dejaym's Journal

I just need to ease back into iNat with more regular Observations.
iSpot announced its own death (on 11 June 2026), so there will be a (small?) influx of HIGH quality Naturalist-observers who have an inclination to add ID notes and support links and to communicate, as well as add, or agree to, IDs., I look forward to it all
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IN any case I am not afraid of beginning again. Of refreshing the discoveries and delights all over again It will be fun - I'll make it fun.

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iSpotUK closed overnight, as promised but it was a terrible moment
And so, here, only a few days later, plenty have joined in and begun to add comments, links and agreements with justification. We will get noticed (I really hope so)
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Journal entry 16th June (33 registered iFriends) and now with 173,919 Observations
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I am also running the Project Journal in here
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/ex-uk-i-ispotters

I am (still) an avid Observer; a recorder less so
I often come for a little reassurance but do not lack confidence.
My interests are across-the-board, with a preference for the far less common
When here. I will spend more time adding agreements (or 'counter IDs) and comments, than I do submitting observations.
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I feel that far more of us should traverse through Other 'same' observations as our own, adding agreements when we can and a comment or two.

I also feel that IDs to Genus only, should get to Research Grade far more often, perhaps needing a few more agreements than to-Species.
I feel that, because the presence of an accepted genus, not IDable to species for one reason or another, is quite valuable to science and research.
Few to-Genus-only Observations reach the GBIF Portal. Considering that they are usually well illustrated,
Take my recent Mycodiplosis here,
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/311694927
Only just 'good enough' for GBIF and is a FIRST and encouraging record for my Country (Nation) . Species or nothing is a bad plan.

I begin to wonder if the average user here actually welcomes comments - it is rare to get a response to an informal comment, suggesting that the 'community spirit' is lacking a little - is it?
Nevertheless I come, stay for a while, learn a little each time and contribute as much as I can in the time available.
I always HOPE to give more time to iNaturalist

I don't come here often enough really.
Lately I have taken to offering observations of only rare (for Orkney) organisms.
This means less agreements but gradually forms a record for anyone who looks at my little region,
There are a lot of Holiday observations (made by Holiday-makers) in Orkney, mostly of the ordinary.
But what is ordinary?
Those things we see regularly, in season and in great numbers.
You know what?
It has been, and continues to be, EXTRA ordinary in Orkney
So few birds
Less bees than birds
Far less pollination than ever
Clever flowers are trying their hand at offering nectar a second time round
Fungi seem to know something is up by staying underground (one hopes)
The weather has not been extraordinary, what else could it be?
i will come here a few more times in coming months

Much has happened (hasn't it just) but I have passed by and though these pages quite frequently, stopping off to support Observations or to add a few comments here and there.
I am not lazy, I just need to feel in the mood or find something that might interest the wider audience.
I aim to add more observations through the coming months and, particularly, to enhance my collection of seaweeds
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I have just added this https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/93589822 and became the top identifier for the Organism (by a long way!)

We may have short days and a few frosty nights but we don't have arctic style Winters here. It's rare to have snow last for more than a few days and last year 2018/9 we have no snow at all below 800metres.
However it does feel cold in the breezes, with wind-chills to minus 7°C - nothing to fear nor brag about.
I have not spent much time in iNat because I am loyal to iSpot but I am beginning to appreciate the interchanges here, in Nat, after a cool reception and a, generally, cold start.
I do find the whole interface here easy and more user-friendly than Spot, so may be inclined to share more in this place

I sprung back for a day or so. I have been busy elsewhere but have not stopped observing, recording and submitting. For me, time to complete an Observation is lengthy, as I am not satisfied with one illustration and little text and, to be honest, I like the obscure. I need to 'prove' it to myself before showing others - not exactly Citizen Science I suppose.
When last here I spent quite a while responding to others' Observations of seaweeds and may have become 'unpopular' suggesting that one picture, no descriptive text and no other evidence was no way to assert species of any any kind, let alone Marine Algae. A few people did not like my challenges.

Things appear to have slowed down here, in iNat. Not quite so many people are engaging with Observations and there seems to be far more observations needing agreements.
I do not like the way people add the first agreement without saying WHY, let alone those who disagree and say nothing! Oh yes, it takes a few extra minutes to do that. See perhaps https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7349535#activity_comment_2850318
I came back to add three Observations and I am already VERY grateful for the interaction.

I continue to find, to my horror, that Scientifically unverified records, of seaweeds particularly, are collected in the GBIF Portal as Research Grade Observations.
I spent some of Christmas Day wandering iNat's Hawaiian shores looking at a few - MUCH better value than even Free TV though no better than iSpot's comradeship
I found such delights as the only iNat confirmed record of Ulva expansa
https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/1841195209 - do they disappear when the ID changes?
Seen here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/11430729 yet with no 'hard' evidence and without a challenge.
I will never disrupt the flow of Observations here, whatever I do or write, but I do think there is a serious principle at stake.
Is iNaturalist a Citizen Science Site or a Citizen Observation Site?

I have been wading just within my depth for a couple of weeks.
I have been 'put right' by some good and well-meaning people and made some strong friends and I have used some of iNat's facilities to good effect.
I was surprised to learn that "....observations with photos and which have obtained the "research grade" are automatically transmitted to GBIF by iNaturalist." (https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/13900-sharing-your-observations-with-the-community-at-gbif)
This seems a little curious, as many of the organisms cannot, in theory at least, be identified from a photo alone and few are supported by ID text. So one has to hope that at least the one agreement that has promoted the RG setting, is based on good science or extensive knowledge.
Beyond which, I like the way Curators quickly engage when required or when asked.
I have launched a couple of Personal Projects, which I am using mainly to store relevant information. In particular, I have managed to bring together all the information I hold about the gorgeous Blue Rayed Limpet, seen only in very limited marine areas of Western Europe but with one VERY interesting Observation in the USA. One of three posts shown below
I may wade a little out of my depth (have to swim), but not yet.

I have waded in recently. It is not cold here. In fact, I have found some quite warm water by offering opinions, never very safe in a scientific community.
I have spent a share of recent time with Marine Organisms. I like 'thoroughly' observing an organism, offering some of what I learn in the process, usually in the form of descriptive texts or annotated photos, perhaps even external links. This inevitably takes more time than the more common alternative, I will never be a prolific Observer here.
I believe that if I offer an illustrated organism with a fairly certain ID, I ought to wade through some, if not all, of the Other Observations, particularly those not at Research Grade.
I believe others should do this too, specially if they are convinced that their own ID is correct. This is not always an easy, or safe, prospect, as there are often several hundred Other Observations and some misidentified ones to be tackled (or avoided).
I am learning to be calmer and more patient - surely a good philosophy when wading in unknown waters.

...would describe my activity here. I am still here but I am quite still (not very active)
I am still in that Other Place https://www.ispotnature.org/
And we still battle on, still discontent with the lack of progress which still verges on hopeless
BUT I STILL come here and browse the pages, still wanting to add more, promising myself, every time I come.
I will; that's STILL a promise.