Why We Go Look

Northern Pintail

I was sitting around this morning looking at my eBird tally for the year. It isn't bad but I missed several species this year. I had no terns, Sanderlings or Dunlins. Of course I had zero scoters (I use scoter repellant).
No Short-eared or Long-eared Owls. I missed Snow Buntings (twice) plus the Lapland Longspur. Missed the White-fronted Geese, too. In 2 states.
I figured the best chance for something I needed for the year was a Herring Gull or a Northern Pintail. six days left in the year, so not much chance of that happening, either.
Couldn't stand it. wet, dreary and boring. So, I decided to go to Elkins and get gas for some excitement. I rode through Glendale park hoping that maybe the White-fronted Geese flew down here. Nope, just a clump of Mallards. I looked one more time as I was driving out of the park and there it was amongst the Mallard mass..A lone Northern Pintail !! Yep, that is why we go and why we look. Even when we figure there isn't much use.

eBird 2016 — Year in review

American Tree Sparrow

eBird 2016 — Year in review

23 December 2016

2017 will mark the 15 year anniversary of eBird. In just a decade-and-a-half, the bird checklists that you have shared have helped make eBird the largest citizen science biodiversity project in the world. More than 1/3 million eBirders have submitted 370 million bird sightings, representing 10,313 species from every country in the world. We are continually humbled by the amazing power and passion of the birding community, and have nothing but excitement as we look to the future of what we can do together. As we compile this list of eBird’s achievements in 2016, we are reminded that these are all truly your achievements. It is your contributions that power this knowledge engine. Every time you go out and keep a list of birds you see, you’re making a real contribution to our understanding of the world’s ever-changing avian biodiversity.

Flexible Flyers & Shotgun Shells

Flexible Flyers & Shotgun Shells

I’m just sitting around thinking back to the times when trucks had gear shifts and roll up windows. Yes, you cranked the window up and down manually with your own power. You could even break the window loose from an icy grip; or break the window crank. How about actual brass keys? Remember them? See you’re not that old. Flexible Flyers now may be a little different. That is something that popped into my head today. Things tend to do that.

I do not know if they are still made. I doubt it. Metal runner sleds that you could steer a little and had no braking methods seem a bit risky for these times. Sand those runners off and rub some paraffin wax on and see how fast you could go. Down the middle of the road!! Yeah, not anymore. Remember those waffled cotton insulated” underwear? I sure hope you don’t still have some of those atrocious things stuck in a drawer somewhere. Take those frozen pants off and stand them in the corner beside the wood stove. Yep, frozen up to your zipper. Stand on their own; until they melted into a soggy clump. Fun wasn’t it?

Have you ever gotten a box of shotgun shells under the Christmas tree? Can you smell the aroma of a freshly opened box? I liked the Peters True Blues. I think they smelled the best. They were pretty, too. How about a Model 37 to go with the shells? Bringing back any memories? That is what the Christmas Season is all about. It was a time when families made their own decorations. We hadn’t even heard of Sri Lanka, yet.

Take a few moments to reflect back in time. Just think about the trouble your parents and grandparents went through to get you something special. They had to either search or create. There was no one-click shopping. Yes, times have changed and it has been a quick process in the grand scheme of things. I’m really not sure that it is for the better, either. We shall see.

There are two things that cannot be taken away from us. Those are memories and knowledge/. These are also two things that can be shared and passed on without any expense. Think for a few seconds and you will come up with something that you are glad you know today that was a gift given to you by someone you thought was being facetious at the time. Probably made you mad, too. Aren’t you glad they spent those few seconds on you?

We have all acquired knowledge over time. Things are stored somewhere on our heads. We can help and learn from everyone around us. Sharing knowledge freely to create memories for others seems to me as if it is something we all should be doing. The problem with our busy world that consumes us is that we don’t think we have time for the simple things in life. You do have the time if you take it and you will be glad you did. Give the gift of knowledge and create some memories; enjoy the simple things, slow down and live. Merry Christmas

This is my December 2016 Article for Two-lane Livin (c)2016 High Virginia Outdoors

Photo (C) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

Stocking Up and Winding Down

Stocking Up and Winding Down

The eleventh month has arrived. Did the year fly by? I think not. I cannot remember a summer so grueling. I am glad November is here. The cellar is full; quarts and pints aligned in rows. Gallons of water take up empty spaces. Nothing to worry about in there. Peppers were all I had to buy. Never have had a pepper failure; not sure what happened. Everything else did well, the wood shed is full and the first ton of wood pellets is stacked by the stove. Winter rye greens the garden and the garlic is happily buried under a layer of straw. Several layers of goodness. are stacked on freezer shelves. The empty space awaits the final addition. Yes, it is now venison time.

Thanksgiving to me means giving thanks for all of the bounty you have received from the earth due to your own labors. The meal is comprised of products of the gardens, fields and streams. I just believe that is the way it is meant to be. I cannot imagine chewing on a store bought turkey. It just doesn’t seem right. I know that I spent last Thanksgiving morning butchering deer and filling that dreaded empty space in the freezer. That kind of felt just right for the occasion. Everything worked out for a change and I had enough procured by then. That doesn’t happen often, but the way the weather set in after that; I’m glad it worked out that way.

I do not enjoy deer hunting one little bit. I enjoy eating venison; therefore I go. I was never one to worry about giant racks, never did care. I go deer hunting for one reason. That reason is to get the deer meat I NEED to get to next November. It used to be easier to do when I archery hunted, too. But, that was long ago. Nowadays I need to get done as fast as I can, before the totally miserable weather sets in. This may be a shocker to some, but today I just officially took of the first week of gun season. That will be the first opening week I have been off since high school and that was a long time ago. Do I worry about getting some venison? No. I worry about getting enough so I do not have to ration throughout the year, Having a whole week worry free should speed up the process. We will see.

Like it or not; it is a fact that we have become a nation of consumers dependent upon others for our survival. That is not the way it was meant to be. The scariest thing to me is that we are dependent on other nations to supply our daily needs. Think about it, really sit a think. It is scary. We depend on other countries which do not even like us to supply our needs. It has been a gradual process but it has engulfed us now.. What happened? It was the easy way out. That is what happened. When was the last time you fixed yourself a piece of toast and spread real butter on it?

