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style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","s --=====================_193624609==.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Hi All; December 1 is tomorrow, and with it the start of the Winter Birding Season. The web page is up and ready to receive sightings. The URL is: http://tinyurl.com/nswinter I'll be watching for sightings posted to NatureNS, the NS-RBA (Rare Bird Alert), eBird, and the NSBS Facebook page. Or you can send sightings to me directly, to my email at the bottom of this message. This madness is pursued country-wide, and if you are unfamiliar with the concept, it is nicely (and enthusiatically) summarised by Ryan Dudragne of Saskatchewan, a province whose residents know winter well. "It's time to don your caps and boots, fill a thermos with hot cider, grab your birding gear, and seek out some species for the winter list! And although the true winter season technically does not arrive until the 21st of the month, once December arrives many people (birders included) automatically associate it with winter. December 1st is the start of our official winter birding season, and of course, the Winter Bird List. For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, it basically involves a frenzied search during the first couple of weeks to squeeze in as many late migrants as possible before the onslaught of usually more severe weather conditions. Christmas Bird Counts often jack up our total, as do normal winter activities. Plus, it gives us birders something to do for the three slowest birding months of the year other than sitting idle on our hands until March. To me, at least, a winter list is great for maintaining birding enthusiasm, and gets a person active and out of the house to ward off the winter doldrums that tend to creep up mid season. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to report their sightings, as well as those reliable records that you may hear about (but be prepared to back these up). So, keep those feeders stocked, your binos ready, your calendars set, and stay tuned to go!!" Last year our Nova Scotia total was 198, slightly above average. But it would be nice to reach 200 this time around. Of course, Christmas Bird Counts are a very important component of winter birding, and as in previous years I've placed information regarding Nova Scotia's Christmas Bird Counts on a web page for handy reference. The URL is: http://tinyurl.com/ns-cbcs As in previous seasons the first weekend (Dec. 17-18) promises to be a busy one, but there are many counts from which to choose throughout the three weeks of the CBC season. If you know the dates of some of the counts that have yet to report, please let me know. Cheers, and good (winter) birding, ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blake Maybank maybank@ns.sympatico.ca author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia" http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada --=====================_193624609==.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" <html> <body> <font size=4>Hi All;<br><br> December 1 is tomorrow, and with it the start of the </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b>Winter Birding Season</b></font><font size=4>. The web page is up and ready to receive sightings. The URL is:<br><br> </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nswinter" eudora="autourl"> http://tinyurl.com/nswinter<br><br> </a></b></font><font size=4>I'll be watching for sightings posted to </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b>NatureNS</b></font><font size=4>, the </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b>NS-RBA</b></font><font size=4> (Rare Bird Alert), </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b>eBird</b></font><font size=4>, and the </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b>NSBS Facebook</b></font><font size=4> page. Or you can send sightings to me directly, to my email at the bottom of this message.<br><br> This madness is pursued country-wide, and if you are unfamiliar with the concept, it is nicely (and enthusiatically) summarised by Ryan Dudragne of Saskatchewan, a province whose residents know winter well. <dl> <dd>“It's time to don your caps and boots, fill a thermos with hot cider, grab your birding gear, and seek out some species for the winter list! And although the true winter season technically does not arrive until the 21st of the month, once December arrives many people (birders included) automatically associate it with winter. December 1st is the start of our official winter birding season, and of course, the Winter Bird List. <br> <dd>For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, it basically involves a frenzied search during the first couple of weeks to squeeze in as many late migrants as possible before the onslaught of usually more severe weather conditions. Christmas Bird Counts often jack up our total, as do normal winter activities. Plus, it gives us birders something to do for the three slowest birding months of the year other than sitting idle on our hands until March.<br> <dd>To me, at least, a winter list is great for maintaining birding enthusiasm, and gets a person active and out of the house to ward off the winter doldrums that tend to creep up mid season. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to report their sightings, as well as those reliable records that you may hear about (but be prepared to back these up). So, keep those feeders stocked, your binos ready, your calendars set, and stay tuned to go!!” </dl>Last year our Nova Scotia total was 198, slightly above average. But it would be nice to reach 200 this time around.<br><br> Of course, Christmas Bird Counts are a very important component of winter birding, and as in previous years I've placed information regarding Nova Scotia's Christmas Bird Counts on a web page for handy reference. The URL is:<br><br> </font><font size=4 color="#0000FF"><b><u> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ns-cbcs" eudora="autourl"> http://tinyurl.com/ns-cbcs<br><br> </a></u></b></font><font size=4>As in previous seasons the first weekend (Dec. 17-18) promises to be a busy one, but there are many counts from which to choose throughout the three weeks of the CBC season. If you know the dates of some of the counts that have yet to report, please let me know.<br><br> Cheers, and good (winter) birding,<br><br> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> Blake Maybank<br&