Tweets,

Paul Green from Audubon has contacted me reguarding the larger than normal
numbers of two species during the GBBC: American Robin and Black-breasted
Plover

I know there were several posts on Tweeters about very large Robin flocks
especially east of the Cascades. If people who observed these
concentrations of Robins could forward me any interesting personal account
I'll pass them along to Audubon for their GBBC story.

I do not recall reports of larger than usual numbers of Black-bellied Plover
- but have the same request to pass along stories.

The GBBC was quite successful - thanks to all who participated.

For next year I have committed to Audubon to help refine the "filters" that
they use to trip automated reports of unusual numbers of birds. I will
start with the excellent data I believe was compiled by the Knittles and put
into a spreadsheet by Matt Bartels that shows how common given species are
by county by month. (available at http://www.wos.org ) and then would LOVE
some help from volunteers/experts to determine what the threshold would be
for an "unusual" number for any given species. The most reports of "excess"
counts this year were for both Tundra and Trumpeter Swans and for
Red-breasted Merganser (filters likely too low given recent success of these
species) while there were failed trips for a number of species including
Swamp Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Purple Finches, and others reported in
relatively high numbers.

Cheers and good birding.

Rob Conway
Newcastle, WA

robin_birder at hotmail.com