Hi David,

Congratulations on the excellent observations, and thanks for putting in so much hard work! Dan's Mountain is a fantastic area that certainly deserves more attention than it gets. That's outstanding that you've already gathered enough data to meet global IBA threshold. Finding Winter Wrens on territory there is also big news! Well done!

I also wanted to send a follow-up note about signing up for IBA Bird Blitz routes. As a believer in the program and someone who is bent on recruiting everyone to help, I want to point out that routes certainly do not require 20K hikes or three-day time investments! ;) The Bird Blitz routes have nearly all been created to be reasonable for an average observer during a morning's birding. With few exceptions, they follow roads and trails (David will let you know if you select an exception). As for the data gathering, it's not too different from atlasing except you're following a set route and tracking only species of interest. You either mark those species on a high-res map or enter them as points on a GPS (preferred, but not required). These are provided by David when you sign up for routes. Here's a nice cheat sheet of species of interest (i.e., primary and secondary target species) and basic map codes:

http://mddc.audubon.org/PDFs/BirdBlitzMappingCodes2009.pdf

Why are we doing this?

Because we always have new people joining us, I like to include a summary of what the heck this is all about. My favorite way to summarize is that we can't effectively protect our most important bird habitat if we don't know exactly where it is. When we identify an IBA, we bring attention to an area that boasts significant populations of at-risk species or species groups. More importantly, we don't just SAY it's important, we have the data to back it up. The publicity and the hard data are key. 

This year's Bird Blitz efforts are focused on western Maryland and southern Maryland, two areas under serious development pressure (especially the latter). By definition, each Bird Blitz route will take you to an exceptional birding destination. As demonstrated by David's post, you can make a significant contribution to conservation while enjoying a visit to one of Maryland's best (and often, under-explored) birding areas. 

Just a few thoughts!  I hope you'll consider getting in touch with David Yeany or Dave Curson about signing up for a few routes. 

David Yeany II, M.S.
Phone: 814-221-4361
Email: 

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to try to answer as well. If I don't have the answer, I will gladly nag the right people until I do!

Have a good one,

Bill

p.s. I spoke with Dave Curson yesterday, who had been surveying for Saltmarsh Sparrows in coastal Worcester while returning from Delaware. At Truitt's Landing, he observed a skulking Ammodramus sparrow that appeared to be an interior Nelson's. 

Bill Hubick
Pasadena, Maryland

http://www.billhubick.com