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Most people grossly under-estimate numbers of large flocks of birds. And they
will over-estimate the distance they walk. It's an easy matter to google a map
of where one has been and then actually measure the excursion. But i'll bet
under 10% of Christmas counters do that. So it's sort of a moot point whether
it matters to count all or half of a round trip linear bird walk. I have noted
with
fascination the time people spend on the winter raptor surveys. It seems almost
everyone proceeds at about 16 miles per hour. Obviously they are mostly scoping
and scanning from a stationary position. the observer who completed their route
at 35 mph would inevitably deliver poorer quality data.
i realize the concept Mike is explaining. To document how many
individuals occupy a space one should only measure the length coordinate once.
But to document observer effort, which is necessary to weight the CBC data,
time on foot alone simply doesn't give an accurate portrait. My father made
soils vegetation maps for 60 years. I acquired a concept of "ground truth"
early in life and know that it is very expensive. I risk being crass by putting
a dollars and cents value on the CBC, but it's huge. I've never even
contemplated the notion before this moment, but it's gotta be a princely sum
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