We need to think about the meaning of Thanksgiving, not what we can easily run to the supermarket and buy. We need to become more reliant upon ourselves and our true neighbors. Start small; quit buying your eggs from the supermarket. Buy them from someone who actually feeds their chickens. It will not hurt at all and you will have better eggs. Happy Thanksgiving.

This is my November 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin..(c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c) High Virginia Images...All Rights Reserved

DINOSAUR HUNTERS

The Sun rises, frost shimmers on the rooftops temperatures that once began with eights are gone. Finally October has arisen for the summer doldrums. Refreshing it is; asters sway in the breeze as colors come to the trees. The time is finally here to start thinking about filling the freezers and settling in for the long winter ahead. I really do not mind winter; except for the final three months of it. I just can’t deal with February, March & April. It is just too much. We need to enjoy the next several weeks. Soon the landscape will turn from brilliant to bleak.

Contrary to what the general population believes and has witnessed for themselves; there are a few hunters out there that didn’t evolve by watching TV. Yes, they did it by trial and error; along with careful observations. They do exist, but they are rarely seen. I know this sounds unbelievable to many; but there are some successful hunters out there that have never owned an ATV, trail camera or a game feeder. Some have a GPS built into their head. You will not see that this type wandering around in the local China Mart dressed in camo, Actually they probably have neighbors that don’t even know that the hunt.

Year after year after year they have been successful in the woods, with little fanfare or publicity. They are the real experts. You will never see them on TV or in the paper. They keep quiet and go about their own business. They have been doing it for a long time and took the time to learn. They have no worries about if they will get something this year. They know it will happen. It is just a matter of when. Modern hunters should take notice but they are too busy fiddling with gadgets.

October brings a twinkle to the eyes of older hunters. They came fondly remember their youthful days in pursuit of squirrels and fall turkeys. Those were the learning and developing days. Neither shows up much on the modern hunters’ radar. It is more interesting to sit and stare at a corn pile. Squirrels and turkeys just aren’t cool. Woodsmanship isn’t either. There is no reason to waste time learning through trial and error. Not. When you can just turn on the TV or computer and see the real experts in action.

Never underestimate that old fellow that has to lean against a tree to tie his boot laces. When you pass that person on the trail and make your snide comments about his attire and ratty looking gun. When you think you are out of hearing range. You and your buddies probably have forgotten all about him; until you hear a shot on a distant ridge at noon while you are yapping, playing on your phones and eating lunch. You wonder who could be up there, so far away. Experience beats gadgets every single day. You will never know the old-timer is around; until he shoots.

Yes, it is sad to say but the ones who grew up in the woods and not staring at a feeder are dwindling away. I imagine that within the next two short decades all will be gone or nearly so.It would be good to latch onto one of these fossils before they are all gone. You might learn a little about the real world

This is my October 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin (c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors All Rights Reserved

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

I can’t believe I started with that. But it is fitting. Long ago when I could stand to listen to the radio; The Who and Queen were two of my quickest channel changers. Now that Shania is appearing on Classic Country stations; I am pretty much radio free America. I learned a long time ago that if you don’t like what you are hearing; you don’t have to listen.

Really, who are you? I know what many of you are thinking right now. Why I am a __. That isn’t what I mean. I’m not referring to what you do to eke out a living. Everyone has to do that; although some find a way not to. I mean who are you in reality? What do you enjoy doing? What do you sit and daydream about while eking? What do you do for relaxing and relieving stress? What do you find interesting?

We were not built to quit learning once we walk out of whatever we graduated from. I know many who quit right at that point. They quickly settled into a routine that they will never leave and they think that is the way it works; forever. I really feel sorry for them. You have heard the saying many times that you learn something new every day “you should. It isn’t really that hard.

Have you ever actually taken the effort to find out what that funny looking bug crawling on your milkweed plant is? The resources are there for all to use. It isn’t really that hard to find the right answers anymore. The only requirement needed is a little effort put forth. First you find a closely matching photo and go from there. Inquiring minds will not stop at just a name. They will wander to native or introduced and then to life cycles and habitat. Before you know it; you just learned something new today! Keep on going.

My mind tends to wander from day to day and season to season. Primarily it functions in two stages. Getting ready for winter and getting through winter. Producing and procuring food is pretty much number one. I always have something else going on too. I need to do something other than eke and watch tomatoes get ripe. That is where birds, bugs, damselflies and wildflowers come in handy. There is always something out there that you have never taken time to identify and learn about. You don’t have to go far.

Some believe that the outdoors is only hunting and fishing. That is so untrue. Besides hunting and fishing have seasons and limits. I need to do something interesting every single day that doesn’t cost much of anything. How about you? Recreation does not have to cost, neither does learning. I’m old and I have stuff to make alone time more enjoyable, It was all acquired over time and really as the big picture goes was not that expensive due to the enjoyment it has given.

The photo with this article is the stuff I had behind my truck seat on June 10. That is my stuff. Let’s face it we are all just getting older and poorer. So who are you? I guess I am a real outdoorsman and life-long learner.

This is my August 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin

(c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors  Photo (c) 2016 High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

SUMMER FUN?

SUMMER FUN?

I had a lot of fun when I was young but was sent off to prison when I was about six. I never enjoyed summertime much after that time. I always knew in the back of my mind that summer would pass and I’d soon be locked up for another eight months. My bright spot was wearing out Golden Guides, catching crawdads & salamanders and damming up the crick. Summer vacation soon passed away. It was back to staring out the windows time/ Hard Time.

I just returned from a dog walk on the lower Shavers Fork, near Bowden. I call it tin can alley. Campers parked alongside each other; hundreds on them. I cannot imagine why people would want to leave one city just to go sit in another one. The two biggest campgrounds were absolutely crawling with people. I don’t quite understand why you need a fire when it is 85 degrees, either. Must be fun.

Fun to me doesn’t require spending money. I drive all week therefore I sure don’t travel more than a few miles if I don’t have to. I’m old, I’ve already seen it .Buying gas isn’t fun. You can’t drive down a country road anymore without someone riding on your bumper. There isn’t any wonder that people do not see anything anymore. They are in too big of a hurry.

