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BIG SIT at Pea Island
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: BIG SIT at Pea Island
- From: "Will Cook" <cwcook@duke.edu>
- Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 10:10:10 -0400
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
Always in search of an excuse to go to Pea Island, I registered to do a BIG
SIT at Pea Island NWR on Sunday 17 October. I had a volunteer to help me
donate blood (to the mosquitoes), but he had to cancel. So:
1) Would anyone like to share a ride (from the Triangle) to Pea Island on
Saturday morning? I plan to return Sunday mid-afternoon.
2) If you're interested, come join me at the first observation platform at
the south dike of north pond. We should be able to fit a good half dozen
people in the 17 foot count circle! If the skeeters are too bad, though, we
may move to the top of the tall platform.
Here's information on the event, copied from
http://www.gadwall.com/birding/bigsit/
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Hello future Sitters -
Here is the info on the next New Haven Bird Club BIG SIT! This is our
seventh year doing this event, but this year we have added a new twist...a
$500 prize from our co-sponsors SWAROVSKI OPTIKS, to the team who gets the
"Golden Bird". The money must go to a non-profit environmental-based
organization - winner's choice. Read below for details. AND, we will have
commemorative T-shirts for sale(and for the winning circle), again, details
below.
Just a little history on this event: Since 1993, 27 states, 2 counties in
England, and one in British Columbia have participated. 420 bird species
have been listed by over 60 circles and over 200 people. These people have
sat through searing heat, gale force winds, snow, pouring rain, oh, and some
bee-utiful weather. But every one of those people at any point during their
sit, could imagine a circle of like-minded lunatics doing the same in another
part of the world.
Below, you will find the electronic version of the rules and regs. This cuts
down greatly on postage and paper, which is appreciated by the New Haven Bird
Club, who funds this.
Hope you'll join us!
Sit well,
John Himmelman
BIG SIT! Chief
"If you sit in one place long enough, eventually every species of bird will
pass by."
Set aside October 17, 1999 for the seventh annual New Haven Bird Club BIG
SIT! now co-sposored by SWAROVSKI OPTIK!
The NHBC BIG SIT! is like a Big Day, or a Bird-a-thon in that the object is
to tally as many bird species as can be seen or heard within 24 hours. The
difference lies in the area limitation (17 foot circle) from which you'll be
allowed to observe. THIS FREE EVENT IS OPEN TO EVERY INDIVIDUAL & EVERY CLUB
IN EVERY STATE in EVERY COUNTRY!
2 categories:
1) Best National Count (Most species seen by a single circle - wins our new
commemorative T-shirt)
2) Best State Count (Highest combined total from circles within a state -
wins state pride?)
And now, a brand new prize: Swarovski is offering $500 to the circle who
finds the......."Golden Bird".
The prize money must go to the circle's choice of a non-profit, environmental
organization or club (Bird Clubs, Audubon Chapters, etc.). Details on the
"Golden Bird" below.
GET A TEAM TOGETHER, OR GO IT ALONE, just for fun or to add to Your state's
or Country's total
Here are the guidelines:
1) Observations can be made from any area within the state/country you live,
or wish to represent.
2) Observations can only be made from within a 17 foot (diameter) circle.
3) There's no limit to how many people can occupy one area (other than the
obvious spatial limitations). Bring some chairs. Have a picnic or barbeque.
Welcome passers-by and their contributions to your list.
4) If a bird is seen or heard from within the circle but is too distant to
identify, the circle can be left to get a closer look for confirmation.
However, any new bird seen or heard while confirming the original, can't be
counted unless it's seen from an "anchor" who stayed behind in your circle,
or when you return to your spot.
5) The Participants can work in shifts. No one person needs to be there
throughout the whole Sit. The area can be left and returned to as
frequently as desired, but you must be sure to return to the exact spot each
time.
6) The same circle must be used for the entire Sit.
7) The BIG SIT will begin at midnight on October 17 and end 24 hours later.
BEFORE THE SIT: Every area (not person) must be registered before the event.
A confirmation and T-shirt ordering information will be sent upon receiving
your registration. A phone call or E-mail (PREFERRED) will do!
Please call John Himmelman at (860)663-3225 , or E-mail to jhimmel@connix.com
to register your spot, or send the following info: Name, Full Address, Phone,
& brief description of area, to John Himmelman, 17 Hunters Ridge,
Killingworth CT 06419 BEFORE OCTOBER 16, 1999 THIS EVENT IS FREE.
AFTER THE SIT: Please send the following info, along with a completed
checklist (in as close to taxinomical order as you can get it) of birds you
saw, by November 1, 1999.
Name(s) (team name if you've got one!), Contact person's name, address, and
phone, BIG SIT! location (state, town, habitat), Weather conditions, Time
spent at location, Name of the organization who would receive $500 prize
Notes (write on back or separate sheet), AND - optional - a photo or slide of
your team at your BIG SIT! location!!
Send to John Himmelman, 17 Hunters Ridge Rd., Killingworth, CT 06419 USA by
Nov. 1, '99 or e-mail your results to jhimmel@connix.com
A total list from all the areas/states/countries will be compiled & each
individual, or team rep. will receive the results.
And what is the Golden Bird? After all of the results are tabulated, a bird
will be selected by random drawing from the total list. All of the circles
who listed that bird (it could be just one!) will be put into another random
drawing. The selected circle's organization wins the prize.
When asked "why 17 feet," here is the response provided by John Himmelman
"Two reasons: 1) I stretched out a tape measure and found an area that would
comfortably hold a small band of birders while still feeling as if they are
sitting on a dot on the map. And 2) more importantly, "17" was chosen
because it's not a rounded number, it can't be broken into thirds, halfs, or
quarters without fractions. There's no logic to it. And because of that,
years from now people will be puzzled by that choice and try to come up with
logical reasons for it. That pleased me."
-------------------------------------------------
--
Charles W. "Will" Cook w 919-660-7423 (new!)
cwcook@duke.edu h 919-967-5446
Duke University Botany Dept., Durham, North Carolina
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook