Hotspot Ranking Changed

We've updated our ranking system to redistribute our hotspots to better show the hotspots of the world. It was basically acknowledging that the hotspots were not objectively distributed when only US hotspots were showing, even though the system was objectively designed. We've basically applied a weight that ensures that there is a highest possible rank for every country.

More to come next week!

Hotspot Notebook

We've put together a small field notebook to help document birding hotspots. Basically it is a half-letter size spiral bound notebook with standard fields printed on one side of the page and a place for birds seen on the other side of the page. It is printed on stiff card stock for easy writing in the field or car and has a vinyl cover for protection.

We are very proud of our little conception and would like to share it with anyone who might think they would use it. Just drop me a line an i'll ship one out to you at no cost (I don't expect to many responses, though we have already shipped one out).

The world is small...

and it is completely connected by the internet! Somehow we have managed to spread to 21 countries now??

A short update on some new killer features put together by our dedicated developer -

• I think I've mentioned this before but the SEARCH has gotten a whole new body and is worth checking out: Aviatlas (I know I've bragged about this previously but really it is much better now)
• We've also added a Longitude and Latitude box in the lower left that will show you the coordinates for the center of the map, which is now marked with crosshairs! (that are able to be turned off if you want a clean look) These coordinates can be displayed in either decimal degree format or degree minute second format. On top of that we can now navigate the map to a specific coordinate by just typing the coordinate into those same fields and hitting the enter key or pressing go!! Aviatlas
  

Maybe I'm a nerd for thinking that this is the best thing in the world... but this is cool ?
- aa

We are giddy...

As of this morning (without really any marketing) we have now reached birders in 15 different countries! Including the likes of South Africa, Norway, Germany, Australia, Argentina, Thailand and Canada. Now, we've just got to get these guys adding and editing hotspots! It is so exciting to see Aviatlas begin to grow on it's own and we are beginning sense a horizon that is full of possibilities unknown to us right now. Ideas for getting users to contribute are welcome! visit our Forums to give us input!

On a personal note, we survived a classic Arizona flash flood this weekend while birding in the Blue Range Mountains. We were sitting at the beach of a calm clear canyon stream, sun shinning and completely relaxed when we heard a rumble up canyon and the tear of branches as the flood turned the corner rushing downstream. We can count our blessings now but at that point adrenaline was at it's highest peak while we scrabled up the mountainside. Fun stuff...
-aa