I guess I could charge an expensive trip for a vacation to somewhere I’ve never been and work all the rest of the year to pay it off. That doesn’t sound like much fun, either. I worked at a place a few years ago that closes down the first week of July every year. That would be one of my last choices for a week off. I think the most exciting thing I did was change brakes on my truck.

I’ve gotten to the point where I actually have to make myself go fishing. I’m fine once I get there but some become bored with the whole process. Biting flies, mosquitoes and gnats stuck in your sweat isn’t much fun. Plus, the cost of gas and ice takes away from the enjoyment. It seems as if anything interesting to do is a sixty or seventy mile round trip. I guess I just can’t enjoy my time away when I know there is grass to mow, tomatoes to tie and critters to feed. Have you ever taken the time to read the WV Fish Consumption Advisories? You should.

I do make the attempt to take an hour out of every day for enjoyment. It is my shutdown time and I have become very adept at finding interesting things. I may steal that time with walking the dogs or it may be somewhere alongside the road. No matter where it is it is cherished time. It doesn’t cost a thing and it helps maintain sanity.

There are many things out there to discover for everyone. The only requirement to participate is a little bit of free time. I can just tie the dogs off to a tree and go sit along a ditch. You would be amazed at the lifeforms you can see in just a small location. Just sit and stare. Dragonflies, damsels, butterflies abound and you never know what bird may appear. To me that is fun and free. Try it, you might like it.

This is my July 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin

(c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors. Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

News From Virginia DGIF

Region III – Southwest
Elk Poachers Charged – On June 14, 2016, Virginia Conservation Police Sergeant Jamie Davis and SWVA Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation [RMEF]Coal Field Chapter Chairman Leon Boyd met with WCYB TV Fox News Center 5 at the Buchanan County elk release site.  A News 5 reporter had received information that an elk was poached and suspects had been charged.  Sergeant Davis advised this was a team effort solving this case. Conservation Officers, members of the Buchanan County community and local sportsman all played a vital role. This was definitely poachers and not hunters and it has been sportsmen through RMEF and VDGIF that have brought these elk back to SWVA.  Leon Boyd,  discussed partners like RMEF, local energy companies and volunteer sportsmen all had part in this project and how it impacts the whole community.  Leon Boyd also discussed the economic value of this crime and the penalties faced by the poachers.

Violations at “Trophy” Trout Stockings – On June 18, 2016, Virginia Conservation Police Officers Dan Hall, Larry Walls, James Brooks and Sergeant Jamie Davis worked a covert patrol on Big Tumbling Creek within Clinch Mountain Wildlife Management Area. This patrol was due to numerous complaints from the public concerning snagging and other violations taking place during the special “Trophy” trout stockings in the daily fee area. This past week numerous citation brook trout were stocked. As a result of the enforcement efforts by the Conservation Officers, violations were noted and appropriate charges placed

BEAR POACHERS

WVDNR investigation of illegal bear hunting in Grant and Mineral counties results in arrest of eight men on 77 charges

ROMNEY, W.Va. – Natural Resources Police Officers have completed an investigation that has resulted in the arrest of eight men on 77 charges of violations of West Virginia game laws involving the illegal hunting of black bears. The investigation began in September 2015 when an illegal bear baiting site near Mount Storm in Grant County was reported to the DNR District 2 office in Romney.
Lead investigators Sgt. G.M. Willenborg and Senior Natural Resources Police Officer A.D. Kuykendall, assisted by natural resources police officers from Mineral, Grant and Pendleton counties, completed the investigation and filed the charges. The alleged illegal bear hunting violations occurred between May 2015 and September 2015. Charges have been brought against the following individuals and are pending in court. The charges identified are allegations and any defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Mark Allen Lampka, Jr. of Mount Storm, West Virginia, was charged with violations ranging from (2 counts) illegal trapping of bear, (4 counts) illegal killing of bear, (6 counts) illegal possession of bear, (2 counts) spotlighting bear, conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code, hunting without permission, hunting bear during closed season and other game law violations. These charges were brought in Grant and Mineral counties.
Daniel Boddy of New Creek, West Virginia, was charged with (2 counts) illegal killing of bear, (2 counts) illegal trapping of bear, (4 counts) illegal possession of bear, spotlighting bear, conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code and other game law violations. These charges were brought in Grant and Mineral counties.
Chad Fridley of Mount Storm, West Virginia, was charged with illegal killing of bear, spotlighting bear, (2 counts) illegal possession of bear and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Grant and Mineral counties.
Steve Thomas Lyons, Jr. of Elk Garden, West Virginia, was charged with illegal killing of bear, spotlighting bear, hunting bear with use of bait, illegal possession of bear and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Grant and Mineral counties.
Dustin Knaggs of New Creek, West Virginia, was charged with illegal killing of bear, spotlighting bear, illegal possession of bear and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Mineral County.
Terry Kuh of Maysville, West Virginia, was charged with spotlighting bear, hunting bear with use of bait, illegal possession of bear, illegal taking of bear during closed season and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Grant County.
James Scott Kuhn of New Creek, West Virginia, was charged with hunting bear with the use of a trap, illegal possession of bear, and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Mineral County.
Ronnie P. Bothwell of Burlington, West Virginia, was charged with hunting bear with the use of a trap, illegal possession of bear and conspiring to violate Chapter 20 of the West Virginia State Code. These charges were brought in Mineral County.

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Build a Better Catfish Trap

Build a Better Catfish Trap

By Ted Pilgrim

It’s remarkable to consider that some of the earliest fishing artifacts unearthed by archaeologists were those curious contraptions we call circle hooks. Equally intriguing, this singular hook was designed and fished by numerous unrelated ancient civilizations across the globe. For pre-Columbian natives of Latin America, ancient Polynesians, early Japanese, and indigenous people of the North Pacific, the circle hook was apparently a logical invention among fishermen. 

But how is it that such different cultures arrived independently at a similar, yet singularly innovative hook style? The answer, in part, lies with the fact that these early fishermen were not sport anglers in today’s sense. Rather, they were hunters and trappers of fish. As subsistence fishermen, they needed a tool that hooked fish by itself. Circle hooks did exactly that, serving as efficient “fish traps” and putting dinner on the table for hundreds of generations of early anglers. 

