12-29-2007, 03:06 AM
Storm expected to drive down bird count figures
[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Stephanie%20Schneider&-nothing"]Stephanie Schneider[/url]![[Image: z.gif]](http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/images/z.gif)
December 26, 2007 - The winter storm that blanketed the region in several inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15 and 16, hampered an annual effort to document local bird populations by keeping volunteer counters insider and sending birds looking for shelter.
The Detroit and Oakland chapters of the Audubon Society conducted their annual Christmas bird counts on Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, respectively. Each count consisted of a "circle" 15 miles in diameter, and went on from midnight to midnight. Count figures haven't been finalized, but are expected to be lower than last year's numbers due to the poor weather on the local count dates.
The Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count is an international event, and has been in existence since 1900, when it was instituted as an alternative to Christmas bird-hunting. It's held across the entire northern hemisphere, and into the American Samoan Islands near Mexico. Chapters in every state and every Canadian province participate.
Each individual count is completed during one calendar day, with most groups splitting counting duties up within designated areas in their circles.
The count is held by Audubon Society members and volunteers, and is considered an important tool in assessing the growth or decline of winter bird species.
"I think it's about 65 years ago or so that the whole count system started for the Detroit Audubon (Society)," said Tim Nowiki, Detroit Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data compiler. "It's divided into 15 different sections, in the 15 mile diameter circle, and we have leaders and people that go out into each of those sections to count how many birds they can see, and to identify them by species."
The Detroit chapter's count circle includes Waterford, Highland, White Lake, and parts of Holly, and into northwest Oakland County. The center of the chapter's count area is near Ormond Road and M-59 in White Lake Township, and spans from Highland to Clarkston.
The Oakland chapter's count area covers northeast Oakland County, including Lake Orion, Lake Angelus, Oxford and Auburn Hills.
According to Nancy Tar, Oakland Audubon's bird count data compiler, that chapter's circle extends north of Oxford and south to Walton Boulevard, then stretches east to Dequindre Road.
Owl counters were out before dawn, as early as 4:30 a.m., during both local counts. Other bird counters went into the field at sunrise.
The volunteers traveled along back roads and other routes within designated areas to tally how many birds stopped at a particular bird feeder. Counters also constantly looked overhead for hawks and flocks of birds, and traveled to natural areas to look for less urban species. Volunteers also headed to lakes, where they counted ducks and other waterfowl.
Sometimes, just getting permission to count the birds can be difficult.
"In some parts of our circle, it has become quite developed, with a lot of new subdivisions — and, as a result, the counting is done more by looking at bird feeders and what birds are on the trees near the roads," Nowiki said. "Some counters spend a lot of time getting permission from private property owners to walk their property. Some areas are a little less developed, but you still need permission from the property owner."
Nowiki added that a lot of counting amounts to just "traversing the roads" and "counting what you can see."
The total number of birds and the number of species are both recorded throughout each group's count day. After all of the data is compiled, it's sent to the Michigan Audubon Society and the National Audubon Society.
"We submit the results to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and they have the ability to put all the counts from all the years on a data base that is accessible to the general public through their web site," Nowiki said.
He added that the data can be used to make graphs or plot bird populations or migration patterns. The gathered data can also be used to track the decline of threatened species.
"Researchers are using this data to try to get a handle on population trends for species in the United States," Nowiki said. "There's no way that professional scientists would be able to garner this volume of information if it wasn't for volunteer counters."
According to Nowiki, the volunteer-gathered status of the data "puts some limitations" on it, since the volunteers don't necessarily have a standardized approach to counting.
However, according to Nowiki, the volunteer data "seems to reflect pretty much the data that scientists (gather)," giving it "a great deal of value."
"It's the only bird survey that's been done for a consecutive 107 years," said Oakland Audubon's Tar. "It's been a very important survey because it's alerted scientists to the decline of threatened species, such as the peregrine falcon, which had become endangered due to DDT (consumption that made shells brittle.) It's very important; it's a critical scientific survey."
The Detroit chapter's count took place on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the height of the weekend winter storm. That's expected to make the chapter's bird count numbers lower than usual.
"I don't think most of the counters actually got out on Sunday, because of the storm," Nowiki said. "A lot of folks just didn't have the vehicles that could handle the roads, because a lot of them were never plowed."
Nowiki said he only had six sections of his count circle represented in his evening tally, and added that he doesn't know "exactly how many other groups may have counted," but he assumes it wasn't a lot. At least six groups called in to say they wouldn't be making it into the field.
"Our total numbers are going to be way, way down because of that," he said. "We had at 15 people that had to be coordinated for one day, and ... you can't just go out two days later when the conditions are different. The data tends to get skewed a little bit, but that's something that happens periodically."
The Oakland chapter held its count on Saturday Dec. 15, when conditions were more favorable.
"It was cold, there were periods of snow, and our count was maybe down a little bit because of the weather, but we still had a really good count," Tar said. "We had to go out, no matter what. This count is very important.
"Bird-watchers like myself can participate; anyone can participate," she said. "You don't have to be a biologist. It's always open to the public. I'd look forward to anyone giving me a shout next year; come and join us."
Contact Tar and the Oakland Audubon chapter by dialing 248-399-7243.
Contact Nowiki and the Detroit chapter at 734-525-8630.
Historical and current year count data is available through the National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count web site, [url "http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc"]www.audubon.org/bird/cbc[/url], where compilers enter data directly into the cumulative online database.
