[TN-Bird] Reflective and historical data from TN-Birds Net

TN-Birders:
The following data reflects general information about the frequency of posting
to bird lists by states (North Carolina and South Carolina share one list and 
have one state bird club for both states).    

The chart begins with a relative name for each listserv and then the number of 
messages posted so far for the month of April 2006.  It follows with state 
population and then, obviously, Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) from this past 
winter.  You will 
also find the number of Audbon local chapters in the states.  Enjoy thinking 
about it.

Virginia birding list              430    pop:    7,078,515    CBC 40   Audubon 
Ch 7
Carolina birds (NC/SC)      426    pop:   12,061,325   CBC 69   Audubon Ch 13
Arkansas birds                   358    pop:     2,673,400   CBC 19   Audubon 
Ch  8
Georgia  birds                    343     pop:     8,186,453   CBC  25  Audubon 
Ch  9
Tennessee birds                337    pop:    5,689,283     CBC 28   Audubon Ch 
3
West Virginia birds             235    pop:   1,808,235    CBC  18   Audubon Ch 
2
Kentucky birds                    122    pop:   4,041,769    CBC  13   Audubon 
Ch 6
Alabama birds                       97    pop:   4,468,976    CBC  13   Audubon 
Ch 5

It is obvious that states with larger populations and probably good birding 
areas (costal, etc.) will have have frequent posting.  But there are dozens of 
other factors which influence the number of posts.  We could look at the number 
of backyard bird counts and feeder watch stations, etc. to get some idea about 
active birders in each state.  That would be more time consuming.

Perhaps large metro areas like Northern Virginia not only have lots of birders 
but many of the birders may not know one another.  So individuals do not feel a 
lot of exposure if they are posting to a large list.  And Northern Virginia 
also includes a population of 522,000 people in the Nation's Capitol with 
birders from that area mainly participating on the Virginia and Maryland lists. 
 They probably do the majority of their birding in those adjacent states due to 
less habitat and access in Washington DC.

Areas of states with few bird clubs and very centralized birders may makes some 
birders feel much exposure.  Some individuals may be fearful of being out on a 
limb or concerned about background critique.   

It is hard to determine the impact of state bird clubs upon such lists.  In 
Virginia, many of the local bird clubs are actually local Audubon Chapters 
which are affiliated with the state ornithological society.  The Carolinas also 
function as one state bird club and what might be seen as a single community of 
birders at "one" state level from two states.
Tennessee has a very old state ornithological society (1915) and has never had 
many Audubon Chapters.  

There are dozens of other considerations.

                                        TN-BIRDS NET AND WEBSITES

Tennessee is one of the nation's oldest state birding lists on the internet.  
It was originally online as Valley Birds Net and was the list for many eastern 
states and southern states before they could establish their own list.  

Valley Birds Net came to a close when Tennessee and Virginia list owners 
jointly agreed to move to the state level with state identifications.  Valley 
Birds Net then became known as TN-Birds and Virginia started its own list.  A 
few other states then followed and began establishing their own lists within 
weeks.  

At it's peak, Valley Birds Net served all of the Appalachian areas from New 
York, and Pennsylvania to Georgia  and Alabama.  Valley Birds Net continue and 
changes its name to the Tennessee list.

Working with Alice Kirby, we also created the nationwide list known as 
Hurricane Net and the national list for the Hawk Migration Association of North 
America (Aug 1996).  The first website for the Hawk Migration Association (Nov 
1996) was put online as was the first official website for the Tennessee 
Ornithological Society (Sep 1995).

                                    AND THE BEAT GOES ON 

From a historical perspective......the Olcoot, Jeff Wilson / TLBA, from 
Bartlett in West Tennessee has been here virtually since day one.  If you don't 
know, what the TLBA stands for it is " the luckiest birder alive." :-)  

Jeff Wilson has always been the list's most productive participant.  His 855 
post to TN-Birds since Feb. 1, 2002, reflects some of the state's best birding 
and most dedicated efforts of continually sharing with all of us.  His total 
posts does not include nearly perhaps another thousand on the original Valley 
Birds Net and the Tennessee list when we operated on a previous listserv.  All 
of that together represents thousands of hours afield and countless hundreds of 
hours at his computer.

Let's go birding......

Wallace Coffey
Moderator TN-Birds Net
Tennessee Ornithological Society
Bristol, TN


=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================

The TN-Bird Net requires you to SIGN YOUR MESSAGE with
first and last name, CITY (TOWN) and state abbreviation.
You are also required to list the COUNTY in which the birds
you report were seen.  The actual DATE OF OBSERVATION should
appear in the first paragraph.
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         Moderator: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
                 wallace@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
                ------------------------------
                Assistant Moderator Andy Jones
                         Cleveland, OH
                -------------------------------
               Assistant Moderator Dave Worley
                          Rosedale, VA
__________________________________________________________
         
          Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
              web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
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                          ARCHIVES
 TN-Bird Net Archives at http://www.freelists.org/archives/tn-bird/

                  EXCELLENT MAP RESOURCES
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
Tenn.Counties Map at http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/states/tennessee3.gif
Aerial photos to complement google maps http://local.live.com

_____________________________________________________________

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