[cayugabirds-l] Spring 2016 Avicaching results...and a fall Avicaching season!
Hi Cayugabirders, Hope that you’ve all been seeing some great birds recently. September is in the air, and it smells like migrants. Life is good. This past spring and summer, 59 local birders took to the forests of Tompkins, Cortland, and Schuyler Counties—recording 138 species on more than 2,500 eBird checklists. All of this was for Avicaching—a project that provides a fun game for our local birding community, while also collecting data that are used for a specific research question: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. This most recent version of Avicaching was created to address the question of roadside bias in breeding birds: how are analytical results influenced by the fact that almost all birding data are from alongside roads? By collecting information on birds at varying distances to roads, we can further understand how this affects the likelihood of detecting a given species at a given distance from the road. Factoring that into analysis will be a great step forward for the data products that we can provide for the birding community. We are just beginning to analyze the data that were collected, and will share results when they’re available. Of course, any good game has a winner, and a prize! In Avicaching, your birding at Avicaches earns you points, and each point gives you one chance at a lottery drawing. The more points, the higher chance—but no guarantees! The winner of the the last round of Avicaching, chosen by random lottery draw, is Sarah Toner! Sarah is an undergraduate at Cornell, and she saw 73 species and earned 424 Avicaching points on her way to winning. Congratulations, Sarah. The clear winners on species and total points are Jay McGowan and Livia Santana—their amazing Avicaching efforts earned almost 10,000 points combined, with 116 and 108 species respectively. Incredible, and truly excellent work. With the last version of Avicaching over, there’s a new one on the way! This fall, we’re going to be approaching the same question of roadside bias—but in migration season. There are a lot of unknowns about how birds use the forested landscapes in fall, and you can help change that! In addition, these upland forests can be incredibly birdy in fall. Here is a list from Texas Hollow State Forest last fall, where there are 15 Avicaching locations this year: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S25203380! One of the difficulties with fall birding is that the birds are much harder to detect than in spring—not singing, and often moving quietly through the undergrowth. With this in mind, we want to capture whether you’ve used any attraction methods during your Avicaching this fall. It will be very important for the analysis for you to note in the checklist comments whether you pished, or used a owl/chickadee “mobbing” tape. Please put the precise word “MOB” in the comments if you used the tape, or “PISH” if you pished only. If you are planning on pishing; consider using the mobbing (judiciously) to standardize the attraction method between observers. This distinction will be exceedingly helpful for analysis. And of course, in addition to the fun of exploration and contribution, we have prizes to give away to Avicachers! This fall there will be 5 winners chosen from all Avicachers—each person will be able to choose an eBird t-shirt or ballcap in reward for their victory. To get started, check out the map of locations, and go explore some this weekend! http://ebird.org/ebird/avicache/home. Standings will reset from September onwards by early next week. We’ll see you out there. Very best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Coordinator Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ http://ebird.org/ebird/profile/MTI3NDA0 -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—early April
Hi Cayugabirders, With this bright morning and the forecast of warm weather for the weekend, it seems that spring may finally be ramping up. Many signs of the coming season are already here, especially in the wooded hills in our state forests. Forested slopes echo with the hesitant staccato beat of drumming Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and the jumbled notes of Louisiana Waterthrush song reverberate along rocky streams. Winter Wrens herald the warming weather with their impossibly bubbly song, and the thumping of Ruffed Grouse hums through the landscape. It’s a great time to be a birder. If you’re interested in seeing these species, and many more, a great way to do so is through Avicaching! (ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/>) Avicaching is a good excuse to get out into the trails and forests around Ithaca, exploring new areas, seeing some fun species, all while contributing to the knowledge of our local birds. In addition, the more that you Avicache, the higher your chance to win a pair of Zeiss binoculars! Importantly, between now and the end of June your local birding can help us understand more about the effects that roads have on birds and bird surveys. Roadside bias is an important element of any research conducted on birds, and Avicaching is helping us understand these biases. All you need to do to help is go birding! 25 people have taken part already, contributing more than 650 checklists—you can see the stats and map of locations here: http://ebird.org/ebird/avicache/home. This weekend should bring a host of new arrivals into town if the forecast holds true—a push of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Palm, Pine, and Yellow-rumped Warblers, some additional Louisiana Waterthrushes, and many more tidings of spring! If you make it out to appreciate these returning species, consider checking out an Avicache or two—who knows what you’ll find! Wherever you go, I hope that you find some good birds. See you in the field. Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Coordinator Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/uropsalis/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching week 1 update