Stephanie Schneider
[signature]
[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Stephanie%20Schneider&-nothing"]Stephanie Schneider[/url]
December 26, 2007 - The winter storm that blanketed the region in several inches of snow on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 15 and 16, hampered an annual effort to document local bird populations by keeping volunteer counters insider and sending birds looking for shelter.The Detroit and Oakland chapters of the Audubon Society conducted their annual Christmas bird counts on Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, respectively. Each count consisted of a "circle" 15 miles in diameter, and went on from midnight to midnight. Count figures haven't been finalized, but are expected to be lower than last year's numbers due to the poor weather on the local count dates.
The Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count is an international event, and has been in existence since 1900, when it was instituted as an alternative to Christmas bird-hunting. It's held across the entire northern hemisphere, and into the American Samoan Islands near Mexico. Chapters in every state and every Canadian province participate.
Each individual count is completed during one calendar day, with most groups splitting counting duties up within designated areas in their circles.
The count is held by Audubon Society members and volunteers, and is considered an important tool in assessing the growth or decline of winter bird species.
"I think it's about 65 years ago or so that the whole count system started for the Detroit Audubon (Society)," said Tim Nowiki, Detroit Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data compiler. "It's divided into 15 different sections, in the 15 mile diameter circle, and we have leaders and people that go out into each of those sections to count how many birds they can see, and to identify them by species."
The Detroit chapter's count circle includes Waterford, Highland, White Lake, and parts of Holly, and into northwest Oakland County. The center of the chapter's count area is near Ormond Road and M-59 in White Lake Township, and spans from Highland to Clarkston.
The Oakland chapter's count area covers northeast Oakland County, including Lake Orion, Lake Angelus, Oxford and Auburn Hills.
According to Nancy Tar, Oakland Audubon's bird count data compiler, that chapter's circle extends north of Oxford and south to Walton Boulevard, then stretches east to Dequindre Road.
Owl counters were out before dawn, as early as 4:30 a.m., during both local counts. Other bird counters went into the field at sunrise.
The volunteers traveled along back roads and other routes within designated areas to tally how many birds stopped at a particular bird feeder. Counters also constantly looked overhead for hawks and flocks of birds, and traveled to natural areas to look for less urban species. Volunteers also headed to lakes, where they counted ducks and other waterfowl.
Sometimes, just getting permission to count the birds can be difficult.
"In some parts of our circle, it has become quite developed, with a lot of new subdivisions — and, as a result, the counting is done more by looking at bird feeders and what birds are on the trees near the roads," Nowiki said. "Some counters spend a lot of time getting permission from private property owners to walk their property. Some areas are a little less developed, but you still need permission from the property owner."
Nowiki added that a lot of counting amounts to just "traversing the roads" and "counting what you can see."
The total number of birds and the number of species are both recorded throughout each group's count day. After all of the data is compiled, it's sent to the Michigan Audubon Society and the National Audubon Society.
"We submit the results to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and they have the ability to put all the counts from all the years on a data base that is accessible to the general public through their web site," Nowiki said.
He added that the data can be used to make graphs or plot bird populations or migration patterns. The gathered data can also be used to track the decline of threatened species.
"Researchers are using this data to try to get a handle on population trends for species in the United States," Nowiki said. "There's no way that professional scientists would be able to garner this volume of information if it wasn't for volunteer counters."
According to Nowiki, the volunteer-gathered status of the data "puts some limitations" on it, since the volunteers don't necessarily have a standardized approach to counting.
However, according to Nowiki, the volunteer data "seems to reflect pretty much the data that scientists (gather)," giving it "a great deal of value."
"It's the only bird survey that's been done for a consecutive 107 years," said Oakland Audubon's Tar. "It's been a very important survey because it's alerted scientists to the decline of threatened species, such as the peregrine falcon, which had become endangered due to DDT (consumption that made shells brittle.) It's very important; it's a critical scientific survey."
The Detroit chapter's count took place on Sunday, Dec. 16, at the height of the weekend winter storm. That's expected to make the chapter's bird count numbers lower than usual.
"I don't think most of the counters actually got out on Sunday, because of the storm," Nowiki said. "A lot of folks just didn't have the vehicles that could handle the roads, because a lot of them were never plowed."
Nowiki said he only had six sections of his count circle represented in his evening tally, and added that he doesn't know "exactly how many other groups may have counted," but he assumes it wasn't a lot. At least six groups called in to say they wouldn't be making it into the field.
"Our total numbers are going to be way, way down because of that," he said. "We had at 15 people that had to be coordinated for one day, and ... you can't just go out two days later when the conditions are different. The data tends to get skewed a little bit, but that's something that happens periodically."
The Oakland chapter held its count on Saturday Dec. 15, when conditions were more favorable.
"It was cold, there were periods of snow, and our count was maybe down a little bit because of the weather, but we still had a really good count," Tar said. "We had to go out, no matter what. This count is very important.
"Bird-watchers like myself can participate; anyone can participate," she said. "You don't have to be a biologist. It's always open to the public. I'd look forward to anyone giving me a shout next year; come and join us."
Contact Tar and the Oakland Audubon chapter by dialing 248-399-7243.
Contact Nowiki and the Detroit chapter at 734-525-8630.
Historical and current year count data is available through the National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count web site, [url "http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc"]www.audubon.org/bird/cbc[/url], where compilers enter data directly into the cumulative online database.
Stephanie Schneider
[signature]