In more recent times, commercial fishermen as well as catfishers using trotlines, juglines, and limblines have relied almost exclusively on the self-setting power of a circle hook. The true fish-catching talents of a circle hook, however, emerge only when coupled with a well-balanced, finely designed catfish rod.

Setting the Trap

Among rod and reel catfish anglers today, circle hooks have become standard fish-catching equipment. Yet without proper use of complementary tools—the right rod, line and bait—the circle hook is no more useful than a mousetrap lacking a spring. 

Studying the hook itself, most rod and reel anglers believe that modified circle designs— those with points that turn toward the shank at roughly 45-degrees— hook cats a bit easier than true circles, whose points turn at about 90-degrees. True circles, such as Eagle Claw’s heavy stainless steel 190, remain the preference of saltwater fishermen.

Modified designs, such as Rippin Lips Tournament Grade Circle, typically sport wider gaps than true circles, a feature that plays a vital role in hooking bony-lipped catfish. In truth, hook size itself remains far less important than gap and bite – the areas between point and shank, point and bend, respectively. When attaching baits, it’s wise to leave most of the throat open in order to allow the hook to properly pivot in the fish’s jaw and drive itself home. Impale cutbaits as lightly as possible. With live baitfish, plant the hook gently through the nostrils, lips or just beneath the skin near the tail. Certainly, avoid burying the hookpoint in the bait. Finally, sharpen the point and file down the barb to a nub; you’ll hook and land more cats, and more easily extract the hook. Note, a circle hook’s design keeps catfish hooked securely during battle, even lacking a large barb.

In order for the hook to lodge itself into the corner of a cat’s soft, yet bony jowl, steady, sustained pressure must be exerted opposite the direction of a striking fish. Veteran catfish guide Captain Brad Durick, a highly instinctive angler who regularly employs circle hooks to put his clients on big cats, describes the process:  “A good circle hook ‘trap’ consists of a 7 to 10-foot rod that loads up slowly, allowing a cat to grab the bait, turn, and move away with slight, steady resistance.” During the past season, Durick has literally boated over 10 tons of big channel catfish with a single set of SuperCat rods. For big channel cats, he prefers the 7-foot 6-inch medium-action casting version of the popular Rippin Lips sticks. Durick also notes that his SuperCats’ blanks offer the perfect balance between light heft (weight), sensitivity (strike detection) and tip softness.

“Monofilament line complements the hook and rod perfectly,” he adds, “Its stretch yields a sort of bungee-cord effect. Lines like 30-pound test Ande Premium cushion the hookset just enough to prevent the hook from bouncing out of the fish’s jaw. Happens sometimes with no-stretch braid.” Durick continues, “Lots of folks want to loosen their drags, too, but a tight drag is better—helps turn and lock the hook into the cat’s jaw.” 

“Keeping the rod in a rod holder seals the deal,” he says. “Only thing hand-holding the rod does is tempt you to set the hook, which is usually a no-no. I like to set the holders to position rods at about 55-degrees to the water. This helps load the rod slowly when a fish takes the bait. When the rod tip bounces, signaling a chewing cat, I don't touch it until the rod folds over completely. Lift the rod straight up out of the rod holder, and reel down while slowly forming a deep arc in the rod.” 

Employing the aforementioned prescriptions, Durick says he hooks over 99-percent of biting catfish in the corner of the lip, with almost zero fish hooked in the throat. That’s one impressive box score—both from a fishing perspective, and from a conservation point of view. It means every big cat Durick catches is shortly swimming again, where it can thump someone else’s rod.

So goes the circle of a catfish’s life.

Video Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IreBM0tops

LOOK!

White-eyed Vireo

LOOK!

June usually isn't too bad; until it gets hot. The garden is planted and we now have some time to unwind. I always look forward to the garden growing and the lawn dying. don't get me wrong; I like mowing grass the first couple of times. After that, it is kind of like that kick in the gut you got when you finally finished the first grade. You mean I have to go back? Eleven more years?

I really enjoy trout fishing with a fly rod. Unfortunately, it seems as if the only time that one can enjoy a little alone time on a trout stream is after the fish trucks quit running. It really isn’t much fun fishing when someone riding down the road sees you catch a fish and decides to join you. There are plenty of fish and plenty of insect activity to keep anyone happy; until the streams dry up and get hot.

I wish everyone would take a few minutes out of each day just to see the little things around them. People really need to slow down and appreciate their surroundings; before it is too late. I have several friends who are accomplished outdoorsmen and are getting up in years. They look back at the things they have experienced and seen over the years. They realize that they will never be able to see the sights they have seen again. The best quote I have heard from them is I’m Glad I Went to the Dance.” I can tell you one thing for sure and that is I would never had the appreciation for the natural world that I have now; if I had not been a hard-core turkey hunter. Nobody would believe all of the things I had seen and experienced in the spring woods. I too am glad that I danced.

It just amazes me that people do not see things right in front of them. I was taking a photo of a beautiful adult Golden Eagle along Corridor H this past March. It was within 10 yards of the highway. I know 50 vehicles zoomed by while I was there. Not one slowed to look and I’d be willing to bet the not 5 people saw what I was looking at. Three of the 5 probably wondered why I was looking at a buzzard, yes, as a whole we are way out of touch.

I do not know how many times I have been asked over the past few years what something was. The response is always Oh; I have never seen one of those before. Yes, you have they are all over the area and very common. You just never bothered to actually look at one before. One very rewarding gift you can give yourself in this journey of lifetime learning is making the time each day to stop, look and listen. Do this for a few minutes every day and you will be amazed with the results. It doesn’t hurt one little bit.

Here is something to start with and give you a little nudge. Have you ever heard of a White-eyed Vireo or a Yellow-throated Vireo? Nope, I didn’t think so. They are very common and very vocal. I imagine one or the other lives and raises young within 100 yards of your front porch. Find one, it will not hurt at all. I promise.

(c)2016 High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c)High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

This is my June 2016 article for Two-lane Livin

Across and Down

Across and Down

Parmachene Belle, Queen of the Waters, Royal Coachman, Silver Doctor; if you know what I’m talking about, I bet you had one of those sheepskin fly books. Oh, that musty smell. Those were the staple of many anglers. They were quite nice when new but soon became quite ugly from rusted hooks and poorly dyed feathers. Do you remember that sickening feeling when you first opened one after a long winter and moths flew out? Those were simple times; soon things got complicated. Most no longer carry any of the classic wet flies. They aren’t the in thing now.