Hi Cayugabirders, Another rainy night with south winds this evening—more chances for some grounded waterbirds! Tomorrow morning could be a good chance to get out to your local piece of water and see what might have dropped in. You never know until you look! However, once the weather clears up, perhaps on the warm morning that this Saturday should feature, there is a perfect opportunity to go Avicaching (ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/>)! In the first week of Avicaching, 14 people participated and entered 227 eBird checklists—more than 40% of all of the eBirding in Schuyler, Tompkins, and Cortland counties this past week! Very exciting, and a really great step towards understanding the effects of roadside bias in bird observation data. A huge thanks to all who took part, and we hope to see some more names up there this week! If you haven’t given it a try yet, why not hike a trail and see what birds you can find? It is a good excuse to explore, and only a few minutes can make a big difference. Sightings in the first week’s listing endeavors included numerous reports of Rusty Blackbird, Fox Sparrow, Red-shouldered Hawk, Barred Owl, American Woodcock, in addition to pioneering spring migrants like Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Hermit Thrush. You can see the Avicaching scores for participants here, as well as the point values for each location this week: http://ebird.org/ebird/avicache/home. These scores will be updated live as new lists get added, and the point values for each location will be updated weekly, on Wednesdays, and be valid from Thursday through the Wednesday of the next week. The “hotter” the color of the markers on the map, the more points you can earn. With the most valuable locations being worth 15 Avicaching points, you can easily close the gap with the current top Avicachers! I know that I’ll be out on Saturday morning, and hope to see your sightings joining the rest of the Avicaching team! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Coordinator Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/uropsalis/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching—contribute to citizen science and potentially win free binoculars!
Hi Cayugabirders, I hope that you’ve been getting out and seeing some great spring birds over the past couple weeks. Today might not be the best weather, but looks like a good day for waterfowl ‘fallout’—I’ve heard that there were at least 18 species of waterfowl off of the East Shore Park area this morning. Check your local lake or pond, or head on over to Cayuga! The main purpose of my email today is not to talk about birding near water, but rather the opposite. It is about Avicaching (ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/>)! As many of you may recall, last year we piloted the first round of Avicaching—a local project that spanned Tompkins and Cortland Counties; helping to more evenly bird our local landscape to more fully understand and model local bird distribution. The novelty of Avicaching is that it is a good way to help cover some of the issues of sampling bias in citizen science data: where we all tend to go birding at Stewart Park or Myers Point, and don’t often head into the nearby hills. As a result, we don’t have as complete of a picture of local bird distribution as we can with your help! The next version of Avicaching begins today, 24 March, and runs through the end of June: prime breeding season. Our goal this spring is to address a specific topic that has great potential to improve our scientific and conservation outputs at eBird and across citizen science: roadside bias. We all may know on some level that you’re more likely to find a Gray Catbird at the edge of the forest or in your neighborhood, but that it is far less likely to encounter a Scarlet Tanager there during the breeding season—they’re going to be somewhere in the woods nearby. By collecting data at these Avicache locations, we’ll be able to explore questions that relate to the inherent biases for detecting certain species. For example, if you’re trying to understand the true occurrence of Scarlet Tanagers in our area, how far away from a road should you be surveying? If you go in 200 feet is that enough, or does it have to be 500? More? With your assistance, we can learn the answers to these questions, and take a major step forward in improving our collective knowledge of birds in the Ithaca area and beyond. All you have to do to take part is go birding at one or more of the Avicaching locations as shown on the Avicaching Map<http://dl.allaboutbirds.org/avicaching>, locations which range across Tompkins, Cortland, and Schuyler Counties. Spent 5-60 minutes at the location, counting all birds that you see and hear, and then let us know what you found by submitting the sightings to eBird! You can learn more about this at the main Avicaching page: ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/>. Every time that you go Avicaching you’ll also earn 'Avicaching Points’, which serve two purposes. First, you’ll get to see how you rank against other Avicachers—with potential to be #1 in the region! Second, each point that you earn gives you one chance to win a free pair of Zeiss binoculars! There are more details about this drawing on the eBird website. I hope that you’ll take this chance to explore some nearby areas, see what birds you can find, and contribute to our understanding of the birds that we all care about. In the first few weeks of the Avicaching season we’ll be able to get a feeling for the resident birds in our area, and when migrants come back these Avicaches should be bursting with life. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing you in the field! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Coordinator Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—2015 almost over!
