Memorandum to Cooperators

SUMMER 2000

CONTENTS --

 

--1999 ROUTE COVERAGE

-- COORDINATOR UPDATES - WI

-- NEW VOLUNTEER SERVICE AGREEMENTS

-- AWARDS

-- REQUEST FOR SLIDES

-- 1999 BBS PUBLICATIONS

 -- BBS WEB PAGE ADDITIONS

 -- NOTES FROM THE FIELD

 

1999 COVERAGE
Our thanks to all participants for a great field season! At the time of this writing 2812 routes had been completed and the data submitted to the BBS office, as compared to 2758 completed surveys by the same time last year. Since last year's memo, an additional 100 routes from 1998 have been submitted, raising the 1998 total to 2858 routes. Although we are grateful for the late data, we ask that everyone please try to submit their data on time: 15 July if data are to be scanned and 31 August if data are entered over the Internet. If the data are not submitted in a timely manner, they cannot be included in the most current analysis and must sit for an entire year until the next analysis is done. Obviously, to keep the BBS results as current as possible we want to minimize the number of late data returns.

This year's total represents a 2.1% decrease in coverage as compared to last year's coverage. Although if the expected 1999 late returns materialize, we will actually be looking at a 1% increase in coverage over 1998. As of now however, 2397 routes have been run in the U.S. Canada had a great year as well; a total of 426 routes were surveyed which is a 2.4% increase over last year's total. See the table on page two for individual state results.

On a related topic, if you ran a BBS route in 1999 and mailed it to our office but did not receive a summary report or email message confirming receipt by our office, please let us know. It is possible that we never received your data.

1998-1999 Coverage Summary

State/Prov.

AL

AK

AB

AZ

AR

BC

CA

CO

CT

DE

FL

GA

ID

IL

IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

NWT

ME

MB

MD

MA

MI

MN

MS

MO

MT

NE

NV

# of Routes

1998

75

67

84

35

29

62

129

110

12

10

74

45

52

73

33

23

33

26

45

4

47

45

53

19

39

54

24

42

50

29

21

1999

70

63

83

44

33

67

123

113

10

7

77

36

45

82

43

25

32

29

49

5

39

38

53

18

36

52

21

37

43

30

22

Canada

U.S.

Total

# of Routes

Percent Change

State/Prov.

1998

-6.7

NB

15

-6.0

NF

6

-1.2

NH

23

25.7

NJ

22

13.8

NM

49

8.1

NY

82

-4.7

NC

54

2.7

ND

36

-16.7

NS

26

-30.0

OH

56

4.1

OK

50

-20.0

ON

80

-13.5

OR

92

12.3

PA

83

30.3

PR

19

8.7

PEI

2

-3.0

PQ

55

11.5

RI

1

8.9

SK

27

25.0

SC

25

-17.0

SD

36

-15.6

TN

40

0.0

TX

128

-5.3

UT

74

-7.7

VT

20

-3.7

VA

56

-12.5

WA

75

-11.9

WV

36

-14.0

WI

86

3.4

WY

77

4.8

YT

12

416

2469

2885

426

2397

2813

2.4

-2.9

-2.1

1999

17

8

19

15

59

79

57

35

29

54

45

83

83

78

7

0

55

1

28

26

43

35

126

75

20

53

69

33

86

67

11

Percent Change

13.3

33.3

-17.4

-31.8

20.4

-3.7

5.6

-2.8

11.5

-3.6

-10.0

3.8

-9.8

-6.0

-63.2

--

0.0

0.0

3.7

4.0

19.4

-12.5

-1.6

1.4

0.0

-5.4

-8.0

-8.3

0.0

-13.0

-8.3

 

3000 IN 2000 OR BUST!
Similar to 1998, we expect the total 1999 coverage to rise by approximately 100 routes as delinquent data are returned to the BBS office throughout this year. This would bring us closer to 2900 completed routes in 1999. As you can see by the graph below, we are within striking range of our goal. We only need to complete an additional 100 routes over the 1999 total to reach 3000 routes run in 2000! In theory, that is about 2 extra routes per state. In practice however, the burden will not be equal. States with numerous vacant routes or routes that did not get run in 1999 will need to redouble their efforts and try to fill an additional 3-5 routes if we are to be successful. Let's each make it a personal challenge to do all that we can to break the 3000 route mark this year!

