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Re: Bird Counts



I'm not upset with Audubon about the $5 fee. And, I find the published data
interesting and helpful. On one occasion I even found a long-lost friend
through an article.
My beef with Audubon that they seem to get further and further from birds
and birding. Working on conservation and habitat protection is extremely
important, perhaps more important in the long run than concentrating on
birds. But, there are other organizations that, I believe, do a better job
and use funds more efficiently for conservation than Audubon.
I have been a member for many years and will continue to be but, darnit! I
joined Audubon for it's coverage of birds. Now in many issues of the
magazine the only mention of birds is in advertizements by optics companies.
                                                   Reece

----- Original Message -----
From: <MJWESTPHAL@unca.edu>
To: <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 9:38 AM
Subject: Bird Counts


> Just a comment on Christmas Bird Counts.  Although I strongly disagree
> with the plan to discontinue publishing the full report, I can't get angry
at
> the Audubon Society for making this decision nor for charging $5.00 per
person
> to participate.  Science costs money and it isn't always easy to find it.
I
> did find it strange that participants paid for doing the work when I first
> started doing counts, but I have been involved in trying to find financing
for
> scientific research in recent years and now realize every dollar comes
hard.  I
> now see that $5.00 as a donation to research.
> As for the purpose of the count, to me it is a simple census, not a
> scramble to be top dog on the species numbers list (although I plead
guilty on
> that one myself) nor to find as many aberrants (species outside of their
normal
> range) as possible.  The census tells us what and how many birds reside in
each
> area during the winter.  It gives us an idea of bird movement and changes
in
> populations.  With over 100 years of data, this is great information.
Weather
> patterns have and always will affect the data.  Scientists always try to
take
> into account the variables when analyzing data and one year of low numbers
will
> not be significant in the larger picture.
> Citizen science is gaining greater recognition as time passes.  I hope
> count participants are not discouraged by recent changes in policy and
keep in
> mind the real contributions they are making to the study of birds.
> Marilyn Westphal
> Hendersonville, NC
> mjwestphal@unca.edu
>