USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Bird Banding Laboratory
12100 Beech Forest Road
Laurel, MD 20708-4037

NOTE TO ALL BANDERS
February 22, 2007

To:   All Banders

From: Chief, Bird Banding Laboratory

Subjects:
          1. Bandit and Version 1.02 Release
          2. Bandit Training Workshops
          3. Correct Contact Information – Please Assist Us
          4. December 2006 Note to All Banders
          5. Master and Station Permit Holder Responsibility

There have been several problems with handling Bandit data in the BBL that were transparent to the user. One of the main issues involved importing Band Manger data when ‘Numeric’ wasn’t selected in the settings, Age and Sex were blank in the data file sent to the BBL when ‘Submit Data’ was pressed. Many of you are in this situation and will be contacted after this release to resubmit your data. It will be readily fixed when you load Bandit 1.02. Bandit 1.02 alleviates the need to export and import data again for your inventory, locations, and banders as that happens automatically during the install process. So there is no need to export, save and import files again.

The Bandit Users Reference Guide has been extensively rewritten with better descriptions of how to use all of the functions, particularly importing files from Band Manager, how to ensure your locations are valid and describing various error messages. There is also a description of how to use the back-up files created by Bandit and a handy new feature where you only have to click and select the back-up file you wish to load. This will be very handy as you learn to navigate through the program. If you make an error, you can now easily reload a back-up file to correct it. The Users Manual can be found from the Bandit program by clicking on Bandit Help > Bandit Web Site > Bandit Documentation. If you do not have web access, please contact us to have one mailed to you.

The program is once again available on our web site for download at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/resources/bandit/Software/index.html.  One thing we’d like to stress is the use of the Bandit Help link at the bottom of the start page for any questions or comments for anything you encounter while using the program. E-mails sent to the Bandit Help Desk will be answered within 48 hours and are generally answered within hours on the day they are received. As with any new software, we are aware there will probably be a few problems that we have not uncovered during our extensive testing at the BBL prior to release. However, we do find that most of the requests for help that we receive are usually answered quite quickly and easily, and most of the problems result from the user being unaware of the functionality of the program.

Band Manager technical support is no longer provided by the BBL as that contract has expired. Furthermore, the Band Manager Help Desk Line will no longer be available after May, 2007.

Please be sure that all data files sent to bandit@usgs.gov have a .tab extension.                 

We have Bandit Training Workshops planned during the following events in March and April 2007. Contact Frances Hicks (fhicks@usgs.gov) if you need exact times and locations.
       
        North American Banding Council Annual Meeting                                March 10
                           McAllen, Texas
        North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference                March 23
                           Portland, Oregon            
        Eastern Bird Banding Association                                                        March 24
                           Brewster, Massachusetts
        Cornell University                                                                                April 16
                           Ithaca, New York
        Patuxent Wildlife Research Center                                                       April 24
                           Laurel, Maryland

Additional Bandit Training Workshops to be held later in the year will be announced in the April 2007 MTAB.

We received a large number of rejected e-mails from our December 22, 2006 mailing. In order to help reduce the delivery failures, please be sure your e-mail address is kept current. It is also important to be sure your mail server filter doesn’t reject mailings from the Bird Banding Laboratory as spam, that your mail client set-up will allow our mailings to reach you, and that your quota settings on your mail client computer are sufficient to accept our mailings. We appreciate your efforts in helping us reduce the number of rejected e-mails as well as ensure you get the latest information from us.

 4. December 2006 Note to All Banders

If you did not receive the December 2006 Note to All Banders please be sure you have read and acted upon Item 3 above to resolve the problem. You can view the Note from the MTAB section on our web site (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/BBL/mtab/mtab.htm). 

This is a gentle reminder that all correspondence and Report-to-Bander notifications are sent only to the master permittees and responsible individuals for station permits. It is then their responsibility to distribute it to subpermittees, volunteers, and others that may need this information.  

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