Count Circle 4+

As I recall, at one point you could enter all the circles you’re involved with. Now it only allows entry on map of one circle at a time. Put in a 2nd one and 1st one disappears...or I’m missing something.

I have been a CBC compiler for several counts and also served as a regional CBC editor, so I have a fair idea of what I want to know about a count circle, real or hypothetical. I'd give this app a solid B+. It uses a good map base, the new circles are easy to move around as needed and the existing database of counts is accurate, at least for states with which I am familiar.

What would I add or change? The biggest thing to add is that it needs to show a ghost image of all of the active circles on the map, so that if I want to establish a new circle, I can see where the other nearby circles are. For example, if I want to establish a circle at Waldport, Oregon, I need to avoid bumping into either Newport to the north or Florence to the south. Right now I have to call them up, look at them, remember where the edge is, close that circle and then fiddle with my new boundaries.

The database should be updated each year around November 1, because many states add new circles each year, or drop old ones. Oregon is adding three circles for the 2013 CBC, but they are not in the CC database yet so even if I could see all the state's circles, I might still bump into one because it hasn't been loaded. Since National Audubon adds these new circles to its database in the fall, before the counts happen, CC should be able to download them for an annual update.

The new circle function is a godsend to anyone who wants to make a new circle, because you can keep moving it around til you like it. You don't have to fiddle with new coordinates in Google Earth, or pen-on-mylar. A couple of times I made a new circle and it "stuck" to the map even when I wanted to get rid of it. I had to restart the phone to clear the dead circle. But in general, it works well.

I have noticed a couple of circles that clearly have misplaced centers. I suspect that this is due to goobered numbers in the NAS database rather than anything CC did, but these things need to be fixed by someone somewhere. One nice thing about the CC map is that it is very easy to "proof" where your circle really is, so you can figure out if the location in the database is right. I encourage all compilers to do this.

All in all, a really good start on an app useful to the birding community. I look forward to future versions.

If you’re doing the 5MR (five mile radius) local patch challenge, you need this app.

Easy as pie to set up your circle, and you’re off!