Hi Cayugabirders, I hope that everyone here had a great Thanksgiving last week, and that you’re getting back into the rhythm of regular life once more. With only one month left in the year, the birding prospects are a bit slimmer than they were for most of the fall—but there are still some interesting birds to see out there! Perhaps you’re looking for a reason to get out in the field, a little extra push to brave the cold. If that is the case, then why not give Avicaching a try? By visiting these local birding locations you can help inform science and conservation, visit some life locations, and also have a chance to win a free pair of Zeiss binoculars. Learn more here: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. Recent visits to Avicaches have turned up Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and a solid cast of supporting species. With the possibility of winter finches in the air, who knows what you could find? In addition, with just a single afternoon of birding at Avicaches you could have as much as a 5-10% chance to win the free pair of binoculars—a great Christmas present for yourself or a friend! Please let me know if you have any questions, and I hope to see you out there. Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] October Avicaching update
Hi Cayugabirders, Hope that you’ve been seeing some good birds recently! Late fall is always a nice time to be out and about—ducks starting to arrive, sparrows moving through, and the potential for rarities around every corner. I really like seeing Fox Sparrows and Rusty Blackbirds, so late October and early November are always delightful in my mind. If you want to go out and find some of these birds while visiting a place you’ve never been, why not try Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/)? Explore somewhere new, contribute to science, and also have a chance to win free binoculars. Since I know everyone wouldn’t mind a free pair of Zeiss bins, what do you have to lose? The more that you go Avicaching, the higher chance you have of binocular victory. If you visit 2-3 Avicaches a week between now and the end of the year, you could have as much as a 1-in-10 chance in the drawing. And the worst case scenario? You went birding at least once a week through a very interesting time of the year—amid the throes of late raptor migration, duck movements, and the influx of winter finches. On the topic of winter, this year has the potential to be very interesting for winter irruptive species—there are already signs that Snowy Owls are on the move (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/news/snowy1015/), and a report from Quebec the other day had almost 16,000 redpolls pass by in a single day. They’re coming. The types of places that exemplify Avicaching locations—woodland, agricultural fields, and other edges—are often those frequented by these winter finches. You never know what you’ll find until you look! I know I’ll be out there. Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—migration still happening!