Do you want to catch more fish this spring? Of course you do. First, learn to tie a blood knot and make up a couple of leaders with one or two droppers. I can’t help you there. You can easily find instructions. I’m going to help with the catching fish part. Tie on two or three wet flies to your brand new leader and head to your favorite stream. Approach the section you intend to fish at the top end of the run. Stay back and do not create a shadow on the water. Make a short cast to the opposite bank and let your flies swing downstream and across the run to your side of the stream. Pull out 6 inches of fly line and repeat your cast. Keep feeding out line 6 inches at a time and casting across and down; until you get the amount of line you are comfortable casting. Now, you don’t have to worry about fiddling with line anymore. Just fish.

Take a half of a step and cast across and down. You get the point now. Take another half step and repeat until you reach the end of the run. Shazam; you have just put your flies in front of every single fish in that section of water. Didn’t take long to thoroughly fish it, either. Nothing has to be as complicated as many want you to believe. Keep it simple and be successful.

Many of the old time wet flies were pretty gaudy and they caught fish way back when and they will still catch fish today. Good luck finding some that aren’t tied in Malaysia or some other trout heaven. I’m sure you can come up with some through a diligent search. I found out long ago that if a fly contains peacock herl; it will catch fish. My wet fly box pretty much is filled with Picket Pins in various sizes. That is all I need. Remember, keep it simple. I have had very good success with that one fly. It can imitate a minnow, crayfish, emerging caddis fly, drowned caddis fly or even a caddis fly returning to the water to lay eggs. What more could you ask for? It has peacock herl, too!!

The old lowly wet fly added protein to many ramp and potato streamside campfire meals of yesteryear. There is no reason that they cannot do so today. Yes, things got complicated. You can prevent that and keep it simple across and down. Fishing is supposed to be fun and not a chore. Don’t be afraid to add some split-shot to your Royal Coachman’s, either. Just fish.

(c) 2016 High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c)2015 High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

This is my April 2016 article for Two-lane Livin

West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 28 – April 1, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 28 – April 1, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of March 28 – April 1, 2016:

Anthony Creek Bear Rocks Lake Big Clear Creek Blackwater River Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Camp Creek Cherry River Clear Fork of Tug Cranberry River Dillons Run East Fork Greenbrier River East River Edwards Run Pond Elk River Evitts Run Fort Ashby Reservoir Gandy Creek Glady Fork Horse Creek Lake Horseshoe Run Kimsey Run Lake

Knapps Creek Laurel Fork (Randolph) Left Fork of Buckhannon River (rail stocking) Little Clear Creek Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Little River West Fork Greenbrier River Lost River Mash Fork Mash Fork of Camp Creek (Children & Class Q) Middle Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek of South Branch (Hampshire) New Creek North Fork of Lunice North Fork of Patterson Creek North Fork of South Branch North Fork of South Branch (C&R) North River Opequon Creek Paint Creek Paw Paw Creek Pond Fork R.D. Bailey Tailwaters

Red Creek Rocky Marsh Run Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (lower section) Shavers Fork (upper section) South Branch (Franklin) South Branch (Smoke Hole) South Fork of Fishing Creek South Mill Creek Lake Spruce Knob Lake Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Summersville Tailwaters Summit Lake Sutton Tailwaters Teter Creek Lake Tilhance Creek Trout Run Tuscarora Creek Waites Run Warden Lake Watoga Lake West Fork Greenbrier River Wheeling Creek Whiteday Creek Williams River

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West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 14-18, 2016

Devil Run

West Virginia trout stocking the week of March 14-18, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of March 14-18, 2016

Anthony Creek Back Fork of Elk River Barboursville Lake Bear Rocks Lake Big Clear Creek Blackwater River Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Camp Creek Cherry River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River Clover Run Cranberry River Desert Fork Dillons Run Dunkard Fork Lake East Fork Greenbrier River East River Edwards Run Pond Elk River Evitts Run Fort Ashby Reservoir Gandy Creek Glade Creek of Mann Glade Creek of New River Glady Fork Handley Pond (Children & Class Q) Hopkins Fork Horseshoe Run Huey Lake

Kimsey Run Lake Knapps Creek Laurel Fork (Randolph) Little Clear Creek Little Kanawha Headwaters Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Little River West Fork Greenbrier River Lost River Mash Fork Mash Fork of Camp Creek (Children and Class Q) Meadow Creek of New River (Summers) Middle Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek of South Branch (Hampshire) New Creek North Fork Cherry North Fork of Anthony North Fork of Lunice North Fork of Patterson Creek North Fork of South Branch North River Opequon Creek Paint Creek Panther Creek Paw Paw Creek Pinnacle Creek Pond Fork Raleigh County Airport Pond (Children & Class Q) R. D. Bailey Tailwaters Red Creek Right Fork of Little Kanawha Headwaters

Rocky Marsh Run Rollins Lake Second Creek (C&R) Seneca Lake Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (lower section) Shavers Fork (upper section) South Branch (Franklin) South Branch (Smoke Hole) South Fork Cherry South Fork Cranberry River South Mill Creek Lake Spruce Knob Lake Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Sugar Creek Summersville Tailwaters Summit Lake Sutton Tailwaters Teter Creek Lake Thomas Park Lake Tilhance Creek Trout Run Tuscarora Creek Waites Run Warden Lake Watoga Lake West Fork Greenbrier River Wheeling Creek Whiteday Creek Williams River

