"The Yellow Warbler"

The Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II is a joint project of The Ohio State University, School of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife. Project Directors for the atlas are Paul Rodewald (OSU) and Scott Hull (Division of Wildlife), and Aaron Boone (OSU) is the Project Coordinator. The Advisory Board for the Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas II includes John Ritzenthaler (Audubon Ohio), Mark Shieldcastle (Black Swamp Bird Observatory), Ned Keller (Ohio Ornithological Society), Dan Brauning (Pennsylvania Game Commission), and John Castrale (Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife). This large-scale effort is made possible only though the assistance of hundreds of citizen volunteers, and other in-kind contributions from conservation groups, and federal, state, and local governmental agencies in Ohio.

* Document the current distribution of breeding birds in Ohio by surveying all 4584 blocks in the           state.
* Assess changes in the breeding distributions of birds over the last 20 years.
* Provide new measures of abundance of breeding birds throughout Ohio.
* Identify important areas that support high diversity or species of concern.
* Collect statewide information on the distribution of species that are difficult to survey, such as             owls, nightjars, and wetland species.
* Generate new information on the status of Ohio's rare, threatened, and endangered birds.

Unlike the first atlas, Ohio's second atlas will survey all 4584 atlas blocks in the state, instead of 1 in every 6 blocks (a standard topographic map contains 6 blocks). Surveying all blocks will allow us to more effectively survey rare and uncommon species, including those that are unevenly distributed across the state. This is an enormous task, but we believe the birdwatchers of Ohio will meet this challenge making Ohio's second atlas among the most comprehensive in the nation, and similar to second atlases in Maryland and Pennsylvania. It also means that there is plenty of opportunity for you to participate, whether you want to venture into more remote parts of the state, or simply survey in your own backyard!

SCOTT HULL, Olentangy Wildlife Research Station, ODNR-Division of Wildlife, 8589 Horseshoe Rd., Ashley, OH 43003. Phone: 740-747-2525 x23; E-mail: scott.hull@dnr.state.oh.us

Friday-Saturday, April 28-29, 5:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
DAS Birdathon.
Please see below for details.

Thanks and well-done to this year's participants, and especially to Count Compiler Sue Tackett.

Pied-billed Grebe...........4
Great Blue Heron...........43
Snow Goose..................1
Canada Goose............3,808
Wood Duck...................1
Gadwall.....................2
American Black Duck........39
Mallard...................811
Northern Shoveler...........3
Bufflehead..................3
Common Goldeneye............3
Hooded Merganser...........44
Northern Harrier............7
Sharp-shinned Hawk..........3
Cooper's Hawk...............7
Red-shouldered Hawk.........1
Red-tailed Hawk............46
American Kestrel...........17
Ring-necked Pheasant........4
American Coot...............4
Killdeer....................1
Common Snipe................1
Ring-billed Gull..........200
GLAUCOUS GULL...............1
Rock Dove.................183
Mourning Dove.............206
Great Horned Owl............4
Barred Owl..................5
Belted Kingfisher..........15
Red-bellied Woodpecker.....52
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker....2
Downy Woodpecker...........71
Hairy Woodpecker...........14

Northern Flicker...........21
Pileated Woodpecker.........9
Blue Jay...................50
American Crow..............81
Carolina Chickadee........296
Tufted Titmouse............84
Red-breasted Nuthatch.......5
White-breasted Nuthatch....77
Brown Creeper..............37
Carolina Wren..............50
Winter Wren.................2
Golden-crowned Kinglet.....44
Eastern Bluebird...........36
Hermit Thrush...............8
American Robin..........4,027
Northern Mockingbird........6
Brown Thrasher..............1
European Starling......11,230
Yellow-rumped Warbler......14
Eastern Towhee..............5
American Tree Sparrow......89
Field Sparrow..............17
Fox Sparrow.................1
Song Sparrow...............63
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW....363
Dark-eyed Junco...........185
Northern Cardinal.........247
Red-winged Blackbird........1
Common Grackle..............3

Brown-headed Cowbird.......11
House Finch...............169
American Goldfinch........158
House Sparrow.............298

Help DAS in our biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year we were able to raise over $4,000 dollars for Aullwood and the BCWA; this year, we hope to do even better. Call today! More details will be in the next Yellow Warbler.