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Re: C & O Canal Mid Winter Count

From:

Rick Sussman

Reply-To:

Maryland Birds & Birding

Date:

Fri, 3 Dec 2004 07:46:00 EST

 
In a message dated 12/3/2004 6:32:06 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

Well,  you should, Rick - it's a reat count, and in many ways, the data is
more  useful than the "Christmas" counts.  Nyah,  nyah!!!


Frank



Frank,
 A "great" count is in the eyes of the beholder! I cannot think of a  single 
way in which the data from this count would be more useful than any CBC.  The 
C&O Canal mid-winter count, while a nice walk along some pretty winter  woods, 
seems to me to be rather a useless count, for the most part. It is a very  
restricted linear count, and the birds seen are really nothing out of the  
ordinary for this area in winter. The only difference I see in the birds along a  
stretch of the canal in Georgetown and those in Cumberland, are the 2 chickadee 
 species (and where the line of separation is). The numbers of birds (both  
species and total number seen) could probably be extrapolated after a few  
seasons of the count. Any variance in numbers (species in decline, etc.) can be  
seen from the CBC's which cover areas of the canal (Seneca, Sugarloaf, etc.) 
and  which have a long history. 
 
The fact that the "canal" is such a narrow entity in many parts of its 185  
miles, really restricts its usefulness as a count, IMHO. Perhaps someone could  
put together a checklist of the winter birds along the C&O Canal eventually.  
A more useful count would be doing it at least once in every season, with  
breeding birds included. 
 
 I wish we'd bring back the Montgomery County mid-winter count. Now  THAT was 
a great count! Anyway, just my opinions here, please everybody don't  jump 
down my throat...
 
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD
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