Spring Eagle Survey

38 eagles spotted in southern West Virginia during spring survey

PIPESTEM, W.Va. – Sixty-one people gathered and were scattered to 11 survey sites for the 9th annual Spring Eagle Survey, held March 5 in the Pipestem area of southern West Virginia. During the four hours of the survey, they spotted 38 bald and golden eagles soaring the skies.
"The volunteers all have a common interest – birds – and on this particular day, eagles," said Julie McQuade, naturalist at Pipestem State Park. McQuade and other volunteers assist former Pipestem naturalist Jim Phillips with this annual event.
The survey sites included Mouth of Indian Creek; Bertha; Pits; Bluestone State Park; Bluestone Turnpike Trail; Falls Mills, Virginia; Rt. 20 Overlook; Camp Brookside; Brooks; Barger Springs; and Rt. 122. The temperature ranged from 34-53 degrees with a 50-100 percent cloud cover and wind speed of 0-3 mph. There was no precipitation and the water was open.
Thirty-three bald eagles were recorded (11 adults, 8 first years, 9 second years, 1 third year and 4 fourth years). Golden eagles sighted were three adults and one immature. There were four unidentified eagles at nine of the 11 sites. Three nests were reported as having eggs or suspected of have an egg.
Annual eagle surveys are conducted in January and March with the announcements posted to www.pipestemresort.com, "Events." The 2017 surveys will occur Jan. 7 and March 4, 2017

MARCH MADNESS

Yes, March makes me mad. April usually does, too. You start hearing how many days it is until spring; before January is over with. I just crunched a few numbers and I have actually lived around 31% of my life where spring actually happens on March 20. That doesn’t happen within 800 miles of here. We can only wish or hope, but neither ever gets us too far.

We tend to get a little excited when we hear the Wood Frogs and Spring Peepers. But, we always know they will get frozen over. Yes, it happens every year there are signs of life for brief periods and then all is white again. Pussy Willow catkins are soft and fuzzy; covered with yellow pollen. Honey bees are busy in the afternoon sun and then the next day all is encrusted in ice. The poor little catkins hang on; damp and droopy. They never look happy again.

Skunk Cabbage is pretty tough and it keeps on trying to show its true colors. Try it does until it succumbs to the freezes. Often it just wilts into the mud and waits. Freeze, thaw, freeze and thaw over and over; it takes a toll on all involved. Spring will come if we can all hold on. The wait is excruciating. When will it stick and stay? Nobody knows.

Sometime during the month we will get that perfect 5 day period. The fishing rods and rototillers will emerge from hibernation. We want to believe that the cold is over. We hurry up and plant some sugar snaps. We hope the cold doesn’t get them before they get a chance to germinate. The cold always wins. Poor little broccoli and cabbage plants sit in a snowy dormancy; waiting on some sunny days. They never come and we plant again or deal with stunted plants that have given up.

We hit the trout streams hoping for some action. The fish are there; seemingly stacked upon each other. Lethargic fish that is. You can stand there for hours bouncing bait off their noses. They will not move. When it is warm enough to fish it is also warm enough for that dreaded snow-melt to be flowing into the stream. Oh well, it was a nice day for a ride into the mountains and you don’t have to worry about cleaning fish when you get home. On the bright side; at least you could afford the gas without feeling guilty about driving so far.

March is about waiting for better things to come. Serviceberries will be the first to bloom and then the cycle will begin. When? That depends; it might be March or it may be April. The only thing we can do is wait and wait we do. One day we will look up a steep hill and see the real spring green as the ramp leaves glow in the sunlight. They will come as they always do. We can only wait.

Sometime soon the woodcocks will be displaying in the evening sky in a clearing near you. The turkeys will gobble and bloodroot will bloom. I love springtime when it finally happens and I know you do too. But, for now all we can do is wait..

This is my March 2016 article for Two-Lane Livin

(c) High Virginia Outdoors Photo (c) High Virginia Images All Rights Reserved

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of Feb. 29 – March 4, 2016:

Anthony Creek Baker Lake (Children and Class Q) Bear Rocks Lake Big Clear Creek Blackwater River Boley Lake Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Buffalo Creek (Clay) Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Camp Creek Cherry River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River Clear Fork of Guyandotte River (delayed harvest) Coonskin Park Lake (Children and Class Q) Cranberry River East Fork Greenbrier River East River Elk River Evitts Run Gandy Creek Glade Creek of Mann Glady fork Hills Creek Horseshoe Run Kanawha State Forest Pond (Children and Class Q)

Kimsey Run Lake Knapps Creek Krodel Lake Larenim Park Lake Laurel Fork (Randolph) Little Clear Creek Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Little River West Fork Greenbrier River Logan County Pond (Children and Class Q) Lost River Mash Fork Mash Fork of Camp Creek (Children and Class Q) Middle Creek (Berkeley) Middle Fork River Miletree Lake Mill Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek Reservoir Miller Pond (Children and Class Q) Moores Run New Creek North Fork of Cherry River North Fork of Lunice North Fork of Patterson Creek North Fork South Branch North River Opequon Creek Paint Creek Paint Creek (C&R) Paw Paw Creek

Pinnacle Creek (upper and lower sections) Pond Fork Poorhouse Pond R. D. Bailey Tailwaters Red Creek Rocky Marsh Run Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (C&R) Shavers Fork (lower section) South Branch (Smoke Hole) South Fork of Cherry River South Mill Creek Lake Spruce Knob Lake Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Summersville Tailwaters Summit Lake Sutton Tailwaters Teter Creek Lake Tilhance Creek Trout Run Tuckahoe Lake Tuscarora CreekTygart Tailwaters Tygart Valley River Headwaters Waites Run Wallback Lake Warden Lake Watoga Lake West Fork Greenbrier River Wheeling Creek Whiteday Creek Williams River

Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz: Opening Day

Welcome to International Opening Day of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz!  The Blitz challenges birders to seek Rusty Blackbirds throughout this species’ entire migratory range, from the southeastern U.S. through the Northeast, Midwest, Canada, and Alaska. It’s easy to participate- bird as you normally do and search especially carefully for Rusty Blackbirds- then report your results to eBird under the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” survey type, even if you don’t find a Rusty.  Or, visit one of our Rusty Blackbird Areas of Interest (visit our interactive map at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/) to help us assess consistency of migratory timing and habitat use during spring migration.

Many Rusty Blackbirds spend the winter in the lower South, so our job is largely to document when Rusties get ready for migration and subsequently leave that region to head north to their breeding grounds.  To give you a sense of when peak migratory activity is likely to occur in our area, we’ve posted a list of suggested target dates for each region: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/ .  However, migratory timing can vary annually based on weather and climate, and some Southern states were reporting Rusty sightings into April last year, so any Rusty reports during the Blitz period of 1 March through 15 June will help our effort. 

For more information on Blitz objectives, along with Rusty Blackbird identification tips, data collection instructions, and data reporting information, you can find additional resources at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/.  

