[bristol-birds] heavy flight of warblers?
- From: Wallace Coffey <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: 1-A Bristol-Birds <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2002 21:35:36 -0300
Bristol Birders:
Roger Mayhorn's exceptional viewing location and
mountain migrant trap is amazing to all of us. He
obviously lives in a location that has a varied enough
habitat and vegetation of the right ages and
geographically situated to host many species.
Roger reports every day or so the number of
species he sees. That is fun and rewarding. It has
certainly opened our eyes to birding possibilities
in these mountains. Since he is observing in his
yard and along roads in the vicinity on the mountain
and can start everyday at daylight without traveling
more than a few feet to begin, he is perfectly
located.
Roger also reports how many of each species he
sees. This is where we hit an interesting crossroad
of thought.
The number of individuals for each species he can
count and write down or remember vs. the actual
number present is no different than the problems
presented by spring counts, fall counts, Christmas counts
etc. We've not yet seen a systematic sampling of
what the actual numbers are. We suspect the
numbers would be higher than his actual counts.
I think Roger problably has much more systematic
data than his postings and time can share on a
daily basis.
Atop Roan Mountain where Rick Knight is banding,
and at Stomping Ground Ridge where George
Mayfield bands, these guys have been keeping a
trapping and banding vigil going almost daily from
dawn to nearly noon or more.
Knight's banding station has been active for some
years and I wouldn't doubt if Mayfield's station hasn't
been operating for 20 years or more.
Their actual migration data is based on what they
can CAPTURE, place bands on, and what recaptures
they get. Of course they make note of species and
numbers of things they see but don't capture.
They calculate the opportunity to capture birds
based upon wind, rain and other weather as well
as the size and number of nets operating each hour
and the "net hours" for a day, season, etc.
So here is what that presents us over all these
years:
They get a "measured sampling" of their effort by
days, net hours, season, etc. and the total number
for each species taken in various time periods, etc.
When they fold those nets and take it all down for
the year, they will have at least a very good snapshot
of the season at that point. It will be measured.
It will be quantified and relative to what similar
samples and measurements have been in other
years.
I think Roger Mayhorn is now positioned to spend
some really good winter hours compiling his data
in whatever form he has it and preparing a paper
for publication in THE RAVEN -- the journal of
the Virginia Society of Ornithology. This is good
stuff Roger has there and it is at the edge of bird
migration study in Southwest Virginia. He is on
to something! All of us need to tip our hats to him
and this amazing effort.
The famous Dolly Sods (I think that is correct) is
a mega-year banding operation of huge proportions
which has operated for I suppose nearly half
a century. What has been learned at that West
Virginia station has been major stuff.
Likewise the efforts and results by Bob Sargent
and crew at Ft. Morgan in Alabama is beyond
your imagination. Just ask Bob Riggs who has
been there on the front line. I think Dave Worley
has also. They can tell you some great detail.
Now the frontier of Roger Mayhorn's mountain
has been discovered. Virginia ornithology is now
poised to move into a new generation of migration
study, understanding and an ocean of knowledge
is possibly available at Roger's fingertip in his
own yard.
The challenge now is to find a way to transition
from the fun, excitement, and public enjoyment
of looking and posting and find a way to mobilize
birders in Buchanan County to get into a really
hot and valuable, systematic survey.
It is not that impossible becasue it has been
going on for half a century at all kinds of places
in the Appalachians. All this work is not about
learning just what we never knew but also detecting
and studying the constant change that is going
on with declining neotropical migrants and an
environment that is becoming more of a daily
challenge. We need more good, solid and
systematic monitoring.
This is not unlike the amazing and systematic
and fun efforts being carried out by a tribe of
region birdings holding down the observations,
study and records at Mendota for hawk counts
in Southwest Virginia. That started 52 years
ago and is still going strong.
Bird research in Shady Valley, Johnson
County, TN, began 68 years ago and we are
still learning more and more every year. What
has been learned there about changes in
the avifauna is significant, as most of you know.
The future looks bright for us in Buchanan Co.
I think birding is taking a turn into new and
important directions for Roger Mayhorn, the
knowledge of birds in Southwest Virginia, and
ornithology in Virginia.
It will be more fun and more enjoyable than
anyone can predict.
Let's go birding....
Wallace Coffey
Bristol
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