Hi All,

During the atlas field season the birds don't wait around for me to do
indoor work at the computer. After letting this query sit in my inbox for
two weeks I finally had the time and energy to look up some answers to
Glen's questions in my latest database file from the folks at Patuxent. My
data go through the end of the 2003 field season and were received by me on
24 May of this year, so this is not a fully up-to-the-minute accounting.
However, the data provide some interesting information.

> 1.  Which atlas block has recorded the most species?  Are there any that
> have topped 100?

Here are the top five blocks for 2002-2003,
Bristol-SW                        106 (Jug Bay)
Relay-NW                        101 (Patapsco valley)
Berlin-CE                          100 (coastal Worcester County)
Ocean City-CW                  97
Lonaconing-CE                   95 (western Allegany County)

> 2.  Most number of species confirmed either by total or percentage of
> species for the block.

The top five confimed species totals for 2002-2003,
Bristol-SW                      68
Sykesville-CE                  67 (Howard County)
Relay-NW                       66
Clarksville-NE                 64 (central Howard County)
Sykesville-SE                   59

Evaluating confirmations as a pecentage of total species in a block has
flaws; for instance Osprey nests on channel markers in otherwise pure water
blocks provide 100% confirmation rates.

> 3.  Are there areas of intensive breeding activity across an entire quad
> (say 75+ species in all 6 blocks)?

For now atlas diversity hot spots reflect birder hot spots as much as bird
diversity hot spots.

The top average species total for all six blocks in a quadrangle is 84.7
species per block in the Laurel quad. The presence of the Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center has a lot to do with Laurel's preeminence. In second place
is Clarksville with 81.8 species per block. Howard County has excellent
overall coverage.

> 4.  I know there are some folks that have blocks in several areas of the
> state.  Is anybody (other than Jim) atlasing statewide?

Jim's atlas reports are high on quality (lots of owls, specialties and good
water birds) if a little lacking in sheer quantity. Jim has sent in records
from 13 Maryland counties. He is a little ahead of Bob Ringler, who has
records from 12 counties, and behind the dedicated and indefatigable Chan
Robbins who has reported records from 15 Maryland counties.

> 5.  Who is a glutton for punishment and taken on the most atlas blocks?

Lynn Davidson was assigned to 64 blocks in 2002, and 51 in 2003. Mark
Hoffman was assigned to 39 blocks in 2003, and 33 in 2002. There are at
least 17 other observers who have been assigned to ten or more atlas blocks.

Atlassing is by no means over for this year, lots of birds are still tending
nestlings and fledglings out there and goldfinches are just getting started.
I hope everybody keeps up the phenomenal work and enthusiasm on to the end
of July (at least).

Good Atlassing,

Walter Ellison
MD-DC Atlas Coordinator - MOS
23460 Clarissa Road
Chestertown, MD 21620
phone: 410-778-9568
e-mail: 

"A person who is looking for something doesn't travel very fast" - E. B.
White (in "Stuart Little")