Breeding Bird Survey Watermelon with Alan Knothe at the New River
Channel: ApalachicolaOSPREY
Date: 2011-06-25

PART 3 in the Franklin TDC Atonement Series - Real Tribes, Real Places, Real Rituals:  Long time friend and birding mentor, Alan Knothe, and Robin Vroegop, have developed a favorite ritual get together for his annual Breeding Bird survey routes in Tate's Hell, Apalachicola National Forest, and The Nature Conservancy's Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. After a long fifty point survey each day in the sweltering June heat, we treat ourselves to an iced-down watermelon in the field. This year we Alan took us to a new spot along the New River Near the ANF to partake of this cold, juicy reward. (More about this in future posts)
May and June are the months that birders go out in the field and perform the annual North American Breeding Bird Surveys. This long term, large scale project is a cooperative effort of volunteer citizen scientists, the USGS's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, and the Canadian Wildife Service, to monitor the status and trend of North American bird populations. BBS data are collected by thousands of dedicated participants along thousands of randomly established roadside routes throughout the continent. Some participants, like Barbara Stedman who performs the St. Vincent NWR BBS surveys, have been reporting the same routes for decades. 
Currently, Alan is looking for volunteers to assist in Audubon's Shorebird breeding season Stewardship Program, which he coordinates throughout Northwest Florida. You can reach him at aknothe@audubon.org.