Greetings fellow Birders,

As you are scanning the mudflats in the Lake Erie Marsh Region this fall
surveying shorebirds, be sure to note any sightings of Color-Marked
individuals.  As Mark Shieldcastle mentioned in an email last month, a
research project is being conducted by The Ohio State University on the
shorebirds in the southwest Lake Erie Marsh Region during their fall and
spring migrations over the next 2 years.  This research will add to the
understanding of just how important this area is for shorebird migration and
what further steps need to be taken to ensure shorebird conservation.

Your reports of color-marked bird sightings are crucial to the success of
the project.  By reporting this data, you will aid researchers in
understanding just how the shorebirds use the Lake Erie Marsh region - where
they forage, and how they move around the area.  Your reports of marked
birds aid in creating a much larger and robust set of data than the
researches could ever hope to collect on their own.  Several individuals
have already been sending in reports - Thank You!  I know that reporting the
information takes extra time, but your efforts are greatly appreciated.

When you see a marked bird, please note the following information:
*Date* and *Time*, *Property *name and *Unit* (within the property, if
applicable), *Location *(a specific corner, edge, etc. of the Unit), *GPS
coordinates* (if possible), the* type of Site* (managed marsh, flooded
cropland, etc.), *Species*, *Color combination*, the *Zone* in which the
bird is (dry mudflat, moist mudflat, shallow water, deep water), and the *
Behavior* of the bird (foraging, preening, bathing, sleeping, etc.).  Send
all information to Keith Norris, [log in to unmask]

I have attached a document with more information and a data sheet.  The data
sheet is not required for reporting any sightings, but will aid you in
collecting all of the necessary information while in the field. (If you have
problems with the attachment, it is also available on the Black Swamp Bird
Observatory's website:www.bsbobird.org).  Once completed, data sheets can be
mailed to:  Keith Norris, School of Environment & Natural Resources, 210
Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH 43210.

If you have any questions, or to report any sightings, please contact me via
email ([log in to unmask]) or phone (217.855.6324).

I hope you each find some time to enjoy the fall migration as it starts to
heat up!
Thank you,

Keith

--
Keith A. Norris
Graduate Associate
School of Environment & Natural Resources
The Ohio State University
[log in to unmask]
217.855.6324

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