Hi Tweeters,

Jim Danzenbaker from Battle Ground, Clark County here. I hope
everyone's enjoying all the breeding birds oif Washington and,
particularl;y, those in our own back yards. I am looking forward to
the return of the first shorebirds at the end of the month followed by
several months of passerine migration.

I have noticed during my two years on Tweeters that some of you have
commented on nocturnal migration at different locales across the state
most notably Swainson's Thrushes during the fall. I noticed that many
thousands may fly over my small yard in Battle Ground on a good
migration night. It started making me wonder if SWTHs are funnelled
into migrating streams or broader rivers or whether its a general tide
of southbound thrushes.

I want to spearhead a project this fall (mid-August through
mid-October) that will enlist the help of all the Tweeters and WOS and
other bird observation groups in Washington and also Oregon. This
project will require "observation" of nocturnal migration in as many
areas throughout Washington. Methods for gathering data will be
coming in late July as well as the method of recording which will be
through Cornell Lab of Ornithologoy's e-Bird. I will send out another
e-mail in late July with more details about this project.

I want to find out now what the interest level in a project like this
will be. The good thing about this project is that even if you have
no apparent migration at your chosen site, this is significant data.
No apparent migration gives just as much information as loads of
nocturnal call notes.

The e-mail coming in late July will include many more details as well
as an introduction to the e-Bird database and Swainsin's Thrush
nocturnal call note wav files.

I will be out of town from tonight through July 25th but send me a
quick e-mail and let me know if you're interested.
--
Jim Danzenbaker
Battle Ground, WA
360-723-0345
jdanzenbaker at gmail.com