[tn-bird] Fw: The Am. Birds Christmas Count issue
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 16:45:58 -0400
TN-Birders:
The following is a forward from the Carolinabirds List
and posted to that media by Harry Legrand of the
NC Natural Heritage Program at Raleigh, NC.
Wallace Coffey
Bristol, TN
----------------------------BEGIN FORWARD----------------------
-----Original Message-----
From: Harry Legrand <harry.legrand@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: carolinabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx <carolinabirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, July 22, 2002 2:01 PM
Subject: The Am. Birds Christmas Count issue
>Folks:
> I guess many or most of you by now have received the 102nd Christmas
>Bird Count -- 2001-2002 issue of American Birds. Nope, it is [not] hundreds
of
>pages full of every bird and number seen on all 1500+ counts last year.
>It is what Audubon has been clamoring for for several years but have
>been met by public outcry. Yes, it is all of 112 pages -- just the names
>of the counts, the compilers, etc. There are a couple of summary species
>papers, the list of high counts for the US and Canada, etc. But, you
>won't see your name in it, the species list or numbers from your count,
>the total # of species, etc. There is Ricky Davis' summary of rare birds
>and highlights; each region still has the summary.
>
>Thankfully last winter I only poured $10 (2 counts) into this. Usually,
>I pour $30 (6 counts) into this, but at least I got to see all the data.
>Now, NAS (National Audubon Society) is going with this approach,
>claiming it is "an innovative presentation". For this new "book", you
>didn't have to order the main volume; it apparently has been sent to
>anyone who participated (i.e., chipped in at least $5).
>
>NAS claims that as all the count data are now more readily visible
>online, that there is little or no need to print the large volume.
>Nowhere do they mention that one reason for the change is financial;
>they were losing money on the big volume, as relatively few folks were
>ordering the big publication. Interestingly, I just tried to go online
>to view the Cape Hatteras CBC data from 2001. Couldn't get to it!
>Several links replied "Sorry. The page you requested is not currently
>available." Then, I WAS able to get to the page to make a selection of
>state, count circle, and year, only to get nowhere; the count circle
>item seems to have a glitch.
>
>Who wants to look at count data this way? Who likes to "read" a
>newspaper or magazine online, article by slow article?
>
>The count book makes no mention of the upcoming count season and count
>fees, which have been $5 per person, to offset cost of the big tome.
>Now, with a little 100-page book, they can't possibly still want $5 per
>person per count. Or, could they?
>
>NAS is being very naive about this. The book states "The future is very
>bright for the Christmas Bird Count ..." The article by Geoffrey
>LeBaron, NAS's count editor, is nothing but positive about the whole
>affair! Do they really think that the CBCs are still going to continue
>to expand or hold steady, while observers will not be able to see their
>results in printed form in a CBC summary? While presumably still paying
>a count fee?
>
>I think there will be some urging of Carolina Bird Club and The Chat to
>start publishing CBC's, like the Spring Counts/Spring Migration counts
>that are published now. I'm not in favor of this, as The Chat is
>probably over-taxed as it is with the spring data. But, it's something
>to consider.
>
>Will people still go on counts, if counts will no longer be published?
>Will people still pay $5 a count? What about $1, if no counts are
>printed?
>
>I have no problem with the Breeding Bird Survey and seeing only my own
>results, not the results for all 2000 routes on the continent. The Feds
>aren't charging fees to participate; they are free, and forms are sent
>free of charge, including free postage for mailing the results. Sure,
>you have to pay your own gas, get up at 4 am, etc. But, at least I'm not
>being conned. I know my results will be used to determine continental
>trends for all breeding birds.
>
>As the long-time regional editor for Am. Birds and the CBCs for NC and
>SC, I enjoyed the counts and seeing the results published where everyone
>could see the counts, side by side. I've turned things over to Ricky
>Davis now. I've invested a lot of time and money -- about 180 counts
>I've been on, by my best guess, while in the vicinity of $600-700 of
>count fees (earlier counts were $2, then $3, then $4, etc.).
>
>I think we'll still see CBCs taken in the Carolinas. But, I suspect some
>of them will no longer be submitted to NAS (you can't send them by mail
>anymore; it must be submitted on-line, a heinous task for the compiler).
>The compiler still has to send a count fee check, plus details of rare
>birds. I suspect some compilers will not ask for count fees, and will
>still do the count, and tally results and send count results to the
>observers a week later, such as many compilers now do. I am sure some
>observers will refuse to pay ANY count participation fee.
>
>It will be VERY interesting to see how much, if anything, NAS will be
>charging for count fees this year. We probably won't know until the
>count packets are sent to compilers in a few months. As for me, I can't
>live with this situation -- I won't do a count if it isn't published for
>everyone to see, and I don't mean on-line. Especially if I have to pay
>even a penny, much less $5, for each count I go on.
>
>I'll be making other plans for the holidays. Last year Ecuador; this
>year, who knows?
>
>Good non-CBC birding.
>
>--
>Harry LeGrand
>NC Natural Heritage Program
>1615 MSC
>Raleigh, NC 27699-1615
>(919) 715-8687 (work)
>FAX: 919-715-3085
>e-mail: harry.legrand@xxxxxxxxxx
>
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TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
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