Instructions for Taking Part in an Upper Cumberland Region Foray

Obtain foray field cards, a map of the county, and maps of one or more foray blocks from the foray coordinator (usually SJS).

  Study the county map with USGS quadrangles marked on it and all the block map(s) you received.

  Enter your assigned block, being sure to note beginning and ending times you were present in it, as well as total hours spent in it on the foray field card. If you work in the block on more than one day, keep track of beginning and ending times and total hours for each day.  You may keep a separate card for each day, but try to turn in your block data on a single card summarizing all data for the block.

   Part of the time you work in each block will be the counting period, when you keep count of all individuals of all species in the rightmost column of the foray field card (or keep the count on a separate sheet and transfer the number of individuals of each species that you count into the rightmost column of the foray field card when you complete your survey of the block).  You must count individuals of all species for exactly 2 hours if you begin the counting period before 0930 CDT; you must count for exactly 3 hours if you begin the counting period after 0930 CDT. For counting periods done early in the morning, do not start before 0515 CDT.  Be sure to note the beginning and ending times of the counting period on your field card, as well as the beginning and ending times of total work, if these differ.  You may work as many additional hours in a block as you wish, but do not include any additional individuals in the data for the counting period; you should indicate additional species found outside the counting period only with codes for breeding (see field card and next paragraph).  Note: during the counting period, do NOT use taped owl calls, spishing, or any other artificial means of eliciting a response from birds; however, you may use such means during any other time you are working in a block, except as noted in the next paragraph.  If you use such means to lure in birds, you should not use the A (agitated behavior) code as a breeding code for any species so lured.

    If you are able to work during night-time hours, a nocturnal counting period may also be conducted in any blocks so worked.  The nocturnal counting period is 30 minutes long, conducted either before dawn or after dusk.  If you conduct any nocturnal counting periods, make a list of all species encountered in the Notes section of the field card; however, only nocturnal data for the owls, nightjars, and woodcock will be analyzed and mapped for each block.  Be sure to note the beginning and ending times of the nocturnal counting period on the field card for each block.  Note: use of tape recorded or imitated owl and woodcock calls, but not nightjar calls, is permissible during the nocturnal counting period.

  Seek the highest level of breeding evidence that you can find for each species (see the foray field card for the categories and types of breeding evidence and the codes to use for each). Place the appropriate breeding code in the appropriate column of the foray field card each time you note breeding evidence for species breeding in the block.  In many cases this will entail placing an X in the Possible (POS) column, but in other cases it will entail placing a PRB code or a CON code in the appropriate column on the card.

  If you encounter species that are bold-faced on the field card, mark the exact location of that species on the block map.  Then on a sheet of notebook paper prepare a short paragraph that describes the field marks of the species and any information of interest about the sighting.  If you encounter the foray focal species, be especially careful to note the locations of these.

  Submit your field cards and block maps to the coordinators, preferably at the main collection site at the collection time (see next paragraph); keep the county map among your ornithological memorabilia.

  There will be a brief meeting at the main collection site each afternoon (see below) to collect the day’s data, to distribute foray material to anyone needing it, and to start or to add to the species list for the foray.

  Good luck during your time in the field on any UCR Foray.

Pickett County Foray (2009) main collection site and time: Shell Station on Rt. 111 at intersection with Rt. 325 at 3:00 PM.

Jackson County Foray (2009) main collection site and time: DQ on Rt. 56 in Gainesboro at 3:00 PM CDT.

Clinton County Foray (2009) main collection site and time: MacDonald's in Albany at 3:00 PM CDT.