Maine Bird Atlas - Weekly Challenges, 6/19
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Doug Hitchcox
Jun 19, 2020, 6:11:59 PM6/19/20
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Hi everyone:
Great job confirming Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers! 62 confirmed Downy and 60 confirmed Hairy records added 18 and 22 blocks respectively. 11 confirmed Bobolink records added four new blocks - keep getting out there, this drought is apparently causing early mowing across the state. And we were skunked on Lincoln’s Sparrows! These are really tough, and cause plenty of ID challenges anyways, but keep them in mind as you are out this week. Congratulations to Jane in West Bath, Jeff from Gardiner for being chosen by excel’s random number generator as winners this week!
Here are the challenges for this week:
1) Chipping Sparrow - Bear with my backyard bias, but there is a recently fledged Chipping Sparrow following an adult, noisily begging for food, right outside my window right now. So your challenge this week is to submit confirmed Chipping Sparrows.
2) Priority Block Challenge - We really need volunteers spending time competing Priority Blocks. There are only a few places in the state that you could be without an incomplete priority block just a few miles from you. Take a look at the Atlas Effort Map (https://ebird.org/atlasme/effortmap), find a priority block, go atlasing a morning or two this week, revisit 7+ days later to easily bump possible to probable records, and you’re making great progress to completing the block! To track this challenge, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/tobv2xBvW82N3BAW9
3) Wood Thrush - Similar to Lincoln’s Sparrow last week, this species has very few confirmed records - only 7 blocks. This is especially remarkable when compared to Bicknell’s Thrush with 6 blocks. This seems like a lack of effort given their distribution, so take a look at the sightings map if you need inspiration of where to look for Wood Thrushes this week: https://ebird.org/map/woothr?neg=true&env.minX=-72.6617492654693&env.minY=43.1145373442501&env.maxX=-65.85571899203181&env.maxY=46.477136260570056&zh=true&gp=true&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=cur&byr=2020&eyr=2020
Good birding and happy atlasing!
Doug Hitchcox
Maine Bird Atlas - Outreach Coordinator
Maine Audubon - Staff Naturalist
207-781-2330 x237
dhit...@maineaudubon.org
Great job confirming Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers! 62 confirmed Downy and 60 confirmed Hairy records added 18 and 22 blocks respectively. 11 confirmed Bobolink records added four new blocks - keep getting out there, this drought is apparently causing early mowing across the state. And we were skunked on Lincoln’s Sparrows! These are really tough, and cause plenty of ID challenges anyways, but keep them in mind as you are out this week. Congratulations to Jane in West Bath, Jeff from Gardiner for being chosen by excel’s random number generator as winners this week!
Here are the challenges for this week:
1) Chipping Sparrow - Bear with my backyard bias, but there is a recently fledged Chipping Sparrow following an adult, noisily begging for food, right outside my window right now. So your challenge this week is to submit confirmed Chipping Sparrows.
2) Priority Block Challenge - We really need volunteers spending time competing Priority Blocks. There are only a few places in the state that you could be without an incomplete priority block just a few miles from you. Take a look at the Atlas Effort Map (https://ebird.org/atlasme/effortmap), find a priority block, go atlasing a morning or two this week, revisit 7+ days later to easily bump possible to probable records, and you’re making great progress to completing the block! To track this challenge, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/tobv2xBvW82N3BAW9
3) Wood Thrush - Similar to Lincoln’s Sparrow last week, this species has very few confirmed records - only 7 blocks. This is especially remarkable when compared to Bicknell’s Thrush with 6 blocks. This seems like a lack of effort given their distribution, so take a look at the sightings map if you need inspiration of where to look for Wood Thrushes this week: https://ebird.org/map/woothr?neg=true&env.minX=-72.6617492654693&env.minY=43.1145373442501&env.maxX=-65.85571899203181&env.maxY=46.477136260570056&zh=true&gp=true&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=cur&byr=2020&eyr=2020
Good birding and happy atlasing!
Doug Hitchcox
Maine Bird Atlas - Outreach Coordinator
Maine Audubon - Staff Naturalist
207-781-2330 x237
dhit...@maineaudubon.org
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