On Thu, 6 Nov 1997, Eugene Hunn wrote:
> I'd just like to second the motion
> that it would be much better if our counts could be more evenly distributed.

I'd like to see a few more weekday counts as well.


> state's most active birders would participate in twice the number of counts
> they now participate in if they were better distributed.

This is true, but . . .

The idea that one
> can't get a decent count total except on the first weekend presumes that
> that is the primary goal of the counts, to maximize the species and numbers
> totals.

. . . there are places like Pullman/Moscow amd Corvallis, OR (to a lesser
extent), where timing the
count on weekend 1 is tied to the availability of bodies as people es
people leave campuses.

The fact that traditional days are for traditional counts hit me last year
when I first compiled in Portland. I had the count on 28 December as this
was about the same date as the year before. I probably should have had it
on the 3rd Saturday, the traditional date, as I may have drained people
away from Sauvie Island. The Portland CBC has been moved back to the 3rd
weekend (date below) so that there is one metro Portland count per
weekend: Forest Grove (1st SUn.), Sauvie Island, and Portland.

I miss eastside counts especially because I'm usually involved on one of
these other counts on weekends. I loved it when I lived in Pullman and
did the count there and miss actually getting cold from dry cold on Xmas
counts (wet cold is much different I've found).

The important thing, finally, on CBCs is to encourage people to count.
There are lurkers out there who have made their apprehension known given
this conversation, and I want those folks to know that they are wanted and
appreciated. If you haven't done a CBC before, try it, you'll like it!
RK
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ray Korpi "Television doesn't allow much depth."
Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA --Dan Rather, interviewed by
rkorpi at clark.edu Don Imus, 11/6/97
Compiler, Portland, OR CBC, January 3, 1998
President, Oregon Field Ornithologists
--New members always welcome--