Yesterday, I posted on the need for more European starling breeding records. Today, it is the turn of house sparrows – perhaps the only Connecticut bird species disliked more (though there is another contender, which I’ll get to soon enough!). Continue reading “Where did all the house sparrows go?”
Confirming starlings
Despite their splendid adult plumage and human-like ability to adapt to almost any surroundings, European starlings are rarely a favourite among birders. Introduced from Eurasia on the grounds that Shakespeare mentioned them in Henry IV, Part 1, they are often seen as a pest. Continue reading “Confirming starlings”
Priorities
On Friday, I wrote a post about how we determine whether blocks are “complete” for the breeding portion of the atlas project – using a combination of the time spent in the block, the number of species found, and the number of those species for which breeding is confirmed. Continue reading “Priorities”
When is a block complete?
Although our decision to add a fourth year of breeding surveys to the atlas project was mostly based on the developing pandemic, another key variable we considered was how close we are to having enough data for the project to be a success. Of course, “enough” is a relative term, so we had to choose criteria to determine when a block should be considered complete. Continue reading “When is a block complete?”
Winter atlas update
It’s hard to believe but there are only six weeks of winter atlas field work left, so it’s a good time to get out survey blocks. This week, we updated the block map data on the atlas web site, so species lists should be relatively complete (with the caveat that not all data submitted by mail has been entered yet). Continue reading “Winter atlas update”
Report those owls!
A hooting great horned owl in my yard last night, prompts me to remind everyone that, although we are still in the depths of the winter atlas, we are also a month into the reporting safe dates for Connecticut’s largest nesting owl. Any great horneds heard or seen between now and June should be considered potential breeders. If they are in breeding habitat, then they will count for both the breeding and winter atlases. Continue reading “Report those owls!”
Atlas update handout
Recently, 50-60 atlas volunteers gathered at Hammonasset State Park for our second annual volunteer appreciation event. At the gathering, we discussed data collection so far, as well as plans for the upcoming winter atlas field season. Beforehand, Min Huang compiled a handout that summarizes much of the data collected so far. For those who were unable to attend, that handout can be seen here. Continue reading “Atlas update handout”
Block busting independently
Several bird groups have now run block busting trips to help fill gaps in atlas coverage. Block busting does not have to be done in organized groups though. This weekend, for example, Margaret Rubega and I had some time to kill in western Connecticut, so we spent a few hours searching under-surveyed blocks in the Danbury area. We focused on block 76D, but also spent some time in adjacent blocks, adding species in half a dozen blocks. Continue reading “Block busting independently”
Nest boxes
Many recent messages on the CTbirds listserv have mentioned the use of nest boxes, and just this week the chickadees nesting by my backdoor hatched their young. It’s a good time, then, to remember that nest boxes can make it easy to confirm breeding for a variety of species. And, that incidental records of birds in boxes can really help fill gaps for a number of species. Continue reading “Nest boxes”
Atlasing at the brewery?
Determining which breeding codes apply to which birds seen while atlasing is generally not too hard. There are exceptions, though, and one of the trickiest species is chimney swift. Continue reading “Atlasing at the brewery?”