Hi Cayugabirders, I know, it is October—that lull between when most migrant warblers have vanished and when the ducks arrive. Many of us like to go out and look for sparrows now, but for others it is a tough time of year to get motivated to go out birding. But what’s not to like? The mornings have the crispness of fall, the foliage is spectacular, and there are still birds moving throughout the landscape. Many of the good birding areas at this time of year involve either water or weedy edges, the latter especially near agricultural areas. If you’re looking for a little push to get out and go birding, why not visit some places that you’ve never been before, see interesting migrants, contribute to science, and potentially win free Zeiss binoculars. Why not go Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/)? In case you’re not familiar with Avicaching, I’ll give a quick rundown. There are 50 sites scattered across Tompkins and Cortland Counties, chosen to represent undersampled habitats and regions on the landscape. By having targeted visits to these locations, we’re able to greatly improve models of species distribution in the region—basically creating range maps with your sightings. In addition, when you visit an Avicache, you gain a certain amount of “points”, and each point makes it more likely that you’ll get a free pair of Zeiss binoculars at the end of the year. In addition, some good birds have been found among the 158 species detected at Avicaches this year! This past spring there were multiple Golden Eagles, Cackling Geese, a White-winged Crossbill, and even Iceland and Lesser Black-backed Gulls over farm fields near Cortland. It shows that wherever you go, there is potential to find interesting birds. Over the next few weeks, many of these Avicaches have great habitat for a wide variety of sparrows in addition to species like Orange-crowned Warbler, and perhaps a western vagrant? You won’t know until you look. Please let me know if you have any questions, and I look forward to seeing your name on the Avicaching page: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—early September
Hi Cayugabirders, Hope that all is well and that you’ve been enjoying the migrant arrivals from the frontal passage over the past day or so. It has certainly been noticeable for nocturnal migration (both on radar and for flight calls), and the roving mixed migrant flocks are a good indicator that things are changing on the ground as well. ’Tis the season. With the fantastically changing avian landscape throughout September, you never know what you’ll find when you’re out and about. This makes it one of the most enjoyable months of birding (for me at least), and a good time to explore new areas! New areas, for example, like those for Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/). Avicachers have already reported 17 species of warblers over the past 10 days from these locations scattered across Tompkins and Cortland Counties, including Hooded, Cape May, Bay-breasted, and lots of other fun species. Many of the Avicaching locations are well-situated along forest edges, giving you a good chance of encountering wandering migrant flocks. With the crispness of fall in the morning air, and birds on the wing overhead, do you really need another reason to head out birding? In case you do, Avicaching also gives you a chance to win a free pair of binoculars, explore new areas, and directly contribute to science—helping improve our local knowledge of bird distributions through your sightings. Please let me know if you have any questions about the Avicaching project—most anything you need to know can be found in the above link. Hope to see you out there! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—1-13 August
Hi Cayugabirders, It is time for another Avicaching update! In case you’re not familiar with this local project, all your questions can be answered here: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. Avicachers have been out and about across Tompkins and Cortland counties over the past two weeks, finding some interesting birds in their travels. Though birding in early August can be challenging during the gap between when breeding birds quiet down and fall migrants arrive, there are some goodies out there waiting to be found. Avicaching highlights from the past couple weeks include Hooded Warbler at several locations, Grasshopper Sparrow, Eastern Screech-Owl, and 70 other species. The chance for running into an unusual migrant while Avicaching continue to rise throughout August and the rest of the fall—what will you find? Migrants like Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and Tennessee and Bay-breasted Warblers have already been reported locally this fall, and could be coming to an Avicache near you. Check out the map of Avicaches to decide where you want to go first: http://dl.allaboutbirds.org/avicaching. The Avicaching standings have also switched around in the past couple weeks, with Gary Kohlenberg passing Lee Ann Van Leer for first place—721 vs 706. For all other Avicachers, there is still time to vie for those top spots, and increase your chances of winning free Zeiss binoculars—you have until the end of December to get out there and give it a try. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions about Avicaching. I’ll see you out there! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—17-23 July
