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4th ANNUAL WATERBIRD COUNT



Carolinabirders, VA-birders, etc.....    

It is once again time for the ANNUAL WATERBIRD COUNT.   See Clyde Kessler's 
attached note for details.          Larry Lynch

--------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Clyde T. Kessler" <ckessler@vt.edu>
The 4th Annual Waterbird Count will be on Saturday 29 January 2000.

This count is a one day snap shot of waterfowl, and other waterbirds of our 
lakes, streams, rivers, bays, marshes, swamps, bogs, wet meadows, whatever. I 
invite you to participate if you have time to count on the 29th.  

Species covered:  the "water" birds, loons through kingfishers, more 
specifically loons, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, rails, cranes, herons, 
coots, ducks, geese, swans, gulls, terns, plovers, sandpipers, kingfishers. 

I have a few basic rules for the count:

1.  Stay home and sip some warm cider if the weather is  inhospitable or 
unsafe where you are. (This is my favorite rule, the cider indulgence, if the 
weather is a bust). Basically, use your own best judgement to gauge the 
weather conditions.

2.  Record your data by county:  miles walked, driven etc.; weather 
conditions; species & numbers observed.  I would like to have a little list 
of the specific areas that you covered.  If you count waterbirds in more than 
one county, please keep the data separate for each county you made 
observations in.

3.  Enjoy the count.  This count is intended to be a recipe that mixes some 
science with an outing to witness the wonderful creatures that we might find, 
and then share what we've found.  

4.  Carefully document any species that you deem unusual for the area that 
you are covering.  For instance, I would consider a black scoter a very 
unusual stray near where I live by the New River in Radford, but on the 
Chesapeake Bay I have seen several the few times I have wandered that 
direction in the winter.

5.  Let me know names of the observers so that I can say thanks.

I would prefer to have reports in by mid February if possible, and certainly 
no later than the end of Feb.  These reports can be posted directly on the 
Carolinabirds network with a copy to ckessler@vt.com.

I would like to compile and post results (or at least a first draft of 
results by the end of March.


If you have any questions, please check with me.  My email address is:  
<ckessler@vt.edu>

Clyde Kessler 
Radford, VA


***************************
forwarded by:
Larry Lynch
Chesterfield Co., VA
birder6@juno.com