2000-2001 Coverage Summary

		# of Routes						# of Routes
State/Prov.	Available Routes	2000	2001	Percent Change		State/Prov.	Available Routes	2000	2001	Percent Change
AL	91	82	77	-6.1		NB	31	22	23	4.5
AK	102	76	65	-14.5		NF	30	5	8	60.0
AB	180	87	90	3.4		NH	23	23	20	-13.0
AZ	67	42	43	2.4		NJ	28	22	23	4.5
AR	33	32	33	3.1		NM	64	60	60	0.0
BC	135	71	75	5.6		NY	112	73	59	--19.2
CA	229	127	118	-7.1		NC	92	62	71	14.5
CO	135	108	104	-3.7		ND	44	39	40	2.6
CT	16	10	7	-30.0		NS	29	25	25	0
DE	10	9	9	0		OH	68	57	55	-3.5
FL	91	78	78	0		OK	64	44	38	-13.6
GA	60	34	33	-2.9		ON	193	85	75	-11.8
ID	58	43	39	-9.3		OR	122	81	74	-8.6
IL	101	81	93	14.8		PA	105	87	91	4.6
IN	61	53	52	-1.9		PR	44	6	27	350.0
IA	33	26	21	-19.2		PEI	4	3	3	0
KS	61	59	52	-11.9		PQ	161	58	50	-13.8
KY	47	29	30	3.4		RI	5	1	1	0.0
LA	68	48	43	-10.4		SK	86	36	40	11.1
NWT	11	5	6	20.0		SC	34	28	24	-14.3
ME	60	35	34	-2.9		SD	62	43	39	-9.3
MB	67	47	44	-6.4		TN	47	38	34	-10.5
MD	59	54	50	-7.4		TX	193	115	126	9.6
MA	24	18	16	-11.1		UT	100	73	75	2.7
MI	83	53	50	-5.7		VT	23	17	13	-23.5
MN	86	48	51	6.3		VA	70	61	55	-9.8
MS	37	21	22	4.8		WA	94	67	71	6.0
MO	53	36	36	0.0		WV	55	40	37	-7.5
MT	65	59	55	-6.8		WI	92	79	67	-15.2
NE	46	34	34	0		WY	110	66	64	-3.0
NV	42	23	20	-13.0		YT	34	16	11	-31.3

Canada	961	460	450	-2.2
U.S.	3469	2500	2429	-2.8
Total	4430	2960	2879	-2.7

New Routes -- If you are running a new route this year, please note that the highlighted route path is only a guide and often extends beyond the standard route length of 24.5 miles.  Use your car odometer, or GPS unit, to determine the stop locations and the end of the route which may fall short of the highlighted portion.

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.

STATE COORDINATORS

There have been three changes among the state coordinators this year.  In Arkansas, Max Parker has retired from the state coordinator position after 28 years of exemplary service and leaves Kenny Nichols to carry on those duties.  Just to the north of Arkansas, in Missouri, Brad Jacobs has taken on the coordinator duties from Jim Williams, another long-time and impeccable coordinator.  In California, Brian Williams has graciously agreed to fill the too-long vacant co-coordinator position, and he is off to a great start having already filled 14 routes in the few short months he has been a  coordinator!  Please join us in welcoming Brian to the fold, and in extending our sincere thanks to Max and Jim for the wonderful jobs they have done for the BBS  over the years.

Contact information for the new state coordinators is listed below:

Arkansas	California	Misssouri
Kenny Nichols 170 River Mist Drive Pangburn, AR 72121 501-728-4519 kingbird@alltel.net	Brian Williams 8200 Turner Drive Granite Bay, CA 95746 916-791-1240  Bwcal@sprynet.com	Brad Jacobs Missouri Dept. Conservation P.O. Box 180     Jefferson City, MO 65102   573-751-4115 ext. 3196 Jacobb@mail.conservation.state.mo.us

STOP LOCATION DATABASE

Since 1997 we'.ve been storing bird data at the stop level, leaving many people asking, When will we know exactly where these birds were detected?  Where is the stop located? With your help and the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS), we will soon have the answer to these questions.  On the BBS web site we now have a program that will allow you to input the geographic coordinates of each stop on your route along with written stop descriptions.  This information will then be stored in the BBS database.  Follow the Data Entry on the BBS web site to the Stop Location Data link to enter your stop location latitude and longitudes.  Instructions for entering these data are also available at this site.

