Hi Everyone! June is here! And as many of you have already started doing, this is prime time to get out to start tallying species lists for Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas blocks. As of June 5th, more than 95% of the species on the Atlas field checklist will be in safe dates (for a detailed explanation of safe dates, review the Volunteer Handbook or visit www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/). This means that the majority of simple species checklists from birding forays around the state count as valuable Atlas data. Contrary to a popular misconception, nest-finding IS NOT REQUIRED to participate in this incredibly exciting project. If you have questions about submitting observations to the Atlas, please contact us at [log in to unmask] or by phone at (614)247-6458. If anyone is interested in doing complete block surveys, please consider adopting one of the many priority blocks with little or no survey effort. I nice synopsis of priority block survey progress can be found at http://www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/Priority%20Block%20Map.php These blocks, especially, need help from every birder in the state! Please help the Atlas achieve its goal of thoroughly surveying each of these blocks. As more and more birders head to the field to document the nesting birds of Ohio, more and more fascinating discoveries will continue to be made. Recent proof is that of a calling Black Rail(s) discovered by a June Big Day team scouring the state for any and every bird species. You never know what you're going to find. Please consider signing up to survey a block today or simply turn in whatever bird records you get during June and July! As always, we'd be more than happy to send any Atlas materials that you might need (block maps, field checklists, etc.) Good birding! Aaron Boone Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II 614.247.6458 www.ohiobirds.org/obba2/ ______________________________________________________________________ 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]