The EXPECTED button toggles the list of species to display those that are regularly seen in the selected region/hotspot for the selected time of year.

The RARITIES button toggles the list of species to display those that are rarely seen, some only ever recorded once in the selected region/hotspot for the selected time of year.

Use the Region dropdown to select a specific region, such as Essex, Pelee Birding Area, Point Pelee NP or a specific hotspot. The list of species displayed will filter accordingly once the Load Species button is clicked after making your selection.

The Time of Year dropdown allows you to limit the list of species to those recorded at a specific time of year. See screenshot further down the About screen for more information on each of the selections available for Time of Year.

Click the Load Species button to display the species list based on your selected filters (region, time of year, etc.).

The banner directly underneath the Load Species button displays the number of species that are included in the species list, based on filters you have chosen above.

The Search species... box allows you to enter any part of a species common name, or its band code to quickly find the species in the list below. Simply enter the desired search text and hit enter or click Search.

The rest of the screen is made up of the species list, displaying a photo (when available), the common and scientific name for each species based on the filters you have chosen. Clicking on the species will take you to the Species Information page (for Expected species) or the list of recorded sightings page (for Rarities).

To view species for a specific hotspot, select Specific Hotspot (or Favourite Hotspot) in the Region dropdown. See Add/Remove Favourites information by clicking on the Add to Favourites button in the screenshot.

If you choose Specific Hotspot in the Region dropdown, a list of all Essex hotspots will appear under Specific Hotspots. Simply choose the hotspot and once the time of year you want has been selected click Load Species and the list of birds at that hotspot will be displayed. If this is a hotspot you frequently visit, you may want to click Add to Favourites and this spot will then be saved in your list of favourite hotspots for quicker access later.

Once you have a specific hotspot selected, and the hotspot is not one of your selected favourites, the Add to Favourites button will appear so you can save it for faster access later. If you have chosen a favourite hotspot you can remove it from your favourites by clicking Remove from Favourites.

The Time of Year dropdown allows you to pick current month (at top) or a specific month to display birds seen in any chosen month of the year. You can also choose a season or choose All Year to view the entire list of birds for the chosen area.