Why go to this extra trouble?  Well hopefully, it won't be much trouble especially if you already have a GPS unit and are familiar with how to use it.  In fact, we have had numerous BBS participants write to us telling how easy it is to navigate to their stops using a GPS unit.  This is especially true for routes in areas of the country with few landmarks.  Additionally, it will give natural resource managers and researchers the information needed to explore other analyses of BBS data.  For example, once the stop locations are georeferenced they can be grouped by habitat type using satellite data (i.e., MLRC) and then be used for generating trend estimates for species in specific habitats, instead of just for political units or broad physiographic regions.  This information can also be helpful in answering other questions regarding the validity of BBS results.  For example, to what extent is the habitat sampled by BBS routes representative of habitats at broader geographic scales?  And, does habitat along BBS routes change at different rates than off‑road?  Again, knowing the locations of BBS stops will allow the use of remotely sensed habitat data to answer these questions.

NEW COMMENT FORM

The comment forms have been redesigned to enable us to store and track their contents electronically.  Each form will be scanned and the subject matter indexed and stored in our database along with an image of the form.  This will enable BBS managers and researchers in the future to easily find, for example, information about route changes, rare species, or species that were seen outside of the 3-minute counts when reported.

To make the new comment form tracking system work efficiently we need your cooperation in filling out the forms.  First it is important to know that you are not required to provide comments, unless you have had a problem (route or otherwise) that you need to advise the BBS office of, or need to document rare, uncommon or migrant species.  But we do welcome all comments of a substantive nature, including stories about your BBS adventures.  If you do provide comments, please complete the entire form especially the route number information, also fill in the appropriate bubble below each number.

BBS TRAINING PROGRAM

In partial response to BBS Peer Review recommendations 11 and 13 and the recommendations resulting from the BBS Coordinator's meeting held in August 2000, the BBS office has developed a methodology training program.  This program is intended to supplement the written BBS instructions currently provided to all participants.  The training program is available on CD-ROM and the BBS web site and takes approximately 25 minutes to complete.  The program features a video introduction by Chan Robbins, along with general information on how to conduct point counts and specific information on how to conduct a Breeding Bird Survey.  All new BBS observers, beginning with the 2003 field season, will be required to successfully complete the program prior to participating in the North American Breeding Bird Survey.  Current BBS participants are also welcome and encouraged to take the training, but it is not required.  For more information regarding this training program see the Learning Tools on the BBS web site.

BBS AWARDS

With the completion of the 2001 BBS season 118 participants have earned the following BBS awards:

10-year BBS lapel pin --

Stephen Allen, Pamela Allen, Leif Anderson, Douglas Backlund, Scott Bohle, Doug Booher, Paul Boucher, Richard Bradley, Betsy Brown, Joshua Burns, William Clark, Frank Conley, Dwight Cooley, Sam Cooper, Troy Corman, John Cornely, Douglas Cottam, Charles Debetaz, Carol Deno, Dave Dister, Bill Eddleman, Karan Fairchild, Joyce Foster, David George, Theresa Graham, Alan Gregory, Deborah Grimes, Lisa Hamilton, Greg Harber, Robert Harlan, David Hawksworth, Jim Herkert, Lindsay Hodgman, Harlan Hostager, Frank Howe, Mary Humphrey, Chuck Hunter, Terry Ireland, Stephanie Jones, Tina Kemper, Mike Maurer, Lee Mcneely, Michael Melius, Craig Miller, Neil Miller, Dave Minney, Ted Mohlie, Andrew Nettell, W. Pantle, Linden Piest, Sandy Plato, Bill Prather, Neal Ratzlaff, William Reeves, Bill Reiner Jr., Dan Reinking, Richard Roth, Gary Salamacha, Dave Sample, Susan Savage, Laura Schwieger, William Shepherd, Damien Simbeck, James Sparks, Michael Spindler, David St. George, Brian Taber, Robert Thobaben Jr., Harry Todd, Louise Tommie, Terry Toppins, Lindsay Tudor, Else Van Erp, Carolyn Wells, Herb Wilson, and Jan Wimberley.

20-year BBS key chain --

Alan Ashley, William Beatty, J. Paul Biggers, Roger Boyd, John Castrale, John Cruzan, Blaine Ferrell, Douglas Gross, Margaret Higbee, Jan Horton, Michael Huber, Douglas Johnson, Terry Johnson, Jack Johnston, Ron Martin, Marshall Parks, Sandy Schacht, Sandra Turner, Peter Webb, and John White.

