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Serving the communities of Mariposa and eastern Madera Counties |
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Checklist of Mariposa County Birds Activities Member Photos Chapter Area Map Yosemite CBC |
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See the
article about the 2008 Yosemite Valley CBC in the SF Chronicle: Dear Prospective Bird Counter: The 78th annual Yosemite Christmas Bird Count is close at hand, and you are invited to participate. This year's count will be held on Sunday, December 20. If you wish to attend, please contact Sarah Stock at (209) 379-1435 or by email at sarah_stock@nps.gov so your name can be added to our list and we can plan area assignments. These assignments will be made via phone and email, and count materials will be mailed to area leaders. It is, therefore, important for you to contact me at least a few days before December 20 to receive your assignment, but the sooner the better. Also, please see if you can drum up additional participants from among your friends and family, the more contacts I can add to the list, the better! Last year, we had 32 participants who counted and identified 3028 birds of 65 species across 7 zones in the park. Highlights included a Northern Goshawk in the West end of Yosemite Valley, a Merlin in Foresta, a Northern Mockingbird in El Portal, and TWO Red-breasted x Red-naped Sapsucker hybrids, one in El Portal and the other in Foresta! Last year was a good year for raptors (excluding owls) in general with a total of 9 species (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel, Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon)! This year, we'll be sure to add Great Gray Owl to the list :) The bird count is an all-day affair. We start shortly after dawn and continue until around 5 p.m. Participants should dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes, and be prepared for conditions that can vary greatly (layering is the key). Bring binoculars, field guides, lunch, and water. We'd like to have as many people as possible in the field for as long as possible, but it isn't imperative that every person be out the entire day. Arrangements can be made for participants who can only be out for part of the day. If you are one of these people, it is preferable that you begin at the normal start time for your area (usually 6:30 - 7:00 a.m.) and end early. A rendezvous with a group later in the day is sometimes difficult to arrange. At 5:30 p.m. on the day of the count, we’ll meet at the Girls Club (a.k.a. the library) in Yosemite Valley for the compilation of results. The Girls Club is located in Yosemite Village, near the Ranger Club, across the street from the park's Administration Building, and next to the Yosemite Institute office. Similar to last year, we will have a potluck style meal. Please plan on bringing something to share with the group; there’s an oven/stove at the Girl’s Club if needed. All count participants are welcome to attend and share your bird observations with the group. When you respond, please let me know if you’ll be attending the compilation. As in past years, a participation fee of $5.00 is due from every counter. Please pay this fee to your area leader on the count day. The fee helps support the publication of count results in National Audubon Society Field Note, which all counters will receive, and which will give the highlights of the 2009 International CBC you will be a part of. We'll hope for good weather, but we'll count birds on Sunday, December 20 come rain, snow, or shine. We look forward to your participation. I will send subsequent reminders, but for now, please mark your calendars and let me know if you're planning on joining us! Sincerely, Sarah Stock, Wildlife Biologist and Count Compiler |
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Last Modified: October 27, 2009 |
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