Hi Cayugabirders, During the past week, more than 20 different birders went Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/). These Avicachers reported 89 species, including 13 warblers and some notable Avicaching birds like Ring-necked Pheasant and Solitary Sandpiper. It has been a fascinating time to be out in fields and forests, with the crispness of fall in the air each morning. Post-breeding dispersal continues everywhere, and seeing Hooded and Blackburnian Warblers in brushy field edges is almost commonplace. It is a great time of year to see these generally forest interior/treetop species presenting themselves in a much more viewable fashion, convenient for birders and photographers alike. How can you lose? The Top 3 Avicachers this week were Gary Kohlenberg, Jane Graves, and Chris Wood. Gary earned an amazing 240 Avicaching points, with Jane and Chris coming in at 135 and 90 each. Lee Ann van Leer still holds on to the first-place position, but will that hold true after this week? As usual, the number of ‘Avicaching points’ earned for visiting a location has changed from last week, and a whole new array of locations is now worth more. By earning these ‘Avicaching points’, you improve your chances at winning a free pair of Zeiss binoculars. And don’t forget, all the Avicaching that you do directly benefits our scientific understanding of bird distributions. Thank you. In case you’re curious about what you could see while Avicaching, check here for a full list and seasonal bar chart of the 154 species recorded at Avicaches so far: http://tinyurl.com/avicaching. See you in the field, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching update—10-16 July
Hi Cayugabirders, Another week through July, and we’re that much closer to fall migration. Following Wednesday’s cold front, the past couple days have felt positively Septemberesque. This weather event has manifested in the birds as well, with more shorebirds filtering through the area and some of the local breeders beginning to wrap up their season. This is a time of year where many birds are undergoing post-breeding dispersal—movements following the breeding season that are often little-known. Birds that have been quiet over the past month have started singing a little bit more, and the woods are still alive and bursting with late-summer vigor. It is a good time of year to be out and about in nature. In fact, it is a good time of year to be out Avicaching! Over this past week, 10 different birders went Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), reporting over 70 species including Black-billed Cuckoo, Vesper Sparrow, and 13 warblers—not too bad for the heat of mid-July. Check here for a full list of the 154 species recorded at Avicaches so far: http://tinyurl.com/avicaching. Top Avicachers this week included Gary Kohlenberg and Chris Wood, tallying an impressive 66 and 60 points respectively. Lee Ann van Leer still leads the playing field, but that could change at any moment. This week the number of points earned by visiting an Avicache has changed, with some single locations being worth 15 points each. This means that if you haven’t given Avicaching a try yet, the time has never been better. If you get out there and visit 10 locations, you could be in third place overall—with the third highest chance to win a pair of free Zeiss binoculars! Check out the full Avicaching site for more details: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. I’ll see you out there! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] July Avicaching - the birds are out there!
Hi Cayugabirders, I know that it can be difficult with the excitement of May having passed, and the heat and thunderstorms sapping the will to go look at birds – sometimes you don’t want to pick up binoculars and head out birding in July. However, Avicaching is here to change that! Giving you a chance at FREE Zeiss binoculars, some new places to visit, and also the ability to improve our understanding of local birds – what more could you ask for? The Avicaching project (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/) has been going on since this past April, and over 40 local birders have participated in this local effort to inform our knowledge of bird distribution on small scales. Every sighting counts, and your observations are used to inform bird conservation and research on a regional, national, and global scale. All you have to do to help is enter your sightings in eBird! By participating in Avicaching, you’re helping improve our local knowledge about bird distribution, while also getting to go out and see things that you otherwise may not. Avicaching will take you places that you wouldn’t usually go, and the rewards can range from discovering a new birding spot to sightings of Northern Goshawk or Golden Eagle – both species reported from Avicaches this year. 153 species have been reported from Avicaches so far since April, and even more are waiting to be found by you. 23 species of warbler so far, can you add any? In addition to seeing some cool birds and new places, you also have a chance to win a pair of FREE Zeiss binoculars, and the more you Avicache, the better the chances. Check out the Avicaching site for more details: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. Can you surpass Lee Ann van Leer for first place in the Avicaching standings? You never know what you’ll find unless you try, and I hope to see you out there. Please let me know if you have any questions – I’m happy to help. Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching Spring 2015 results, and another chance at binoculars!
