Date: 1/15/25 7:15 pm From: Diana Humple via groups.io <dianahumple...> Subject: [northbaybirds] Share your early-breeder Marin sightings with the Atlas!
Hi North Bay Birders (who bird or reside in Marin County),
I wanted to expand on an email I sent last month about Great Horned Owls,
now that additional 'early birds' have begun breeding! As we are entering
our final year of the second Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas
<https://marinaudubon.org/birds/marin-county-breeding-bird-atlas/> - the
redux of David Shuford’s first Atlas (1993) - we are filling in data gaps
for these species and would love your help.
We’d love it if those of you who have early breeding species detections, or
observations of breeding behaviors, from anywhere in Marin County, would
contribute your sightings to the second Atlas as an incidental observation
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBIOpYiSP23deSYyA5td-w2Ja7enfOoR0w6MeV_pfFvc8Bkg/viewform> (more details can be found on the Atlas webpage if you are not already
familiar with submitting incidental observations). For owls and a few other
species, we accept breeding codes “S” (‘singing’) and “H” (‘in appropriate
habitat’); for most species we only accept incidental observations that
more directly indicate they are breeding.
These early birds include:
-
Great Horned & American Barn Owls - including basic observations
(S=territorially calling or H=in habitat); duetting Great Horned Owls (D);
or any breeding behavior. Additionally, if anyone had Great Horned Owls
during your Christmas Bird Counts or otherwise from December, we’d love
those sightings! Many were very vocal last month when setting up shop (and
still are).
-
Anna’s (and in a couple weeks, if not sooner, Allen’s!) Hummingbirds -
including those you find displaying (D) or gathering material, building
nests, or you observe a female on the nest.
-
Certain raptors – including early-breeders like Golden Eagle &
Red-tailed Hawks you see displaying (D) or gathering material or nesting.
-
*Ridgway’s & Black Rails (*note caveats due to their conservation
status) - these are surveyed for by permitted biologists, not Atlas
volunteers. However, we accept observations from birders who incidentally,
passively, and responsibly detect them (e.g., without using any playback or
mimicry, and without going off trail in pursuit of them; extra care is
essential for these threatened & endangered species and their sensitive
habitat). As with owls, we accept encounters of territorial-calling
individuals (S) or birds in appropriate habitat (H). (Note, we’ll accept
detections of Virginia Rails and Soras later in the spring, once they begin
nesting; such observations of Virginia Rails may be really helpful to the
Atlas!).
Thank you!
Diana Humple (one of the Atlas Coordinators)
Bolinas, CA
On Tue, Dec 10, 2024 at 7:16 AM Diana Humple <dianahumple...> wrote:
> Hi North Bay Birders (who bird or reside in Marin County),
>
> Many of you may now be hearing Great Horned Owls, who of course are among
> our earliest breeders, hooting and duetting as they set up shop. As we are
> approaching our final year of the second Marin County Breeding Bird Atlas
> <https://marinaudubon.org/birds/marin-county-breeding-bird-atlas/> - the
> redux of David Shuford’s first Atlas (1993) - we are filling in data gaps
> for this (and eventually other) species, and *now is an ideal time of
> year to document this vocal species. *
>
> We’d love your help! Please consider submitting your GHOW observations
> from anywhere in Marin County where you encounter them to the second Atlas
> as an incidental observation
> <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdBIOpYiSP23deSYyA5td-w2Ja7enfOoR0w6MeV_pfFvc8Bkg/viewform> (information
> about how to use the one page incidental webform can be found on the right
> hand side of the Atlas webpage if you are not already familiar with it).
>
> You can submit any of the following breeding codes (choosing the highest
> in the hierarchy): duetting owls as a “D”, persistent territorial calling
> individuals (over 7+ days) as a T, territorial calling individual birds
> (i.e., those doing their hoot series) as an “S”, or an single owl observed
> or heard making short calls as an “H”. And feel free to contact me if you
> have any questions.
>
>
> Thank you, and happy birding,
>
> Diana Humple
>
> Bolinas
>