 

On another front, we still need 89 routes to reach our goal of increasing the total number of U.S. routes by 300. Since 1997 we have added 211 routes. We encourage state coordinators, especially in the mid-west and west, to consider adding routes. State coordinators should contact the BBS office to request additional routes.

One note to participants who may be surveying a new route this year. To delineate the route path on the map the appropriate roads are highlighted. The highlighted path is only a guide, however, and normally extends further then the prescribed 24.5 miles to compensate for potential road problems or topography. Use your car odometer to determine the actual end of the route which may fall short of the highlighted end.
 

STATE COORDINATORS
One major change has taken place among the state coordinators since the last memo. Darryl Tessen has relinquished the Wisconsin state BBS coordinator position, and has been replaced by Mark Korducki (2955 N 77th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53222; 414-476-8049; Korducki@execpc.com). Our thanks go out to Darryl for the great job he did as state coordinator and we wish him well in his future endeavors! We also thank Mark for taking on this added responsibility and welcome him!

Current state coordinator contact information is available on the BBS web page via the "Contact Us" link.

NEW VOLUNTEER SERVICE AGREEMENTS
Undoubtedly many of you have already noticed the new volunteer service agreement (VSA) forms enclosed in your packets. As part of USGS we were required to change forms. Although they look markedly different, the forms serve the same basic function as the previous forms. One important difference is that each person volunteering to participate in the BBS must complete a separate VSA form in order to be covered by the agreement. For example, both the observer and the assistant must complete separate forms. Or, if you have two assistants (i.e. a recorder and a driver), all three of you must complete separate forms in order to be covered by the agreement. Two VSA forms are provided in the packet for this purpose. If you need additional forms, please contact the BBS office or photocopy one of the enclosed forms prior to completing it. To complete this form we only require that you print your name (block 1a.), sign and date the form (bottom of first page); all other personal information is voluntary.
 

VOLUNTEER AWARDS
As a token of our appreciation for the great work that you do and have done for the BBS, we have implemented a volunteer award program to mark certain milestones of your BBS career. Each award will be accompanied by an appropriate personalized certificate. The milestones include the tenth, twentieth, and thirtieth anniversaries of your participation in the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the completion of 50 routes. The corresponding awards are listed below.
 

Milestone

10-year Anniversary

20-year Anniversary

30-year Anniversary

50 Routes completed

Award

BBS lapel pin

BBS key chain

BBS cap

"Birds of North America" Golden field guide
Autographed by Chandler S. Robbins

Congratulations to all recipients and thank you again for your extraordinary commitment to the BBS!
 

REQUEST FOR SLIDES
The BBS slide collection needs new images. Many of the slides we now have depict scenes from the mid-70s and we would really like to update the collection with fresh scenes. To do this, we ask that you send us color slides of you conducting your BBS route. We hope to build a collection of slides depicting a variety of habitat types and data collection poses. Bird slides are welcome as well. Once submitted the slides become the property of the BBS and may be used on the Internet or in other government publications. No monetary compensation will be provided if the slides are used, but we will happily credit the photographer. Just be sure to clearly print the photographer's name, location of the scene, and date on the slide border. Also include the names of any people depicted in the slide if different from the photographer. Thanks for your help and I look forward to seeing many of your faces!
 

BBS WEB PAGE (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/)
Two new report options have been added to the data retrieval site that we hope most participants will find useful. The first report lists all species ever detected on a route by common name. The second report is a table listing all species ever detected on the route by common name along with the total number of individuals detected each year (See sample table below.). The reports may be useful to see which bird species have been detected on your route in the past, or if you are thinking about picking up an additional route you can visit this site to determine which species to expect on the new route.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Species Totals for Route 02001:

Species

Great Blue Heron

Wood Duck

Killdeer

1966

--

--

--

1967

2

1

8

1968

--

--

--

1969

0

2

1

1970

0

1

2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
These reports are available via the "Download Raw Data"
(www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/retrieval/) linkon the BBS web page.
 

