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North American Migration Count





Along with the all of the new and established spring counts, don't overlook
the North American Migration Count, to be held this year on May 13, 2000,
the Saturday after the CBC meeting in Blowing Rock.  The North American
Migration Count is a nationwide count held twice annually.  In the spring
it is conducted on the second Saturday in May and in the fall it is
conducted on the third Saturday of September.  While neither of these is
traditionally a "peak" of migration in the Carolinas, our participation in
the count over the years helps to illustrate nationwide patterns of
seasonal bird migration.  And occasionally we do "catch a wave" of
migration here in the Carolinas on NAMC days.  I am sure most of you
remember my excited posting of significant brown-backed thrush movement on
September 18, 1999.  I was out listening and recording for NAMC that
morning.  Other nocturnal observers in Lexington and Richland counties also
reported significant thrush movement that morning, including a Bicknell's
Thrush.  We had indeed found a "pulse" of migration!

As usual, several counties in South Carolina that I would like to see
covered are open.  Among the counties open:

Oconee and Pickens - These are mountain counties and should have wonderful
warblers.  There is also a good bit of public land in these two counties,
so there are lots of potential places to find birds.

Horry - There must be someplace to find birds in our northernmost coastal
county.  Or is it all really T-shirt shops and inflatable raft rentals?
Our northern coast is a little different from our southern coast and I
would really like to know how.

Large swaths of both the PeeDee and the Upper Piedmont are not covered.
This includes the counties of Florence, Darlington, Chesterfield, Marlboro,
Dillon, Marion, Anderson, Abbeville, Laurens, Union, Newberry (usually not
covered).

Other counties are also open.

Remember, you don't have to be some professional birdwatcher with twenty
years experience to help out on a count.  If you can identify the more
common birds around you and know how to use a field guide to find the rest,
you qualify to help out on a count.  And you don't have to devote a whole
day to counting if you don't want to.  Many groups just count during the
morning hours, although there are quite a few stalwarts who do count all
day and into the night for NAMC.  

So if you would like to be involved in the North American Migration Count
for the Spring of 2000 in South Carolina, please contact me.

E-mail:
dsbailey@conterra.com   /or/    the_birdy_bailey@yahoo.com 

Telephone:
(803) 635-7032


Donna S. Bailey		
Winnsboro, SC

e-mail: dsbailey@conterra.com

URL:  http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey
	Where are the Birds?  Migration across South Carolina

URL: http://www.conterra.com/dsbailey/audubon
	Coulmbia Audubon Society