On Tue, 7 Nov 1995, Anna Coles wrote:
> About birdathons, do you have to be a *good* birder to participate? I
> feel extremely unconfident to do something like that.

With this sort of concern in mind, I opened my mouth and have agreed to
lead a Christmas Count primer trip on December 9 at Sauvie Island for
PAS. The trip will go over the what's and how's of counting as well as
tips for area coverage (unfortunately, some of my best Midwest Xmas Count
tips don't work here as there are usually birds on the counts I;ve been
on here and I usually am not frozen). Anyway, all are invited if you're
in the area. It's a non-hunt day on the island--the workshop would be
from 8 to 12, more birding inevitably after that.
Birdathons aren't a lot different from Xmas Counts except that
you are generally going for species numbers rather than total. The areas
covered tend to be a lot larger as well. Go for it, Anna, you'll do fine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Korpi "It would have been very gratifying to have gone
Wk: Clark College down to the Pacific . . . but the rainy season had
Vancouver, WA now regularly set in, and the air was filled with
Hm: Portland, OR fogs and rain, which left no beauty in
address: rkorpi at clark.edu any scenery, and obstructed observations."
--John C. Fremont at Ft. Vancouver
November 10, 1843