Hi everyone,
I'm working with a large dataset of ringed nightjars. A few animals were ringed at the beginning of the study in 2014, but more intensive data collection started a few years later in 2017. Assuming I want to start modeling data from 2017, what is the best way to incorporate previously marked individuals to the dataset?
My second question is partially related but more specific to the Barker model I'm trying to fit. Because the number of recapture occasions varied, the interval between occasions was unequal and we have occasional resightings and dead recoveries we decided to split artificially our dataset to fit a Barker model.
Basically we considered every first week of each month our recapture session and the interval between occasions our "incidentals". However, because the way we have split the data we do have first captures between "capture sessions". What is the best way to incorporate these individuals to the dataset?
Can I assign a "2" during the incidental period if an individual was never formally incorporated in the recapture sessions? I guess not but I was wondering what the best alternatives are.
Thanks,
Alejandro