Subject: 2000 BIG SIT !
Date: Aug 11 12:08:38 2000
From: Dennis K Rockwell - dennis.rockwell at gte.net


Fellow Washington state birders,

The 8th annual BIG SIT ! is scheduled for Saturday, October 21. This (now
international) event is sponsored by the New Haven Bird Club of New Haven,
CT and co-sponsored by Swarovski Optik. Washington state was first
represented in this event beginning in 1996 by Tri-City birders who formed a
circle in Two Rivers County Park along the Columbia River in sight of the
mouth of the Snake River. In 1998 we were joined by circles formed on
Jensen Point on Vashon Island and in a yard on Lopez Island. In 1999 we
lost the participation of the Vashon Island circle, but retained the
participation of the circle on Lopez Island and gained the participation of
a circle formed on a deck in East Eatonville. Last year our Tri-City circle
tallied 44 species and finished 33rd out of 72 circles in the USA and Europe
while helping Washington state to tally 61 species and place 10th out of 21
states and 2 european countries competing.

What is my point you may be asking? It is this: There are individual
circles, particularly in California and Connecticut, which are reporting
higher species totals than our entire state and I'm sick of the humiliation.
Given the birding opportunities available in Washington we should be
consistantly finishing in the top 3 as a state.

At this point, if there is still anyone reading, you may be asking, just
what the heck is the BIG SIT ! ? The BIG SIT ! is like a
"Bird-a-thon" or a Christmas Bird Count, in that the object is to tally as
many species as can be seen or heard, and identified, within a 24 hour time
span. The difference lies in the limitation of the area from which you are
allowed to observe. For complete details contact John Himmelman, BIG SIT !
Chief at jhimmel at connix.com , but here are the basic guidelines:
1) Observations can be made from anywhere, but only from within one,
specific 17 foot diameter circle per team.
2) There's no limit to how many people can occupy one circle (other than
the obvious spatial limitations.) Bring some lawn chairs.
Have a picnic or barbeque. Visit with friends.
3) If a bird is seen or heard from within the circle but is too distant to
identify, the circle can be left to get a closer look for
confirmation. However, any new bird seen or heard while confirming the
original, can't be counted, unless it is seen or heard
from the circle.
4) Participants can work in shifts. No one needs to be in the circle
throughout the entire "Sit". The circle can be left and returned
to as frequently as desired, but you must be sure to return to the
exact same circle each time.
5) The BIG SIT ! begins at 12:00 AM, Saturday, October 21, 2000, and ends
24 hours later.
6) Circles need to be pre-registered with John Himmelman, see e-mail
address above.

Come on people, put your thinking caps on and see what you can come up with
for a circle location that will contribute to our state species total.
Let's put Washington on the map in this event.

Dennis Rockwell Kennewick, WA dennis.rockwell at gte.net