FreeLists / bristol-birds / [Bristol-Birds] What we learn from the Christmas Bird Counts (CBC)

[Robert Biller <merlin42@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The 106th Christmas Bird Count(CBC) starts this Wednesday all over the Western 
Hemisphere "from the high Canadian and Alaskan Arctic to southern South 
America." The count runs from Dec 15, 2005 to Jan 5, 2006.

This important count is helping to determine patterns in the bird kingdom.  I 
have recently found and read some interesting data concerning what we learn 
from the Christmas Bird Counts.  If you go to the website listed here ( 
http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/ )and scroll down to the bottom pull down 
window entitled "What We're Learning," there are many articles concerning data 
collected on the CBCs.  

For instance, the first article is about the Evening Grosbeaks.  I have noticed 
over the past few years the absence of this bird from our area (at least in 
ETN/WNC).  The article listed gives some clues to why this is the case.  Also, 
the Pine Siskin has an article showing see saw patterns in East Vs West 
comparison.  When one is spiking the other is not. 

You can also access the Audubon Summaries for the past 8 years!  That would be 
in the middle of the above listed web page.

Neat Stuff!  All due to volunteers getting out there once a year, on a 
collective basis, to do what we do best.  From the novice to the most advance 
birder, the CBC needs everybody it can get.  If everybody reading this email 
participates in at least one count, think of the data we could collect for 
Tennesee and SW Virginia (for those border dwellers - Kentucky, Missouri, 
Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina).  If you can't get into the 
field, you can still participate by filling your feeders and counting the birds 
on or around your feeders.  Just find out who is the compiler for that 
particular count and get them the info.  

Here are the compilers that I know of in Northeast Tennessee / Southwest 
Virginia:

Bristol TN/VA CBC - Richard Lewis
Glade Springs VA CBC - Ron Harrington
Elizabethton TN CBC - Rick Knight
Roan Mountain TN/NC CBC - Rick Knight
Shady Valley TN CBD - Rob Biller

I have signed up for 4 - How about you? (not a poll to reply to :) )

Rob Biller 
Elizabethton, TN
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