Folks- with permission from the list moderator, I'm sending this letter. The original version, by Greg D. Jackson, recently appeared on the Alabama Birds list. With the encouragement of Ned Brinkley, editor of North American Birds, I've modified it for our list. Thanks to Greg for the template letter.
Dear CoBirders: Though many of you are members of the American Birding Association, I suspect that quite a few folks on this list are not. I'd like to encourage more Colorado birders (and subscribers beyond our state borders) to become members, and also to support one of ABA's separate journals, North American Birds. The ABA was founded 40 years ago as an organization devoted to the sport and joy of birding. While maintaining this basic focus, maturation over the years has added important elements of conservation, education, and scientific pursuit. While concentrating on birding in the U.S. and Canada, ABA extends our avocation into all areas of the world. Membership, besides supporting many excellent programs, offers the superb bimonthly journal Birding, as well as the fun monthly newsletter Winging It. Birding has many excellent articles on identification, bird finding, books and equipment, and just birding in general, with outstanding photographs and other illustrations. Though some articles are in- depth studies, especially those on identification, in general this is not a technical journal, and would be of interest to birders of all levels of skill and experience. If you'd like an example of what has been offered recently, browse through the partial archive at http://www.aba.org/birding/archives.html . North American Birds is the current form of the journal of North American ornithological record which has previously gone by the monikers of Audubon Field Notes, American Birds, and National Audubon Society Field Notes. For most of the life of this publication it was produced by the National Audubon Society, but in recent years has been published by ABA. Four issues a year cover the seasons of birding in the Western Hemisphere (excluding South America). Reports are broken into various regions, which have tended to become smaller in recent years to allow more detailed sighting material to be included. The regional reports are written by some of the most experienced and knowledgeable folks in each area, and portray each season in the context of the larger region as well as state and local areas. I currently take third chair in the editorial duties for the Colorado & Wyoming Region with Tony Leukering and Larry Semo (Larry compiles the master sightings spreadsheet and both take the lead with the main text while I help out with the climate summary, introduction, and photo acquisition and captioning.) We rely on a network of compilers from varies portions of each state who summarize their area’s notable sightings for the season (not just rarities but noteworthy high or low numbers, early or late dates, and other interesting ornithological phenomena.) An extensive "Changing Seasons" article in each issue summarizes trends across North America, often including fascinating insights into changes in bird populations and distributions. Feature articles include documentation of exciting occurrences. More and more the journal has been lavished with photographs, many in color, showing the highlights of seasonal occurrence in each Region. Special Attention (“SA”) boxes in each region draw attention to the most significant or interesting details. You can browse the "Changing Seasons" articles and tables of contents of many recent issues at http://www.aba.org/nab/archives.html . Nowhere else do you find this level of regional and continental portrayal and analysis of birding in the Americas. Though certainly the CoBirds listserv allows us to hear of local sightings in almost "real-time," these are usually not put in context on a seasonal or regional level by experienced reviewers. For Colorado and Wyoming birds, it is true that most sightings are described and analyzed in the News From the Field column of Colorado Birds, and I don't want to diminish the important work of that journal. (Indeed, I encourage anyone on this list to be a member of CFO to enjoy all of the benefits entailed, including a subscription to Colorado Birds.) However, you don't get to see the broader picture from these more local sources, and also don't necessarily learn of what happened elsewhere in that season in regions outside the Colorado area. It is amazing how much you can learn of bird distribution by reading (or even browsing) North American Birds -- with the consequence of better knowledge of what to expect, and look for, in your local birding patch each season. Information on joining the American Birding Association and receiving its journals (including separate subscription to North American Birds) can be found at http://www.aba.org/join.html. Thanks again to Greg D. Jackson for authoring the original version of this letter, and for your attention and consideration. Enjoy- Bill Schmoker, Longmont ______________________ • Bill Schmoker • ______________________ http://schmoker.org http://brdpics.blogspot.com bill.schmo...@gmail.com 720/201-5749 ______________________ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Colorado County Birding: http://www.coloradocountybirding.com/ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to cobirds@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to cobirds+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.as/group/cobirds?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