Hello Cayugabirders, Hope that all is well, and that you’ve been getting out in the field some recently despite the drizzly past week we’ve been having. As I posted about last week, the Spring 2015 Avicaching period ended on 4 June, yesterday. During the 10-week period that concluded on the 4th, 30 people submitted over 600 checklists from the 50 Avicaches. This provided exceedingly valuable information about local bird populations that wasn’t previously known – filling in the gaps in our knowledge of birds in Cortland and Tompkins counties. Everybody who participated, please accept our sincere thanks for your efforts. Due to the success of this initial project, we are pleased to announce that Avicaching is continuing! Starting today, and continuing until the end of the 2015, there is a second round of Avicaching. The prize for participating will again be a drawing for a pair of free Zeiss binoculars, and the more you Avicache, the better your chances of winning are. More information about how to participate and win here: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/ We are pleased to announce our top Avicachers for Spring 2015 – where Ken Rosenberg took a commanding lead over the rest of the participants, recording 125 species at Avicaches, and earning 788 points to put him in 1st place overall for both species and points – congratulations Ken! Runners up were Martha Fischer in second with 97 species and 611 points, and Paul Rodewald in third with 112 species and 355 points. The binocular drawing was done as detailed on the site, with each contestant having their “name in the hat” once for each Avicaching point that they earned. More points, more chances. It turns out that 611 chances were enough, since Martha Fischer won! Congratulations Martha! She will be receiving a brand new pair of Zeiss binoculars for her Avicaching efforts. For those of you who already went out Avicaching this spring, thank you, and I hope that you continue throughout the summer and into fall and winter. Those of you who have not yet tried Avicaching, it is a great time to begin! The playing field is even once more, and the birds are waiting. Even with many of the migrants already having passed through, there are some fun breeding birds at many of these sites. While visiting one Avicache last week, I had a Mourning Warbler and a Hooded Warbler singing at the same location. Not mega-rare, but certainly enjoyable! I hope that you can give it a try, and please let me know if you have any questions! Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/uropsalis/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching – last chance to contribute and win free binoculars!
Hello Cayugabirders, Hope that you’ve all been having an excellent May..it is hard to believe that this great month is already almost over. Much of the focus for the past few weeks of birding has of course been on migrants, but now that June is on our doorstep, breeding birds are in full swing as well. Many of the best locations for good numbers of breeding birds are in areas off of the beaten path of birding – the sorts of locations that are covered in Avicaching! (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/) This coming week is the last week of spring Avicaching (ending June 4), and your last chance to go out to some new places, contribute to science, and potentially win FREE binoculars, all at the same time. All you have to do is go to one or more of the 50 Avicaches that are scattered throughout Tompkins and Cortland counties, watch birds for 5+ minutes, and submit your sightings to eBird. For all the information on Avicaching you’ll need, check out the link above. Many of the Avicache locations are in areas that you might not visit on a normal day of birding, in places like state forests or agricultural valleys. It is a great chance to explore new areas, and find some great birds. Through the course of this spring, Avicachers have located multiple Golden Eagles, a Northern Goshawk, White-winged Crossbill, and around 150 other species so far. Can you add to that total? The last day of Avicaching is June 4th, and I hope that you can make it out there at least once. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions, and I look forward to perhaps seeing you in the field. Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching week 5 update
Hi Cayugabirders, Another week has gone by, more migrants have arrived, and the 50 Avicaching locations are getting better to bird with each new day. For those of you who need a refresher as to what Avicaching is (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), or haven’t given it a try yet, I hope you’ll get out in the field this week! Avicaching is a local eBird project to encourage birding of specific habitats that are underrepresented in our normal local eBirding, allowing researchers to perform more thorough analyses of eBird sightings. As a reward for contributing to the scientific strength of eBird in Cortland and Tompkins Counties, by participating in Avicaching you are eligible to win a free pair of Zeiss binoculars. There is also a leaderboard of Avicachers, which gives you a chance to be #1 in a birding numbers game without having to chase every rare bird that is found. If competition and scientific contributions aren’t the parts of birding that interest you, then the exploration aspect of Avicaching is a great one, and one of the main reasons why I enjoy visiting these sites. It