[cobirds] High country bird count seeks additional volunteers

Birders,

 

The Indian Peaks Bird Count is seeking additional counters for this year’s fall count (Sept. 8 to Sept 24).  IPBC have been running since January 1982 on a modified Christmas Bird Count protocol.  Modified in that block counts can be run on any day during the count period in order to allow multiple blocks to be worked by some counters; and because on some counts the weather just doesn’t cooperate on a set count date.  Counts occur in September, February and June/July for breeding season.  With 35 years of collected data this is probably one of the best long running, high elevation bird surveys in the country.   That data has seen interesting trends in terms of the explosion of common corvids, higher elevation expansion of several lower elevation species and cyclical fluxuations of cone specialists.

 

The count circle lies mainly between the Peak to Peak Highway and the Continental Divide from a bit south of Rollinsville to a few miles north of Ward with blocks in montane, sub-alpine and tundra habitats.  There are some areas east of the Peak to Peak and even a few over the crest in Grand County, I think.   Most blocks require extensive high country hiking, but a few involve shorter hikes and driving.

 

A number of blocks need new volunteers to step in and help out.  If you are interested in participating in this year’s fall count either by taking over a block, forming a team to work a block or joining an existing group, please contact me

 

Bill Kaempfer     Kaempfer at Colorado.edu

Or

Dave Hallock      Eldora at rmi.net

 

Bill Kaempfer