[TN-Bird] Reflective and historical data from TN-Birds Net
- From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-birds" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2006 19:04:56 -0400
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=====================
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TN-Bird Net is owned by the Tennessee Ornithological Society
Neither the society(TOS) nor its moderator(s)
endorse the views or opinions expressed
by the members of this discussion group.
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
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ARCHIVES
TN-Bird Net Archives at //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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