We hope you’ll “get Rusty” with us to help conserve this elusive and vulnerable songbird! Also, follow us on Facebook to hear about Rusty sightings, see Rusty pictures, and get the latest Blitz news: https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 22-26, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 22-26, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of Feb. 22-26, 2016

Back Fork of Elk River Blackwater River      Boley Lake Brandywine Lake Brushy Fork Lake Buffalo Fork Creek Chief Logan Pond Clear Fork of Tug Cranberry River Deer Creek (Pocahontas) Desert Fork Dunloup Creek East Fork Greenbrier River Elk River

Gandy Creek Glade Creek of New River Greenbrier River Hopkins Fork Horse Creek Lake Jimmy Lewis Lake Kings Creek Laurel Fork (Randolph) Laurel Fork Lake Little River East Fork Greenbrier River Newburg Lake North Fork South Branch Pipestem Lake

Rhine Creek Right Fork of Little Kanawha Headwaters Rockhouse Lake Rollins Lake South Branch (C&R) South Branch (Smoke Hole) Spruce Knob Lake Spruce Laurel Fork Sugar Creek Summit Lake Tomlinson Run Tomlinson Run Lake Williams River

2016 Rusty Blackbird Blitz

Rusty Blackbirds (c) HVI

Have you heard a squeaky-hinge song lately, or seen a flash of rust-tipped feathers under a bright yellow eye? Although occasionally overlooked as “just another blackbird,” Rusty Blackbirds face an unfortunate and remarkable notoriety: this species has endured a decline more severe than that of any other once-common landbird. In 2014, the International Rusty Blackbird Working Group, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, eBird, and many other state, federal, and local partners, launched a three-year Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz that challenged birders to scour the landscape for Rusty Blackbirds during this species’ northward migration.  Between 1 March and 15 June 2014, 4750 birders submitted 13,400 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations to eBird; during the same time period in 2015, 4885 birders submitted 13,919 checklists containing Rusty Blackbird observations.  These first two hugely successful seasons have allowed us to start looking at potential Rusty Blackbird migratory hotspots, habitat use, and potential migratory pathways.

We hope you’ll consider participating in Year 3 – the final year – of the Blitz this spring!  It’s easy- bird as you normally do during the Blitz window (1 March through 15 June) and submit your data to eBird using the “Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz” observation type.  To help you figure out when Rusties might be passing through your area, each region is assigned a set of target dates found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/states-and-dates/  We’re collecting Blitz data from anywhere within our target states and provinces, but this
year, we’d also like birders to revisit Areas of Interest identified from 2014 and 2015 data to assess the consistency of Rusty Blackbird habitat use and migratory timing.  Check out our map of Areas of Interest for 2015 at http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/

To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds and the Blitz effort, please visit our Migration Blitz website (http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/), or check out our Blitz Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/rustyblackbirdspringblitz). 

We hope you’ll join us to Blitz for Blackbirds this spring!

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 15-19, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 15-19, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of Feb. 15-19, 2016:

Anthony Creek Beech Fork Tailwaters Berwind Lake Big Sandy Creek Buckhannon River Buffalo Creek (Logan) Bullskin Run Burnsville Tailwaters Cacapon Park Lake Coopers Rock Lake Dry Fork (McDowell) East Lynn Tailwaters Evitts Run Fall Run French Creek Pond

Glady Fork Jennings Randolph Tailwaters Knapps Creek Laurel Fork of Holly River Left Fork of Holly River Left Fork of Right Fork of Buckhannon River Little Kanawha Headwaters Lost River Marsh Fork Mason Lake Middle Creek (Berkeley) Mill Creek (Berkeley) Moores Run New Creek

North Fork of Patterson Creek Opequon Creek Right Fork of Buckhannon River Rocky Marsh Run Shavers Fork (Bemis) Shavers Fork (lower section) South Branch (Franklin) Stonewall Jackson Tailwaters Sutton Tailwaters Trout Run Waites Run Warden Lake Watoga Lake Wayne Dam West Fork of Twelvepole

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 8-12, 2016

West Virginia trout stocking the week of Feb. 8-12, 2016

ELKINS, W.Va. – The following waters were stocked the week of Feb. 8-12, 2016:

Buffalo Creek (Brooke) Castlemans Run Lake Curtisville Lake Dry Fork (Randolph, Tucker) Dunkard Fork Lake Glady Fork Indian Creek Indian Rock Lake

Laurel Creek of Cherry River Laurel Creek of New River (Fayette) Middle Wheeling Creek Lake Mill Creek of New River (Fayette) Mountwood Park Lake North Fork of Cherry River

Potts Creek Rich Creek Right Fork of Middle Fork South Branch (Franklin) South Fork of Cherry River Spruce Knob Lake Wallback Lake Williams River

West Virginia Mussels

Learn about West Virginia mussels at North Bend State Park, Feb 25

CAIRO, W.Va. – Biologist Janet Clayton with the Wildlife Resources Section of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) will present an evening program, "Mussels –Why They're Important to West Virginia," at North Bend State Park Feb. 25, 2016. The 6:30 p.m. program will cover the importance of mussels in streams, habitats, threats to survival of species, and survey programs. The program is open to the public without charge.
We can learn about the quality of the water in our rivers and streams by observing the health of the species that live in it. Mussels, an important indicator of water quality, are freshwater versions of marine clams: bivalve mollusks that live in fresh water. The Ohio River system has more than 120 different species of the 225 known species in North America. Fifty-five of these reside in the West Virginia portion.
The program will help attendees understand these unique creatures, identify threatened and endangered mussels, and invite interested volunteers to assist in surveys. The evening is sponsored by the Friends of the Hughes River Watershed Association, WVDNR and North Bend State Park.
To learn more about mussels, visit www.molluskconservation.org/MUSSELS/ or www.wvdnr.gov.

Great Backyard Bird Count 2016

Great Backyard Bird Count—take someone birding!

