5/29 West Hartford, Route 44 powerlines    -    2  OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER    ( 2 birds calling on opposite sides of powerline cut in different locations)

Paul Cianfaglione
Canton

First off, thank you to all who submitted sightings last year to eBird for the grassland bird tracking project.  This year we are continuing this effort, although in a slightly less formal way.  We are simply encouraging birders to log any sightings of state-listed grassland birds into eBird.  No need to make any special notations in the comments section as was required last year.  Simply having the records captured by eBird will be helpful in identifying key spots for grassland birds in Connecticut.  I also recommend that people take advantage of this tool to log any significant ornithological records or nesting occurrences of species of conservation concern (please feel free to contact me for such a list).

Participants simply log their sightings in eBird (http://www.ebird.org), the on-line citizen science ornithological database that is a joint project of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  It allows anyone to log in and enter their sightings of grassland birds and will provide a map of those grassland bird sightings to the DEP.

To participate, simply log on to eBird at http://www.ebird.org If you aren't already registered, you will have to answer a few simple questions and choose a user name and password to be registered as a user.  In addition to providing data to this larger effort, you will have the beginnings of an online database of your own bird sightings.  There are mapping tools to help locate the spot where your observation occurred and then you simply estimate the numbers of each bird species you observe and enter that information into the checklist.

The following birds have been chosen as the target species:

a.. Upland Sandpiper (Endangered)
a.. American Kestrel (Threatened)
b.. Horned Lark (Endangered)
c.. Vesper Sparrow (Endangered)
d.. Savannah Sparrow (Special Concern)
e.. Grasshopper Sparrow (Endangered)
f.. Bobolink (Special Concern), and
g.. Eastern Meadowlark (Special Concern)

It is not necessary for volunteer birders to have computer access. Grassland bird sightings can be recorded on paper.  Include which grassland bird species were seen, how many, where in the state the birds were seen (be as specific as possible) and the date and time of the sightings.  Volunteer birders should mail their grassland bird sightings (including their name and contact information) to:  Milan Bull, Connecticut Audubon Society, 2325 Burr St., Fairfield, CT 06824

For more information, contact Milan Bull, (203) 259-6305, ext. 111, mbull@ctaudubon.org, or Patrick Comins, (203) 264-5098, ext. 305, pcomins@audubon.org

Thank you!

Milan Bull, The Connecticut Audubon Society, based in Milford.
Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut, the state office of the National Audubon Society, based in Southbury.