30-year BBS cap --

Peggy Acord, Frederick Bowes III, John Crowell Jr., Joyce Davis, Janet Green, Curtis Jordan, Rudolph Keller, Joseph Lynch, Robert Moeller, Frances Pope, William Roney, James Snowden, and Regina Vanscoy.

50 Routes

(Birds of North America Golden field guide, autographed by Chandler S. Robbins) --

Dan Brauning, Lynda Bennett, Don Glass, James Granlund, Wayne Harper, Dan Lee, Jean Piuze, Paul Sykes, and Wayne Weber.

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

BBS WEB PAGE (www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/)

The North American Breeding Bird Survey web site has molted.  Come see our new Aplumage@ and our new features.  Our thanks to Kimberly Carter, who designed and created the site.

Photo Gallery
We thank P. Allen (IA); N. Dewitt (AK); K. Evans, J. Rensel, and V. Smith (UT); D. Potter and P. Morrissey (MA); B. Prather (CO); R. Whitcomb (WV); R. Young and P. Lasher (NC) for providing photos of their routes and BBS adventures.  Go to the "BBS News" link.

State summary reports -- State species' totals are now available via the ARaw Data on the BBS web page.  'State Totals.  This query produces a cumulative list of all species detected along BBS routes by year for a state and the result set can be sorted by name, taxonomic grouping, or abundance.

REQUEST FOR SLIDES

The BBS needs slides or color photos of you, your BBS route, and birds.   Some will be posted on the BBS web site (See the BBS Web Page section of this memo.), and others used in presentations or publications.  Once submitted the slides become the property of the BBS and may be used on the Internet or in government publications.  No monetary compensation will be provided if the slides are used, but we will happily credit the photographer.  Clearly print the photographer's name, location of the scene, and date on the slide border or reverse side of the photo.  Also include the names of any people depicted in the picture if different from the photographer.  Thanks for your help!

USGS BIRD CONSERVATION NODE

Under the auspices of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and USGS Center for Biological Informatics are working together to establish and implement the NBII Bird Conservation Node.

The NBII Bird Conservation Node, which came online in the fall of 2001, focuses on providing electronic access to some of the major bird monitoring and habitat databases held in North America, including North American Breeding Bird Survey data. The node will initially emphasize delivery of raw and derived bird population data held by the USGS and USFWS Migratory Bird Data Center. But as the node grows, it will link to North American bird data sets and information maintained and managed by other partners.  It currently contains BBS data from 1997 - 2000, but future plans include incorporating all BBS data.  These data can be viewed graphically, on a map of North America, and in tabular formats.

For more information on NBII Bird Conservation Node, or to see their mapping application, visit their web site at: http://birdcon.nbii.gov/.

BBS RELATED ARTICLES

      The 1995 - 1999 Summary of the North American Breeding Bird Survey, by K.L. Pardieck and J.R. Sauer.  2000.  Bird Populations 5:30-48.

A copy of this article is enclosed in this year's BBS packet.  Additional copies are available through the BBS office.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

This year we share only one story.  It was written and submitted by Merry Maxwell, who sampled the Koyukuk BBS route in Alaska (03416) for the last three years, and represents quite a departure from how most of us conduct BBS routes.  I hope you enjoy it.

Breeding Bird Surveys, Alaskan style

It is June in Alaska, prime time to survey breeding birds.  In the lower 48, or "outside" as we Alaskans say, Breeding Bird Surveys are conducted from roads.  While all surveys can be exciting given the right conditions, conditions are always right for excitement in Alaska.  We in the interior of the state, survey from the only roads we have, rivers.

It's 2 am. My partner, a young native Athabascan named Harvey Williams, taps lightly on my tent and hands me a cup of coffee and a plate of hot cakes, swimming in homemade syrup.  Our other boat driver, Paul Williams, is already up.  I hear his voice by the fire.  Paul is an elder from Beaver.  His boat driving is steady and safe and he is here to mentor Harvey and I.

This is our third year of surveying the Koyukuk and our last.  The survey is like a rodeo, a wild, muddy ride. In the spring water levels on the Koyokuk can fluctuate several feet overnight, causing banks to calve as spring melt-water rushes south to the Yukon River.  The river is wide, carrying silt and trees as it cuts through boreal forests, creating new channels and tearing away cliffs and permafrost soils.

