HALF A MILLION AND COUNTING: 
     
     Great '98 Backyard Bird Count Puts El Nino's Effect on the Map! 
     
    
   
   
    
     Nearly 14,000 bird enthusiasts of all ages across North America reported 
     
     more than half a million birds at feeders, local parks, and natural areas in 
     
     the first—ever Great '98 Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 20-22, cosponsored by the 
     
     Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO) and the National Audubon Society 
     
     (NAS). And this spring, birdwatchers can keep counting for the birds by 
     
     participating in BirdSource's upcoming project, Warbler Watch. 
     
    

    
     Early findings from the Great '98 Backyard Bird Count are revealing that 
     
     El Nifio may have influenced where certain species spent their winter months. 
     
     "Meteorologists predicted that El Nifio would mean a milder winter for those 
     
     of us here in the Northeast, and we're seeing evidence of that in bird 
     
     distributions," says Frank Gill, Senior Vice President for Science at NAS. 
     
     "American Robins and Red-winged Blackbirds generally spend the winter in 
     
     southerly locales. The Great '98 count is showing them in far greater 
     
     numbers than usual farther north, including Maine, Vermont, and elsewhere 
     
     across the northern states and provinces." 
     
    

    
     Reports poured in from all states and provinces, with New York, Texas, 
     
     Maine, and Florida showing the busiest flurry of count activity. Mourning 
     
     Dove, Black—capped Chickadee, and Northern Cardinal were the most reported 
     
     species. The general public is invited to Visit the BirdSource Web site and 
     
     view findings in the form of colourful graphs, maps, and charts. Images as 
     
     well as bird songs and calls are also accessible at the site, and an animated 
     
     map shows when reports came in from across the continent. 
     
    

    
     Those who participated in the Great '98 Backyard Bird Count put their 
     
     towns on the first map of its kind in ornithological history. Those who 
     
     didn't can still contribute to scientists' understanding of birds by 
     
     participating in Warbler Watch, taking place this spring. Like the Great 
     
     '98 count, Warbler Watch will combine the unique and powerful partnership of 
     
     the continent's citizen birdwatchers with the state—of-the—art technology of 
     
     BirdSource. This endeavour will track the migratory movements and breeding 
     
     distribution of North America's warblers--some of which, like the handsome, 
     
     sky-blue Cerulean Warbler, are experiencing severe and long-term population 
     
     declines. . 
     
    

    
     Stay tuned for upcoming news about Warbler Watch, and visit the 
     
     BirdSource Web site <http://birdsource.cornell.edu> often in the upcoming 
     
     months for the latest developments. "The Great '98 Backyard Bird Count has 
     
     proven to be a great success," says John Fitzpatrick, Director of the Cornell 
     
     Laboratory of Ornithology. "We've taken a new step in the process of 
     
     engaging citizens across the country to become involved in gathering 
     
     information about birds. With the continued participation of citizen 
     
     scientists, Warbler Watch '98 will be just as successful as the Great '98 
     
     Backyard Bird Count." 
     
    
   
   
    
     TWO APRIL SURPRISES: by Bill Hunter 
     
    
   
   
    
     A remarkable thing happened on April lst. I was here in the study, 
     
     trying to find a missing computer file when I was distracted by my dog's 
     
    
   
   
    
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