Hola,
We're winding down to the last day of November, which for North American
Birds (NAB) denotes the end of the Fall reporting period, and begins winter.
I'm officially on the clock to take your collective reports and condense them
into a 4500 word summary by 31 January. The region I summarize includes all
of Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and is called the Middle
Atlantic. NAB, for those that don't know, is a quarterly journal of
ornithological record, and consists of thirty-four regional reports from North
America, including Central America, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. The reports
highlight various avifaunal happenings, including major influxes or invasions,
extralimital sightings, more regular birds in atypical numbers, as well as birds
common in some parts of the region but found out-of-place in other areas.
More information about NAB can be found at:
<_http://www.americanbirding.org/publications/nabgen.htm_ (http://www.americanbirding.org/publications/nabgen.htm)
>
Over the past four months I've tried to harvest the sightings from the
various state listservs to include in the report. Invariably I miss things of
note. Often, birds that are reported for multiple days aren't always reported
through their last date on the listservs. Notable sightings may also be
tucked into a posting that has a subject line that I might have deleted.
Sometimes I just flat out miss things. What I'm asking for is reports from folks
detailing their sightings from the past four months. Each sighting in the NAB
report includes the number of individuals, a date (or range of dates),
observer(s), location, locality, and any plumage information (adult, basic, dark, et
cetera). It is also nice to know if the bird was photographed, videotaped,
who originally found the bird, and perhaps what other species it was
associating with. Many contributors often include some commentary about how the
season compared to past seasons, and sometimes a few words on weather. This
contextual information can be invaluable. Also, for species that are reviewable
by the local records committees, I ask for some documentation to accompany
the report (photos, written description, sketch, et cetera).
If possible, please try to send me any information within the next couple of
weeks. With the holidays and Christmas Bird Count season looming, I realize
that it is much to ask. I sincerely appreciate all reports that I receive.
I've been notoriously tardy in getting my report submitted, and I intend to
end that trend with this issue. I'm hoping to have my report finished about
a week before it is due.
Reports can be sent to me electronically at
(mailto:[log in to unmask]) , or via envelope and stamp to:
Todd Day
5118 Beaver Dam Road
Jeffersonton, Virginia, 22724
Thanks in advance, and here's to a great winter.
Cheers,
Todd
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Todd Michael Day
Jeffersonton, Virginia, USA
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