Hi, For the past 6 years, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, in partnership with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, has been coordinating the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas during the month of January. The objectives of this project are to document Ohio winter bird distribution, species use of special areas, and provide an index of abundance for species. Many thanks to those of you who have spent many hours assisting in covering over 684 of the 784 existing Delorme grid blocks! This January is our final year of field work before the information is analyzed and assimilated into a final product similar to the breeding bird atlas. There are many blocks which have zero or less than 20 species documented. Now, I know there should be more than 20 wintering species in any 50 square mile block of Ohio, and with the active and talented birding community in the state, I know that we can fill in the empty blocks or low species blocks during 2008. Helping out is simple as recording your sightings from each block you pass through anytime you're out and about anywhere in the state. Or, why not get your birding friends together and plan a "Block Busting" field trip. Our Ohio Young Birders Club "busted some breeding bird blocks" with Aaron Boone this summer and had a blast! Any observations can be of great help. You can send your sightings directly to me via e-mail or mail the forms to the Observatory. Details about the Ohio Winter Bird Atlas project, including a list of the areas needing more coverage and an Ohio map highlighting those areas are available at www.bsbobird.org <http://www.bsbobird.org/> . Directions and field forms can be downloaded from the website and are available in PDF form. You may want to check the list of observed species for blocks of interest to you as well. Common species are still missing from some blocks. Can anyone think of a 50 sq. mile area that doesn't have at least one cardinal? Selected species maps are available on the website for your viewing (ex. American Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Black Duck, and others). Be sure to visit the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas website (another great opportunity to make your birding count) for additional information about these blocks. Why not make your birding count and help with this important project while you are out and about in January! All the best to you in the New Year! Julie Shieldcastle Ohio Winter Bird Atlas Coordinator Black Swamp Bird Observatory (419) 898-4070 [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society. Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list. Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/. You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]