RAS Christmas Bird Count

Rockland Audubon Society (RAS) has conducted an annual Christmas Bird Count since 1947. Our survey region, a 15 mile diameter circle, is centered near the New City courthouse. Although in the past the number and placement of survey regions has varied, the current survey design has remained constant since 1978. The region consists of the following 9 sections: (1) Haverstraw-Stony Point, (2) Ramapo, (3) South Ramapo, (4) North and West Clarkstown, (5) Central Clarkstown, (6) South Clarkstown, (7) West Orangetown, (8) East Clarkstown, and (9) East Orangetown.

Generally, about 30 to 40 participants, organized into 9 teams, observe from dawn to dusk. In its first count in 1947, RAS tallied 47 species. Over the years the number of species for all of Rockland's counts has passed 150. Our data is sent to National Audubon, where it is added to results of other Christmas Counts from North and Central America.

RAS Christmas Bird Count for Canada Goose, 1947 through 1999.

Volunteers are needed. If you would like to participate, please call the RAS phone (845 639-9216).

The 63th RAS Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 20, 2009. The Countdown Potluck Dinner will be held at the following address at 5:30 PM:

9 Dunderberg Rd.

Tomkins Cove, NY 10986

Please call Della at 942-5751 or Carol at 358-3659 to let us know what you are bringing - a main dish, salad, dessert, or beverage. If you cannot attend the Countdown, please phone or e-mail your results to Alan Wells. (942-5751) Please bring $5, the CBC participation fee for all counters over the age of 16. This is an assessment that National Audubon makes for each counter, and the money offsets the expenses incurred in processing the data. If you are not attending the dinner, please give the money to your team leader.

Remember to keep track of both miles driven and miles walked, and your starting and ending times. All of this is entered into the data base. Please copy down the numbers and letters on any neck bands you see on either Canada geese or mute swans. We’ll report these to the DEC, the agency which is tracking movements of geese and swans in NYS.