Irish Rare & Scarce Bird News
If someone had said to you 5 years ago that Ireland would need a news group that could handle hundreds of people, most we suspect would have shook their head in disbelief and perhaps even laughed at the notion.4 years on from the (separate) start of both the Irish Rare And Scarce Birding Group on Facebook and a news group on WhatsApp, we are all now faced with the reality that the number of people who want access to instant rare bird news is not so insignificant as we might have previously thought.
At the outset of the Facebook group, one of the goals was to encourage more people into birding, and over the course of 4 years we have seen that take shape, as new faces have taken an interest.
However, some weeks back we learned for the first time that WhatsApp, in it's default setting, is limited to a number of 256 members and that the National news WhatsApp group was full to this capacity.
There are of course, several alternative platforms which can very naturally accommodate more people than this and so we feel that, as well as making a move to include more people, the time has come for an upgrade in the platform used for the purpose of sharing rare bird news.
We do also understand the annoyance some can feel at having to download and learn a new software or application though, and so we are providing this introductory posting to hopefully alleviate any concerns that may be out there.
First and foremost, the platform we are using is called Band and you can find the permanent group link here:
https://band.us/@irishrareandscarce
The platform is web based and you can use it both from your desktop browser or as an app for your smartphone.
Obviously, for bird news on the go, and for bird reporting purposes from the field, we recommend that you download and use the smartphone app, but it does mean that those who might still be logging on to their computer at the end of a day's birding can also access the platform.
Joining is exceptionally easy, with multiple quick options at your disposal, including joining with your existing Facebook or Google accounts.
You can see more details on how the site operates at:
https://irishrareandscarcebirdnews.blogspot.com/2021/12/a-new-way-of-sharing-rare-bird-news.html?m=1
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