BBS list serve -- A list serve devoted to the Breeding Bird Survey is also now available. We hope you will use it to communicate with BBS participants around the country on matters related to the BBS. It should provide an ideal forum to share experiences, get answers to commonly asked questions, or to keep abreast of what's new with the BBS. To subscribe go to the "Contact Us" link on the BBS home page and then select the "BBStalk" link, or subscribe directly through email by
sending a blank message to: join-bbstalk@rana.er.usgs.gov.
 

1999 BBS RELATED ARTICLES
-- Population status of North American grassland birds from the North American Breeding Bird Survey, 1966-1996. Authors: Bruce G. Peterjohn and John R. Sauer. Studies in Avian Biology No. 19:27-44, 1999.

Reprints of this article are available through the BBS office.
 

Use of BBS data soars -- Since its inception, the main emphasis of the BBS has been to provide information on the distribution and trends of all bird species that are regularly encountered on these surveys. And as many of you know, BBS data have become a very important source of non-game bird information over the last 33 years. However, these data have also been used for various other purposes. For example, BBS data have been instrumental in the development of methods to estimate
                             

population trends from survey data, while some of the potential biases associated with survey data have been explored through the use of the BBS data set. As this database has grown during the past three decades, the potential uses for it have also expanded. Questions concerning landscape ecology and community ecology at large geographic scales are being addressed with BBS data, and the potential for future research opportunities remains fertile. The graph above depicts the number of articles where authors have relied heavily, if not solely, on BBS data for their research. This information was garnered from the BBS bibliography which was derived primarily from professional journals and from regional and state periodicals devoted to birds, but does not include newsletters from local bird clubs. Literature sources where BBS data are minor components of the published information, such as many breeding bird atlases, have not been included. A few theses and dissertations have been included where BBS data or methodology have been the main emphasis of the research, but this source was undoubtedly not exhausted. Also a few government publications and similar "gray literature" sources are included, but such references are difficult to locate and some may have been missed. The BBS bibliography can be accessed via the "Data Page" link on the BBS Home Page. If upon reviewing the bibliography you find that we missed a publication of the types listed above, please let us know. We would like to make the bibliography as comprehensive as possible.
 

STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Safety first
-- Following up on Richard West's suggestion last year, several participants requested and wore blaze orange safety vests while running their BBS routes and experienced similar results; suspicious stares and questions were much reduced. In fact, Ronnie Ryno who runs 3 BBS routes in California was so pleased with the results of wearing the safety vest that he dubbed it his "Richard West Vest." If any of you are interested, we still have several vests available at the BBS office for distribution on a first-come, first-served basis. Also relatively inexpensive (usually $1-2) light-weight plastic, blaze orange vests can often be found in the sporting goods section of many department stores.

Several participants have suggested another good idea. They suggested that we provide BBS identification placards for use in the vehicle window while conducting BBS routes. Basically, the placard would identify the holder as a BBS participant and list the BBS office contact information in case law enforcement or suspicious landowners care to pursue it further. Enclosed in this year's packets are the placards. Their use is optional since we realize that in some parts of the country it may not be prudent to outwardly advertise that you are participating in a federally sponsored program.

