One problem with a comparative score is that your points total at, for example, the end of March, is being represented as a a percentage of your score(s) at the end of previous Decembers - meaning it's difficult to get a handle on how you're actually doing, mid year.
Unless, like me, you have too much time on your hands. These graphs show that I'm doing alright. Even though it's not the end of April yet, my scores so far are higher than they were at the end of this month in the previous two years.
Species
Points
So essentially this means that my comparative score is probably not quite representative - as those green lines will be a little higher than they are now by the end of April, and my comparative score will be somewhere between the red and the blue. I say 'not quite representative' as of course a high score could simply be a function of a good year. And it has been a good year, but only because my work allows me to spend time on patch pretty much every day. It's my effort that has changed, not the availability of different species.
Is this a big deal? Nope, not really! I suspect several patches will be seeing a bit of extra effort this year as folks get more and more out of their patch birding - and with you all entering your data onto birdtrack, a bit of extra data is far more important than some scores...
My patch certainly is seeing more effort this year as seem to be bitten by this "patch birding" thing. Makes a nice change from the usual running around like a headless chicken all over the place like I use to do on the weekends. The main downside comes around now, as my patch is largely coastal, it gets swamped with daytrippers in this good weather, bring back winter!!!
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