Re(4): Final Date for Carden Alvar CBC Posted on December 29, 2011 at 04:54:08 PM by Bob Bowles
Sure Nath;
The 14th Carden Alvar Christmas Bird Count will be held on Monday, January 2, 2012. Species observed that day will be recorded by count participants. Everyone is welcome to become a participant for the day by letting me know that they are interested. I will assign you to a team. For those that are not able to make it the day of the count but would still like to record birds at their feeders the following options are available. You can become a feeder counter at no cost for January 2nd and record all species observed that day then send them to me with totals, your name and contact information and location. There are some uncommon birds that you may observe at your feeder during the time period that we or you may not see on count day. Therefore, we have a catergory called count week which allows us to record the uncommon species in the time period. For the Carden Alvar CBC this year the count week period starts on December 30, 2011 and goes to January 5, 2012. Any birds observed on or between these dates can be counted as count week species. However, if they are observed on count day then they become part of the count. So start watching your feeders tomorrow and record any birds that we may miss on count day. These could include birds like Northern Cardinals, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Blackbirds or Sparrows that may be missed on count day. Birds like Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers and Mourning Doves would not count since we are sure to oberve them on count day. However, this year I would be interested in any Blue Jays you observe in count week since they seem to be in low numbers this winter. If you observe Gray Jays, Red-bellied Woodpeckers or Winter Wrens anywhere in the count area in the next week I would be very interested. If you do have a rare species like this if you could let me know then we will try to observe the bird on count day so that it will become part of the count total. These birds are not like species at risk birds but just of interest in the fact that they have stayed the winter and would have no impact on the protection of your land or restrictions of land uses. Replies: