I must confess to having previous convictions for this offence. When a spreadsheet was produced some time ago, to my dismay, a few of my observations featured therein.
But there are a couple of users who seem to have made a decision not to enter any habitats.
I would love to know why: is it too hard? Or do they object to the restricted choices (an occasional comment in various posts highlights that issue?)
I have put the odd comment in some of those posts, but they haven’t produced any response, and I don’t wish to cause offence by repeatedly whinging about it. But I would like to know.
I find that a lot of urban observations don’t fit in any of the categories. (That was widely discussed back in the day.)
There could be a category called mixed habitat for when there’s a habitat that has a mixture of habitats including ones that arnt on the list cause there isn’t an option for that but sometimes a habitat just doesn’t fit any of the options anyway. Its not allways the case but it can be sometimes
Must admit, I’m guilty as charged of this at times. Sometimes none of them seem to fit - or at least don’t fit well enough. Urban ones as lavateraguy said in particular, but also around the village - eg not in a garden or park but in a public space or a verge or growing in a wall. Also on a beach, is that coastal or marine?
I always feel like a good one to add might be “Wetland” and Zo makes a good point about mixed habitats as they also cause me difficulty. My approach rightly or wrongly is, rather than give a habitat that may be wrong/misleading I don’t give one at all. Any advice welcome.
I always find habitat a bit tricky - even on iRecord and the British Trust for Ornithology site where they give far more options. Is a spider in my bathroom urban, rural, suburban? I don’t think that ‘indoors’ is given as an option. And if I find something on the outermost tree of a wood, is it woodland, hedgerow, arable etc? I think you just have to decide what is the closest option.
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Woodland edge is an example of an ecotone, and is ecologically more or less equivalent to a rural hedgerow. I’d still put it down as woodland.
I might stretch parks and gardens to include public urban open spaces - there’s not much difference between them and a less formal park.
When it comes to roadside grass verges, do you put them in with the backing hedgerow, or do you count them as grasslands? Does it make a difference if they’re 50 cm wide, or 10m wide? And then there are the plants growing in hard sidewalks, or in the gutter at the side of the road, either up against hard kerbs, grass, or bare ground under hedges.
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Some interesting responses - thanks to all.
I note that sometimes, when no habitat is given, there is at least text explaining the situation - in that case, it’s not so irritating. But one user never enters a habitat, and usually no descriptive text either. That is (to me) a bit irksome.
Be fair… he usually says “OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA”
Actually I tend not to worry about Habitat lack, though I have just been sent a 330 long list of Observations without one.
I think we know where most things ‘habitate’: if not, Wiki will tell us.
Of course, because if the recent sub-habitat projects, everyone is on the lookout - no bad thing really.
Does that says 14 photos if it does Its actually 15 I’m only able to add 15 photos for each observation
Im surprised no one else has pointed that out.
I think that we should first deal with adding exstra options like mixed habitat before making it so that no one can send observations unless they select a habitat we should take into consideration that some people note the location if they can’t find one that is closest to the habitat on a observation and therefore can’t select any of the options. There’s still lots of improvements to be made in this sense if something doesn’t quiet fit any of the options and then there unable to send the observation cause nothings been done about it that will be one observation that could end up with people resorting to not even bothering to send it at all on I spot for some users if it is that not only Can they not find a fit for habitat in an observation but now there unable to send there observation aswell if you get what I’m getting at
Zo, 15 is the limit in an observation, 10 in a project. However, we sometimes find an issue with adding either the 15th or 10th. Thus, many of us follow the general advice to stick to 14 and 9, respectively.
If you can get 15 on then that’s good 
Zo, yes, sometimes there’s no apparent designated habitat such as Urban (the subject of the first sub-habitat project exploring the issue) but don’t forget that we can and perhaps should expand on the location details (second page when adding an observation) to make the habitat clearer and always endeavour to include a habitat photo in the carousel.
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Actually not the one I was thinking of…
Perhaps that’s a sponsorship thing - hence the capitalisation?
I didn’t know it was differant for projects and different for observations im usually able to send 15 in my observations if I have that much or more than 15 photos of the species Im doing an observation on. if I have trouble I just press remove on all the photos and start again or do 5 at a time so that I’m able to do 15 perhaps that’s something the members could try when they struggle to add 15
Thing is some people do add location details though. And it’s not just urban habitats it’s mixed habitats. What if someone tends to visit mixed habitats if There not staying local. And the habitat doesn’t necessarily closely resemble either of the options in the list therefore Someone might not select any but They might write mixed habitat then send it instead but if there unable to send it regardless of not being able to specify the habitat in the habitat list they would think there’s no point sending it in the first place if they wouldn’t be able to send it anyway cause of not being able to choose an option unless they pick one that doesn’t accurately resemble the habitat they observed it in
so I wouldn’t be a surprised if any people Exspeacially new ones decide to just not send it and send A differant observation that more closely resembles any ones on the list or one that is just either of ones on the list as an alternative. Which means the species found on the mixed habitat that can’t be specificaly described by any of the habitat options wont be sent regardless of weather it would be useful to I spot or not and regardless of weather it is common, uncommon or even rarely seen or just rare.
yes, the 15th will prevent you Editing (actually saving) the Observation until you remove it. It can be replaced immediately though. So my suggestion of 14 is to make things easier (for subsequent Editing)
the Habitat Box is now compulsory. This will not be to everyone’s ‘taste’
However just choose the nearest one and WRITE in Description that it was actually underground in mine shaft (say). So, for example, choose Woodland and add that it was a mine shaft in a clearing.
It is often, not always, nice to see a photo of the Habitat.
Please do not ignore the Box Location Notes
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It’s been small comment for years, actual since 2017.
It’s mentioned in here
https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/project/796619/
Quote: yes, the 15th will prevent you Editing (actually saving) the Observation until you remove it. It can be replaced immediately though. So my suggestion of 14 is to make things easier (for subsequent Editing) yes, the 15th will prevent you Editing (actually saving) the Observation until you remove it. It can be replaced immediately though. So my suggestion of 14 is to make things easier (for subsequent Editing)
Cause we wernt talking about projects originally and were talking about observations I got confused I just found it comfuseing that it said 14 observations instead of 15 cause 15 is the actual limit for observations. I also wasn’t aware most people only do 14 but every one is different and has there own way of doing things so it doesn’t matter. I was just pointing something out since we were talking about observations. all for I know It could of actually been a genuine mistake rather than something put down on purpose so I didn’t want to not point it out. I just misunderstood but Northern Teacher has exsplained it.
I know about the inability to edit description or add images at 15 I found that out when I had 15 photos it wasn’t until I had 15 photos did I know about the extra limitation that exists at the same time as not being able to send images but thanks for letting me know.
. I don’t understand the description limitation cause your not adding images by adding a description and in some cases it might be nesacery to edit the description when youv done the last photo to me I think all you need is a limit on is not sending more than 15 I don’t think you need a limit of not being able to edit the description that is in a completely different category to images but that is just what I think