By 3 am we are on the water.  It is our job to race from one point to another surveying 50 points along 25 miles of the river.  It is always a wild ride.  As we race from point 1, wind chill reduces the temperature to freezing.  Our rain gear covers warm clothing, making it challenging to move quickly.  As I jump from the boat, I tear my hat and noise‑reduction head set from my uncombed hair and remove the glove from my right hand to make it easier to write.  When I have surveyed for 3 minutes I rush back to the boat picking up head and hand coverings as I go.  The mosquitoes are already bad.

This morning Harvey is driving the boat and Paul ties it up and stands shotgun while I survey, It takes a coordinated effort to survey this river, as Harvey races the 90 horse jet motor and moves the boat into shore I stand on the bow holding the line, ready to jump. Paul fills in the gaps. The trick is to use the additional height provided by the boat to clear the cut banks. Some banks are 12-15 feet high and more than once each summer I don't quite make it.  That is when the rodeo begins.

It all starts when we get a little tired (we get up at 2 am), and after I have jumped in and out of the boat about 50 times. The rodeo goes like this: I stand on the bow watching as we pull near shore. The backwash of our wake rocks the boat as I set my feet wide and brace for impact.  But the rolling boat can alter my timing and cause me to jump seconds early or late.  As I propel myself onto the bank two things usually happen, I either lose my footing and slide into the river or find myself crawling on my hands and knees in the mud, trying to gain some ground. From that point on I am either wet and cold or wet and very muddy.  In the past Harvey has rushed forward to grab the back of my life vest and pull me from the water.  This year he grabs me before I hit the water, and I am destined to be muddy, not wet. Mud cakes my hands and accumulates under my fingernails.  My rain gear rips as I push through alder thickets and before long I look like river debris. As I brush blood-filled mosquitoes from my face, I smear mud onto my cheeks and eyelids and into my ears.  Soon it is hard to tell if I have been injured or am just a victim of circumstances.  Each time I climb back in the boat I leave mud on the bow and as we race forward to the next point it blows into my hair and fills my nose.  I am filthy and beginning to develop a sense of humor about the entire event.  I am also beginning to enjoy my self.  Heck, I can't get much dirtier!

At point 41, I notice a particularly bad smell.  Paul and Harvey have noticed it too.  As I clear the bank I find myself standing next to a discarded moose head, no doubt uncovered recently when the snow and ice melted.  Suddenly Harvey and Paul are both beside me, armed with 870 Remington shotguns.  This is the kind of situation we all try to avoid.  But bears are not our greatest threat, the mosquitoes are following me into the boat and to each point by now.  Each step in the grass sends thousands of buzzing, blood seeking females up to torment me.  A few try to take blood from my ears and are killed as I slap the side of my head, causing my ears to burn.  I understand why caribou run for the ice packs during the insect hatch.

By 9 am I have jumped in and out of the boat 100 times and it is over. As we turn the boat into shore to take a short break, eat some breakfast and brew coffee.  It has been a good day.  It's been good because I didn't get wet, the birds were singing and we have the rest of the day to sit by the river.  As I peel 4 layers of clothing (life vest, rain gear, pants, underwear) off, to pee on my rubber boots and feed the mosquitoes, Paul carves spoons from willow branches and Harvey starts the stove. By 9:30 we are sitting in the boat on a pristine Alaskan river in the interior, eating scrambled eggs covered with salsa and cheddar cheese, drinking a steaming cup of coffee.  Wow, life is good.

Back at camp we fall into our tents and sleep until noon when the heat wakes us. In the afternoon I sit with Paul and listen as he talks of the old times. He tells me stories of how the people of this land used to begin a river story by describing a canoe appearing around a distant bend in the river. His soft voice talks to me of his life, his people and the future of this land.  He talks about how his people lose their confidence when they leave the land, how they sell their land and spend the earnings or give the money away because they don't understand ownership and money.  I listen quietly, he is an elder and has many experiences to share.  I can learn a lot from this man.  At dusk Paul and I walk the island we are camped on and Paul traces the track of a wolf that stood a few feet of our camp sometime in the night or early morning.  We laugh about the day and decide it's been a good day of rodeo and cowboys and Indians, all done Alaskan style.  Next year we are finding a channelized river to survey!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Besides the thousands of you in the field, I would also like to thank Erika Folk, Eric Reynolds and Sean Tracey for their outstanding help at the BBS office during the 2001 season.

Good luck & good birding in 2002!
Keith Pardieck
Keith_Pardieck@usgs.gov
301/497-5843