gets you out to new areas, some of which offer some great birding. Of course on the way you’re probably going to stop as well, and that has resulted in some great discoveries this past month, including an amazing 37 Lesser Black-backed Gulls in a single field (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22889666). The Avicaches themselves cover a variety of agricultural and forested areas, and some have a variety of warblers back already (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23195934), or even potentially Northern Goshawks (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S23044288)! There are a little over three weeks of Avicaching left, and I hope that you can make it out there at least once. With every passing day, more fun warblers and other breeding birds are filtering back into the forests, and Avicaching is a great way to get out there. You can just visit one site quickly, or string together a bunch for a day’s birding. At the extreme end of “a day’s birding”, one of the most avid participants in this project so far, Ken Rosenberg, is going to be doing an Avicaching Big Day this Saturday as part of the Global Big Day (http://ebird.org/globalbigday/). We’ll see what he finds. No matter where you bird, I hope that spring is treating you all well, and that hummingbirds and warblers have returned to a tree near you. Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/uropsalis/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching week 4 update
Hi Cayugabirders, As hard as it can be to believe, May is finally almost here! Thursday wrapped up another week of Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), and I wanted to post another update here, and perhaps interest some more people in going birding for a chance at a free pair of binoculars! What more could you ask for in life? 26 people have participated in Avicaching now, reporting over 100 species across more than 275 checklists submitted from the Avicache locations. Each checklist submitted from an Avicache helps improve the scientific analyses that eBird does, while also giving you an excuse to bird in some new places, and have a chance at winning a free pair of Zeiss binoculars! Many more details can be found here: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/, and I hope you give it a try. For Avicaching veterans, there are two changes this week. First off, the point values for each location are more variable, ranging from 2-10. This means that by visiting some high-value locations, you can quickly catch up in the rankings! You are also now able to earn points from a single location multiple times in a week, or even a day. All you need to do is have checklists be more than an hour apart, and you’re good to go. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions or comments about Avicaching, and I look forward to perhaps running into you out in the field! Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching week 3 update
Hi Cayugabirders, Time for the weekly update on Avicaching – the latest news from the less-often birded parts of Tompkins and Cortland Counties! In case you haven’t yet taken part in Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), each passing day makes the birding more enjoyable and exciting. We all know that it is hard to muster the motivation to go out to woodlands in early April, but we’ve now reached that wonderful time of the year where each day with southerly winds brings new species. The woods are full of drumming Ruffed Grouse and the songs of Louisiana Waterthrush and Winter Wren; this isn’t the world it was two weeks ago. It is a great time to get out into both the forest and field habitats that are represented by Avicache locations, where you can treat yourself to some early warblers or perhaps singing Eastern Meadowlark and Vesper Sparrow that others have Avicached. Keep your eyes to the sky as well, since Golden Eagle and Lesser Black-backed Gull have both been seen recently flying over at Avicache locations! 25 people have now gone Avicaching, totaling almost 200 checklists submitted. The latest rankings are up on the site, visible at the end of the page linked above. Each observation helps us improve the quality of the data analyses that we can perform in eBird for this region, and I hope you can make it out to give Avicaching a try! I look forward to running into you out in the field. Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching week 2 update
Hi Cayugabirders, I hope that the past week has brought some new migrants your way, as we inch closer to a world that will once again feature warblers. In case you haven’t yet taken part in Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), we are now two weeks into this local project that is taking place across Tompkins and Cortland Counties. Birders who have visited these Avicache locations have seen a number of good birds so far, not the least of which are multiple Golden Eagles and a White-winged Crossbill. As more migrant birds arrive back in our region over the next month, these locations will be even more birdy, and by Avicaching you are directly contributing to scientific efforts as well as getting to explore new areas that you may not have visited before! With the beginning of Week 3 of Avicaching yesterday, different locations are worth different points based on how many times people have birded there. If you’re interested in the competition aspect and free binoculars, these higher priority locations are worth more points, allowing you to visit fewer locations with greater reward! If you’re interested in how many points you need to rank on the Avicaching leaderboard, check out the bottom of the page linked above. The current week of Avicaching ends on Thursday, so I hope to run into you out in the field sometime before then! The weather looks favorable for migration over the next few days, so who knows what’ll turn up. Keep your eyes to the sky! Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Avicaching Week 1
