Atlasing milestone

I've reached a personal milestone while taking part in SABAP2 - the second Southern African Bird Atlasing Project. On Tuesday this week, I've submitted my 350th full protocol card. That translates to an average of 29.17 cards per month and 19 124 individual records submitted. The average number of species per card is 54.6. The submissions cover 140 different pentads all around the country.

December is the month with the highest number of cards - 43. And February has the lowest number - only 21.

I have submitted 191 ad hoc protocol cards with observations in 180 pentads as well. Each of these contributions add valuable bits of data in the bigger picture of the bird atlas for our region.

With the first signs of spring in the air (daylength increasing) atlasing will become easier and with the first reports of migrant birds returning to our southern climate, I'm looking forward to go out atlasing. Some of the first birds appear with breeding colours as well - at my bird feeder in the garden I have a Southern Masked Weaver male in full breeding plumage as well as a very cocky Cape Weaver male.

100 000 visits

On Tuesday 22 July 2008 just after 14:00 the SABAP2 website (http://sabap2.adu.org.za/index.php) had received a 100 000 hits. It was in the 13th month of the bird atlas project that this milestone had been reached.

After the 21:00 update tonight (25 July 2008) the project needed a mere 1 088 records of sightings to reach a quarter million records. If it is considered that the average number of records per day is just over 1 000, the quarter million mark should be reached by 21:00 on Saturday 26 July. Once again in the 13th month of the project.

Why don't you join us in the fun and start submitting your atlas records. Visit the SABAP2 website to find out more and how you can contribute to the research on the distribution and conservation of birds in Southern Africa.