photographs taken between 22 and 25 October.

  • You do not need to know or be able to identify something in order to upload it to the project. There are experts who will help with this once you have uploaded.
  • Zoom in / take close-up shots to make sure the subject can be identified. Clear shots help!
  • Your phone/camera should note location of photographs as well as time – this is important.
  • Take multiple angles where possible: eg. underneath as well as on top of a flower, the leaves, the habitat; the front, back and side of insects or mammals, etc.
  • Remember to only load one specimen (with multiple photos where available) per observation. If you find another one of the same type, make a separate observation. If you go back in a couple of days later and photograph the same specimen – make a new observation.
  • If you photograph a bush with different flowers poking through the branches and a beetle on one of the leaves – upload the same image three times and make three different observations (1. Bush, 2. Unrelated Flower, 3. Beetle).
  • If you observed something that is not wild, like a garden plant, make sure to mark it as captive/cultivated. Try to find “wild” creatures in your garden, such as insects, spiders or caterpillars.
  • No photographs of humans or their pets are permitted.
  • Try to upload your observations every evening (to give time for identification). If you do not know what your photograph is of, and none of the suggestions seem to fit, then please give a generic name like “bird” or “fish” rather than leaving it blank.

PS: when doing bulk uploads (like we hope you will do during GSB!) do them on your computer ... much faster than your phone!

Publicado el viernes, 08 de octubre de 2021 a las 08:47 AM por sandyi sandyi | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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