Hi Cayugabirders, I posted here a week or so ago about Avicaching (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/), a new eBird project that is only taking place in Tompkins and Cortland Counties. I wanted to give a brief update on the first week, and perhaps encourage some more people to participate in the upcoming weeks and months! In addition, the rankings for the first week are now up on the site, and will be updated on Fridays going forward! Over 60 species were seen at Avicaches in this first week, including Golden Eagle (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22641875), Cackling Goose (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22570266), and a White-winged Crossbill (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S22642558)! It just goes to show that you never know what you’ll encounter when you head out birding, and also that locations off of the beaten path can offer exciting birds as well as new places to explore. There are still almost two months left of Avicaching, and I hope that you’ll go out there and find some great birds, while simultaneously contributing to science and increasing your chances of winning free Zeiss binoculars! Best, Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Ithaca, NY i...@cornell.edu<mailto:i...@cornell.edu> http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] Migrant birds arriving in our area tomorrow!
Hi all, Tomorrow looks like it could be an excellent day to be outside and looking for birds. With south winds overnight tonight continuing through the day tomorrow, many newly arrived migrant birds should be touching down in our area, as well as passing overhead all day. To give a good idea of what species of birds might be arriving this week, check out the BirdCast migration forecast: http://birdcast.info/forecast/regional-migration-forecast-27-march-3-april-2015/<http://birdcast.info/forecast/regional-migration-forecast-27-march-3-april-2015/#MidwestNortheast>. Phoebes should be back in some numbers in the next couple days, Tree Swallows could be seen near water or flying overhead on their way northward, and Osprey are also returning. If you have one day to get outside and go birding in the next few, tomorrow could be a good choice. Of course, there are no guarantees when birds are involved, but the weather conditions tomorrow are primed for some good birding, and you don’t know what is there until you look! While you’re headed out to see what has arrived over the next couple days, it is a great time to check out a nearby Avicache location! Observers who went Avicaching this past weekend saw some uncommon species at a couple locations, highlighted by a Cackling Goose. Learn how to participate here: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
[cayugabirds-l] New eBird project – Avicaching!
Hello Cayuga birders, I’m writing to invite you all to participate in a new eBird project taking place in Tompkins and Cortland Counties – Avicaching! A take on Geocaching, where people go to specific GPS coordinates to find hidden items, this is the eBird version: going to specific GPS coordinates and recording the birds that you see and hear there. With the birds pouring back into our area for spring, we hope that you’ll go birding, submit your observations to eBird, and maybe win free Zeiss binoculars! All you need is an eBird account and a yearning to go birding. The purpose of this project is to gather data in these two counties that currently have few eBird submissions, allowing us to improve our analyses of data in this area. If the motivation to help improve the quality of the citizen science data in eBird isn’t enough to motivate you to Avicache, we are also offering a prize for participating! Every person who submits at least one eligible eBird checklist from an Avicache location will be entered in a drawing for a brand new pair of Zeiss binoculars. The more that you participate, the higher the chances of winning the binoculars! The first day of the project is this coming Friday, 27 March, continuing until the last Thursday in May – the 31st. Each Friday-Thursday week will be a discrete scoring period, so the games begin this Friday! There are 50 locations across Tompkins and Cortland Counties that are a part of this project, and during the 9 weeks of this project, eBirding done at these Avicaches will award you points that contribute to your Avicaching score. Learn more about the locations, scoring, and the entire project on the official site: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/avicaching/. There are details about the objectives and how you can participate, a map with all of the locations, and much more! Please don’t hesitate to send any questions that you might have my way, and I hope to see you out in the field! Best, Ian -- Ian Davies eBird Project Assistant Cornell Lab of Ornithology http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
