This article is part of the Marked Birds Database manual and describes how to work with observers.
For each observation at least 1 observer needs to be added. Only observers that exist in the database can be added. Observers can be added to the database via Manage MBDB > Observers/Ringers.
Observers appear in the list of observers when the check box Observer is selected. This way you can control the number of names that appear in the list, for example by clearing that option for those people that you will only refer to as a ringer.
Tip: Create a dummy observer or an ‘Unknown’ observer for those observers that you don’t want to add by name. If needed, you can then add their name in the Notes field for an observation.
To quickly update the list of observers for multiple observations, add all observers to one observation, save the changes and do one of the following:
- Use the Copy List of Observers and Paste List of Observers buttons to manually update each observation. Click the info icon to see which observers are stored in memory for pasting.
- Search for all observations that you want to update and click Batch Actions > Observers > Update. The list of observers for all found observations will then be automatically updated. (Note: the Batch Actions button only appears when more than 1 observation is shown.)
