[texbirds] Texas Patch Challenge - 2013 summary / 2014 goals

  • From: Stephen Gast <segast23@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Reply to Comment <g+41inxo08000zg4loip1t003zrxxshc73000000krdeme2iw46@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Texas Local Patch Challenge <247047528758661@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2014 22:28:15 -0800 (PST)

What a great year and great idea! 2013 was a hoot! I learned so much about my 
local area. 
And now for this year, I'm am going to try to focus on KPC Katy Prairie 
Properties, and put my home patch on a lesser priority. Now more than ever, the 
Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC) needs all records for all biota observed on 
Conservancy properties.  This includes bugs and bunnies as well as birds, bees 
and Blue Bonnets. Birding with a purpose sounds exciting for the New Year. And 
Katy Prairie faces increasing threats of development with high tension power 
lines and a new Prairie Parkway whose routes could seriously impact KPC 
properties and longer term conservation goals!

When going to the prairie, please make an effort to use eBird as precisely as 
possible to record birds for KPC when birding there this year.  Watch for 
future posts to TexBirds about hotspot definitions that we'd like folks to try 
to follow for specific Katy Prairie Conservancy properties. I hope to be able 
to lead some groups of birders on intense 'inside-the-fence-line' efforts at 
censusing biota within specific properties during selected months of 2014. This 
concept is still in the formative stages, and hopefully we can get organized to 
get something happening soon.

As for my 2013 experience - fantastic!  - although a bone chip in my knee 
acquired at the beginning of September put me on crutches and out of the field 
for most of the latter half of the year, thereby missing most of Fall migration 
and early winter.  At this moment I am still somewhat limited in abilities. My 
totally unexpected total of 242 species included some species that I thought 
would be much easier than they were (e.g. Common Gallinule) and a lot that I 
had no expectation of finding. In addition I know of 13 to 15 species that I 
missed in my patch area - including fly-by Whooping Cranes and Swallow-tailed 
Kites (which meant that 250 was readily achievable). But I was pleasantly 
surprised with a fly-by Bonaparte's Gull, the continuing (last winter) and 
apparently returning Greater Pewee, a 30 second successful search for a Western 
Tanager courtesy of Jim Hinson, and numerous other fun experiences.  

I also used the patch experience to familiarize myself with my new iPhone, 
eBird, BirdLog and Birdseye. I am now ready to use these tools to greater 
benefit. I encourage everyone to use eBird to record their data, and to take up 
a local cause that can use such data. Susan Schaezler's Warbler Woods 
experience was a great example of the value of data in the successful support 
of a real issue this year.  

Congrats to everyone who took up the challenge last year and leaned and 
contributed. Please take up a challenge to enhance the value of this great game 
in 2014!  Use eBird! 

Good birding!

Steve Gast
Houston, Texas
segast23@xxxxxxxxx

 

________________________________
 From: David Sarkozi <notification+zrdorlogcide@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Texas Local Patch Challenge <247047528758661@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 8:54 PM
Subject: [Texas Local Patch Challenge] Who's up for the 2014 Local Patch 
Challenge? If...
  
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David Sarkozi posted in Texas Local Patch Challenge
 David Sarkozi 8:54pm Dec 31  
Who's up for the 2014 Local Patch Challenge? If you did 2013 you now know your 
patch better, if you're new to the challenge maybe you're chomping at the bit 
for 2014 to start?  
 
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  • » [texbirds] Texas Patch Challenge - 2013 summary / 2014 goals - Stephen Gast