Of particular interest to visitors of this website might be results of the bird sampling component.  A total of 47 point counts was done throughout both plots (four runs at eight points on Plot 1; three runs at five points on Plot 2) on two mornings and intensive territory survey mapping was done on Plot 1.  The results of the territory mapping have not yet been fully analyzed but there were 120 confirmations of territories for breeding birds on Plot 1 (territories were confirmed when a nest was found or fledglings were seen near a nest site).  A couple noteworthy highlights from the territory mapping this year were the finding of three Golden-winged Warbler nests, two with recently fledged young, and a Grasshopper Sparrow nest on Plot 1. 

Five-minute point counts (number of birds of each species recorded inside and outside 50 m) were done at all primary plot points (denoted by stars in the map above).  The table below gives the average total number (inside and outside 50m) of birds of each species detected at each point as a relative index of abundance for quick comparison across plots.  57 species were detected on both plots combined (53 on Plot 1 and 34 on Plot 2).  Comparing across plots, the difference in habitat between Plots 1 and 2 is reflected in the point count results.  All but one primary sampling point for Plot 2 was in field or old field habitat while Plot 2 was much more diverse and included field, old field edge, riparian, and woodland points.  Red-eyed Vireo, a very common forest nesting songbird, was well represented in the point counts on Plot 1 and was, not surprisingly, the most abundant bird in Plot 1.  Song Sparrow, however, a very common bird of old field habitats, was the most abundant bird in Plot 2.  Eastern Meadowlark was only found on Plot 2, which has the most extensive tract of open grassland habitat, while forest nesting species such as the Hooded Warbler and Winter Wren, were only found on Plot 1.  Again, the overall much higher species richness on Plot 1 reflects the greater diversity of habitats sampled there.  While species abundance between the two plots was different, the plots were very similar in species composition.  The top ten for both plots are dominated by, not surprisingly, birds characteristic of old field habitats such as Song Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and American Goldfinch. 

Point count observers were Mike Lanzone, Robert Mulvihill, Miriam Sharick, Adrienne Leppold, and Jeanine Tardiff.  The background image is a view of part of the field on Plot 1.

<click here> to read about last year's Bioforay