Ready, set, go!

We're just a little less than 4 hours from the start of the City Nature Challenge! At one second after midnight tomorrow, you can start your observations! Who will get that first owl? Will my barred owl grace me after midnight, and will he call long enough for me to get a recording?

Shall I set us a goal or two? Last year, I wanted to break 1000 species. Y'all blew me away by breaking that number on Day Two! We ended up at 1,147 species, more than I dared dream! Dare I hope for 1,200 species this year? 1,300? Observations jumped from 2,808 in 2022 to 3,246 in 2023. Can we do 3,500 this year? 4,000? Let's not do observations just for observation's sake, but it's okay to "observe" the same species in multiple areas to show distribution, or if you find one that's blooming. If we have a decent storm Friday night and a fallout, document any migrants you can. Remember that the iNat app also has a microphone setting.

Don't forget also that, just because something is common, that someone will necessarily "observe" it. It took three years and a special plea to get Feral Pigeon. We haven't gotten Spanish moss yet, and I drive by it every year!

I'll try to post to the project journal every night, if I'm not too tired. Comments and questions appreciated! Let me know you're reading these!

But, remember, the most important thing is to HAVE FUN! We might get washed out this year, and that's okay, too. We'll all learn something and have fun in the process.

Bruc

Posted on April 26, 2024 01:27 AM by bruceneville