What is the deal with priority blocks?
Atlas volunteers may have wondered why the Breeding Bird Atlas project focuses primarily on Priority Blocks for breeding bird survey effort. This is a fair thing to wonder about!
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The migrants are coming... again!
Atlas Birding in Late Summer… As we slowly roll into the Fall migration season, we need to start using a little more care when applying breeding codes to our observations. As migrants begin moving back through Virginia, it’s a good idea to consult the Breeding Timeline Charts to see what species have entered the transition zone (when […]
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Crazy for Cherries: a look into breeding bird use of fruit
(This article was contributed by Dr. Steven Hopp, an adjunct Professor at Emory and Henry University and the region 7 Atlas coordinator) I serve as the VABBA2 regional coordinator for region 7, in the westernmost end of the state.
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The Home Stretch: Guidelines for Completing an Atlas Block
Halfway through the second field season of the VABBA2 project, many volunteers are turning their thoughts toward completing their Atlas blocks. Unlike many other breeding bird surveys, the Atlas project methods focus on completing a given block then moving on to others. There is no repeat-survey of the same block once completed, thus allowing volunteers […]
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Priority Species Database has arrived!
It has happened, Atlas Birders, the Priority Species database has arrived! A quick reminder: the VABBA2 is first and foremost a conservation tool for assessing bird populations in Virginia.
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The migrants are coming! Atlas tips for late summer
As we slowly roll into the Fall migration season, we need to start using a little more care when applying breeding codes to our observations. As migrants begin moving back through Virginia, it’s a good idea to consult the Breeding Guidelines Chart to see what species have entered the transition zone (when northern breeders start mixing with our […]
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Atlasing vs. eBirding: When to submit checklists to the Atlas portal
Now that the breeding season is in full swing and the atlas project is off and running, I wanted to write a quick article to highlight when and where to submit observations to the Atlas eBird portal vs. the traditional eBird portal.
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Tips for Identifying Crows and Ravens
For any and every checklist submitted to eBird, care should be taken to accurately identify or distinguish among species. This can be tricky when several very similar species occur in the same locations.
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What is the 2nd Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas all about?
The second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas is launching soon! Spring is in the air and birds are returning to their summer breeding grounds around the state.