Adventures, amusing mishaps & encounters -- While conducting the Whiskey Spring, Oregon BBS route Howard and Elaine Sands reported that they began hearing a strange sound coming from the engine of their '92 Taurus. Upon lifting the hood Howard was greeted with a cloud of steam and a spray of boiling water. Panic began to creep in as they realized they had a dry radiator, no extra water, it was Sunday morning, and they were 15 miles from the nearest town on a seldom used Forest Service road. After calming down Howard observed they were at the crest of a hill and that most of the way to Prospect, the nearest town, was down hill. So they coasted for nine miles, only turning on the engine briefly to get over small hills or level areas to complete the route. Still six miles out of town and on level ground, Howard re-examines the now cool engine and finds a tear the radiator hose. Pulling an empty plastic sandwich bag from the lunch pail and a shoe string from his shoe, Howard patched the tear and then filled the radiator with water from a nearby river. Repairs made they took off for Prospect with their fingers crossed. Twenty minutes later they arrive in town with the engine hissing and the plastic bag a melting mass of bubbles, but they made it! Now Howard goes by the moniker of "Mcgyver" in his household.

Jenny Lowe and Craig Logsdon set their alarms for 2:30 a.m., plenty early to get to the start point of the Ruby Road, Alaska BBS route on time. However upon awaking they found that they had neglected to factor bothersome bears into their schedule. When preparing to load the truck, Jenny and Craig found a bold black bear thumping around on the back porch of the cabin and attempting to get into the bed of the pick-up truck. Efforts to scare the bear away were met with a mock charge so they decided to let him have his way. Luckily while Jenny and Craig ate a quick breakfast the bear left allowing them to keep on schedule. But as they drove from stop to stop, muddy paw prints on the truck windows kept the memory of the early morning visitor fresh in their minds.

Move over Roswell, New Mexico! Arizona has the real deal. Forget about habitat loss, habitat degradation, cowbird parasitism, and agricultural chemicals because the real cause of bird population declines is now apparent -- aliens are abducting our birds! Josh Burns reported seeing a UFO along the first six stops of the Oatman, Arizona BBS route. But according to BBS protocol we can only accept the observation at the first stop. Josh goes on to explain that it was actually a huge balloon fitted with navigational safety lights that was launched in New Mexico to study cosmic rays. It subsequently passed over much of Arizona due to high altitude winds and became the most popularly reported UFO in Arizona for a time.

Visions of a foiled BBS attempt momentarily haunted Paula Hansley and Gary Emerson as they entered their car to run the South Fork, Colorado BBS route. As Gary started the car, the key broke off in his hand leaving the other end of the key in the ignition. Persistence paid off once again however, when they found that the car could still be started by pressing the broken part of the key into the ignition and in that manner they completed the route.

Ronda and David Woodward were just in time to see several birds prepare their breakfasts along the Ragged Mountain, Colorado BBS route. They saw a Red-tailed Hawk with a rock squirrel, an American Kestrel with a wriggling snake, and a Golden Eagle with something small and dark in its talons -- and a pair of crows in hot pursuit.
 

A bonus to conducting a BBS is that it often gets you out in the field at a time when animals besides birds are also active. Jocelyn Baker saw the following non-avian wildlife while conducting the Badlands, South Dakota BBS route: 3 mule deer, 6 bison, 3 pronghorn antelopes, and numerous prairie dogs. Georgia Frazier and Robert Greene were treated to the sights of 217 pronghorn antelope, 3 mule deer, and 1 coyote along the Ingomar, Montana BBS route.

However some participants must content themselves with the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Chet McGaugh who runs the Cottonwood BBS route in southern California writes, "If the place wasn't so beautiful I would have quit years ago. A singing Hermit Warbler in Pinto Basin doesn't really make up for 18 stops with no birds. The desert is in drought, with almost nothing blooming. Even lizards are scarce."

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Do you have BBS data from previous years that was never sent in? Remember, it is never too late. Whether it is 1 or 25 years old, we can still use it. While we don't wish to promote late data submission, don't throw it out just because it's a year or two old. Send it to us.
 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Besides the thousands of you in the field, I would also like to thank Susan Balenger and Kacie Miller for their outstanding help behind the scenes at the BBS office during the 1999 season. They assisted with numerous tasks that kept the data moving through the office in a timely manner.
 

 

Good luck & good birding in 2000!

Keith Pardieck
Keith_Pardieck@usgs.gov
301/497-5843