10 February 2016

February 12-15 (Friday through Monday) is the 19th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). To participate, just go birding during this timeframe and make sure to enter your checklists in eBird. The GBBC was one of the first demonstrations that the Internet could be used to collect bird checklists and was instrumental in the creation of eBird back in 2002. For 2016, we really want the GBBC weekend to focus on sharing your knowledge with others. Do you have a friend or family member who has always wanted to go birding with you? Someone you should teach to use eBird? Someone you think you could turn on to birds and share your sense of wonder with? Make the GBBC the weekend where you pick up the phone and invite him or her along.
If everyone who uses eBird was able to create one new eBirder this weekend, we could double the amount of data in eBird!
Below are some thoughts about this weekend, what it is becoming, and how to get involved.
Take someone birding
Here at eBird and at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we fundamentally believe that birds can save the world. A love of birds connects humanity with the natural world in a way that is all too hard to find in modern society. Even for city-dwellers, parks and green spaces hold birds that remind us about the natural world and keep us connected to it. Migratory birds link the continents and their movements flow across borders in ways that highlight how interconnected the world is. Only by connecting with the natural world, understanding that our actions here may have implications half a world away, and caring about the outcomes, will humanity become better stewards of our planet.
Everyone who enters records in eBird and has become a part of the eBird Enterprise on any level had a moment or person who inspired them to take an interest in birds. The GBBC weekend provides that moment and you can be that person for someone new. If we each got one new person involved with birdwatching each year, the ranks of bird lovers and nature lovers in the world would grow exponentially.
Join the global team!
Team eBird thinks of the GBBC as the Great Global Bird Count. Now in its fourth year as a global effort, let’s see what a global team of birders can do. eBird is now a massive effort to document bird populations around the world over time, but GBBC represents a chance to take a global 4-day snapshot. Everyone who submits a checklist this weekend will be part of the global effort.

• How many birds can we find? There are 10,473 species in the world and eBird has recorded almost 98% of them (read more). The 2013 GBBC recorded 4258 species (40.7%), 2014 tallied 4296 (40.7%), and 2015 recorded 5090 (48.6%). Can eBirders and GBBC participants team up in 2016 to find more than 5237 species—50% of the world’s species—in one long weekend?
• How many checklists will be submitted?  Within eBird and the GBBC, the most important measure of success is the checklist. Each checklist represents a snapshot in time and space, and each is valuable. The 2015 effort collected 147,265 checklists in a single weekend–despite *really* cold weather–a new record. How many will we collect this year?
• How many countries will collect data? eBird has data from every country in the world, but many countries have only a few submissions. But we know birdwatchers are birding in every part of the world every day. The peak has been 135 countries in 2014. How many countries will contribute this year?
• New and thriving eBird communities have continued to emerge this year. Log in to the GBBC site and open the location explorer on GBBC weekend to type in the Portugal, Turkey, Brasil, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Kuwait, Portugal, Honduras, Guadeloupe, Argentina, Australia, or Sri Lanka.
• How will your area fare? eBird has powerful new ways to explore location-based information. Just go to Explore Data and click the new “Explore Location” feature. Check out the stats for your country, state, province, or county, and drill down deeper to explore an individual park, refuge, preserve, or other hotspot. Rally your friends to make the best showing you can in the area you live!

Get your friends involved!
To improve on last year’s results, we really need is to get more people involved. Do you have a birding friend in another country? Get in touch, and ask her or him to join the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count, and see if they can add a unique country or find a unique species. Perhaps you’ve gone on a birding trip internationally. This is a great excuse to get in touch with your guide and encourage him or her to take part. This is a great way to introduce your friends to eBird and hopefully get them hooked!
Add photos
Our most exciting new feature is the ability to add photos and audio right in your checklist. If you get nice photos on the GBBC weekend, or anytime you contribute to eBird, be sure to share those on your eBird checklist. This is of course especially important to help document rare birds that you may find. See this article for how to upload your rich media.
Get eBird Mobile
If you have a smartphone and haven’t done it yet, download eBird Mobile and get going on in-the-field data entry this weekend. eBird Mobile makes it vastly easier to keep up with your submissions and help us document all birds everywhere all the time!
How to follow the GBBC stats this weekend
In order to see how well our global team is doing this weekend, we invite you to check out the GBBC home page. Although tailored for the GBBC, this page has most of the same functionality as eBird. You can submit data here or in your favorite eBird portal—it all goes to the same place. Your My eBird stats will be the same here as they would be anywhere in eBird. The key difference is the Explore Data page. The output here is tailored for the GBBC, so you can see the following:

• Location pages for GBBC 2016 – This is the most exciting new feature. Enter any location and see the species list, birding activity, recent visits and other information restricted to the count period. Be sure to use eBird to explore this for other periods as well!
• Hotspot pages for GBBC 2016 – Access hotspot pages from your county or state page (example for Michigan). Scroll down the right side to see the list of Top Hotspots and then click the “More hotspots…” link at the bottom. This list can be sorted by most activity or least activity, depending on if you want to find top spots or places where your observations are most needed. Click any hotspot name to see the Hotspot page and that site’s activity during the 2016 GBBC. Make sure your favorite spots have a good showing this coming weekend!
• Range Maps for GBBC 2016 – See where and how often each species is found around the world. Zoom in and click on the points to see individual records.
• Top 100 for GBBC 2016 – Check out the region-by-region contributions of individuals in terms of both number of checklists and number of species reported.
• Yard/Patch for GBBC 2016 – If you have registered a yard or patch, you can track your stats and compare to others for the GBBC weekend only. If you have a patch or yard in eBird already, it should carry over as soon as you enter data from there for the GBBC. Just click “yard totals” or “patch totals” here.

Any one of these outputs can be posted as a link. Drum up support in your local birding community by posting these statistics on your blog, Facebook page, listserv, or your favorite social media of choice. If you want to compare results, we encourage you to use ebird.org to explore February 2016 patterns and compare them to February 2015 patterns.
And make sure to check in with the eBird Live Submissions Map this weekend. This is awesome enough now, but we know it will really get hot this weekend. The hottest times to watch this map are likely to be 4-9pm (Eastern Standard Time or GMT -5) on Sunday and Monday; our best hour is usually 5pm (EST) on Sunday night when a 3000+ checklists are usually submitted. Please enjoy this year’s GBBC and thanks for your role on the global eBird team!

Sandhill Cranes by by Georgia Wilson, Florida, the 2014 photo contest winner. Watch for the first migrating Sandhill Cranes to move north in the Great Plains of the United States during the GBBC.

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