[wisb] Re: Counting Game - Bohemian Waxwings - ANSWER
- From: Ryan Brady <ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:06:46 -0700
Photo was viewed 215 times and I got 26 replies, many of which were quite good.
The correct answer is 601 birds (plus/minus a couple). 17 respondents
underestimated, 3 were pretty much right on, and 6 guessed high. The median was
550 and the mean 635, which is pretty impressive! All the responses are below.
I have no idea how long folks spent guessing/counting but the birds were in
this flight view for about 5-10 seconds, so judge yourself accordingly. And if
you ever need anything counted, John Leonard, Claudia Giamati, and Karen Etter
Hale are your go-to people, as each guessed 600 birds!
Including birds not pictured, this flock was about 800+ birds, by far the
largest I've seen here this season.
101
300
338
410
430
430
450
450
490
500
517
525
550
550
560
568
570
600
600
600
630
660
705
898
1100
3000
Ryan Brady
Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
http://www.pbase.com/rbrady
> From: ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [wisb] Counting Game - Bohemian Waxwings
> Date: Tue, 8 Feb 2011 11:34:32 -0700
>
>
> Here's a poor photo I took on Sunday showing part of a large flock of
> Bohemian Waxwings near Ashland. Take an initial guess and/or make a quick
> systematic estimate as if you saw the birds flyby in the field and then email
> me your answer. I've painfully counted them all and will post an answer in a
> few days.
>
> http://www.pbase.com/image/132395650
>
>
> Ryan Brady
> Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
> From: ryanbrady10@xxxxxxxxxxx
> To: wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Counting Bohemian Waxwings
> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 14:06:51 -0700
>
>
>
>
> Hi folks, this is more a cautionary heads-up than anything else but with all
> the Bohemian Waxwing reports of 100, 250, 300 birds etc. and plenty more to
> be seen yet this winter and spring I'm curious as to whether folks are making
> actual counts, systematic estimates, or gross estimates of overall flock
> size? In my experience, birders (myself included) vastly underestimate flock
> size in this species, often upwards of 40-70%, i.e. a flock estimated at 100
> often has 140-170+ birds. Don't ask me why but without alot of experience
> it's very difficult to correctly gauge numbers of this species without
> actually counting, or at least more systematically estimating (e.g. 5, 10, 20
> birds at a time). So I challenge you the next time you're up north to first
> estimate flock size as we often do and then make an actual count. My money
> says there will be far more birds than you thought!
>
>
> Ryan Brady
> Washburn, Bayfield County, WI
> http://www.pbase.com/rbrady ####################
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