WRENDERINGS Progress Report Summer 2000

The great majority of our participants sent in their winter data promptly at the end of the season, enabling us to recognize the clearing of the winter threshold in 51 squares in addition to those listed in the last issue of Wrenderings. Congratulations to these observers:

C11, Trujillo Creek: John & Beverly Hargrove
D4, Horno Summit: Bryan O'Leary and Lori Hargrove
D10, Gomez Creek: Kathy Aldern and Maryanne Bache
D11, Pala: Vesta Dineen
E3, Agra: Richard & Susan Breisch
E19, Ward Canyon: Wayne Pray
E24, Borrego Valley N: John Fitch
F14, Rancho Cuca: Sue & Jim Berg
G5, Wire Mt.: Robbie Fischer
G11, Valley Center W: Sam & Sandy Farrow
G13, Lower Hellhole: Gillian Moreland and Barbara Orr
G29, Five Palms Spring: Ginger Rebstock and Karin Forney
H7, Vista SW: Dennis Huckabay and Mike Fugagli
H10, Jesmond Dene: Debi & Dan Bylin
H12, Lake Wohlford: Penny Hernandez and Sunny Christiansen
H15, Pamo Valley N: Orval Carter
H23, Pinyon Ridge: Mel Gabel
I21, San Felipe Valley N: Jim Zimmer
I26, Sunset Wash: Lori Hargrove
J11, Escondido SE: Wayne Pray
J13, San Pasqual: Debi & Dan Bylin, Mike Fugagli
J18, Santa Ysabel: Sue Smith
J23, Sentenac Canyon: Bob Thériault
K7, Encinitas: C. C. Gorman and Rita Campbell
L9, Lusardi Creek: Robert Patton and Andy Mauro
L14, Ramona SW: Fred Sproul, Barbara Orr, Gillian Moreland
L17, Mt. Gower: Bob Sanger and Kathy Williams
L19, Inaja/Cosmit: Orval Carter and Wayne Pray
M8, San Dieguito Valley: Robert Patton
M21, Upper Green Valley: Paul Jorgensen
N9, Los Peñasquitos Canyon: Anna & David Stanton
N19, Sherilton Valley: Gail & Roger Wynn
N20, Cuyamaca West Mesa: Betty Siegel and Diane Jadlowski
O20, Oakzanita: Dave Povey
P10, Murphy Canyon: Don Adams
P21, Pine Valley/Guatay: Jim Wilson
Q9, Linda Vista: Dorothy & Art Hester, Tim Plunkett
Q22, Glen Cliff: Jim Wilson
R7, Ocean Beach: Ginger Johnson
R20, Corte Madera: Dale Clark and blockbuster weekend participants
R28, Indian Hill: Jim Zimmer
S17, Lyons Valley: Joe Barth and Dave Povey
S21, Morena Creek: Sue Smith
T13, Upper Otay Lake: Tom Dorman and John Walters
T27, Bankhead Springs: Frank Unmack and Jim Wilson
T28, Arsenic Springs: Frank Unmack
U11, Chula Vista: Tom Dorman
U17, Engineer Springs: Dave Povey, Shauna Wolf, Robert Patton
U26, Lake Domingo: Frank Unmack
U27, Boundary Creek: Frank Unmack
V14, O'Neal Canyon: Steve Cameron

The winter threshold has now been met in 157 squares, 33% of the total of 479. One hundred forty-one more squares have reached the goal of at least 90% of the target number of species. For the threshold to be met they are lacking only in having fewer than 25 hours in the field or in having been visited in fewer than three winters. And in 302 squares, 63% of the total, at least 80% of the target number of species has been found. Clearly, our effort to record the winter distribution of the county's birds has already gone most of the distance toward its ultimate goal.

As we move into our fourth of five breeding seasons, our progress in that direction continues strong. Already the breeding threshold has been cleared in 15 more squares beyond those completed by 1999. These are

C24, Butler Canyon: Kirsten Winter and Charles van Tassel
C28, Santa Rosa Mts. NE: Bob Thériault
D8, Live Oak Park: Marj Freda
D25, Clark Valley W: Kirsten Winter and Charles van Tassel
F27, Font's Point: Ginger Rebstock and Karin Forney
H5, Oceanside: Jim Determan
I10, Escondido NW: Ed Hall
J26, Sunset Mt.: Art Morley and Brennan Mulrooney
O14, Wildcat Canyon: Mary Beth Stowe
R12, La Mesa: Nancy Inman, Don & Marjorie Hastings
T11, Bonita: Phil Unitt
V11, Otay Valley: Phil Unitt and Guy McCaskie
V19, Tecate: Margaret & Bert McIntosh
W10, Border Field: Bill Haas and Phil Unitt
W11, San Ysidro: Phil Unitt

The interim threshold of all criteria met with between 33 and 50% of the target number of species confirmed breeding has been met in 12 more squares:

C22, Collins Valley: Paul Jorgensen
F4, Aliso Creek Mouth: Barbara Moore, Kathy Estey, Dorothy Green, Joan Roberts, Barbara Anderson
F25, Borrego Airport: Paulette Ache
M18, Devil's Punchbowl: Bob Sanger, Kathy Williams, Carrie Stewart, Ginger Rebstock, Phil Unitt
N26, Tierra Blanca: Joe Barth and Lori Hargrove
O27, Well of Eight Echoes: Phil Pryde
P26, Sombrero Peak: Phil Pryde and Brennan Mulrooney
Q14, Singing Hills: Jon, Erik, and Kai Berndes
S29, Dos Cabezas Spring: Arnold Young, Andy Mauro, Phil Unitt, Joe Barth, Frank Unmack
T28, Arsenic Spring: Frank Unmack
U28, Jacumba: Frank Unmack, Jim Wilson
V14, O'Neal Canyon: Steve Cameron

Congratulations to all these participants for a tremendous accomplishment--by now all of us know just how much ingenuity, patience, and sheer force of will it takes to outwit enough nesting birds to clear a threshold.

Though this step forward to 146 squares with the 50% threshold cleared and 190 with the 33% threshold cleared may seem modest, a lot more are making tremendous progress. For example, the goal of 90% of the target number of species at least possibly breeding has been met in 319 squares, 67% of the total. Because our blockbuster weekends and field assistants have contributed so significantly in so many unadopted squares, I'm substituting this criterion instead of adoption as basis for the map for eliciting new adoptions. If you've cleared the threshold in your squares, please remember that we still have over a year and a half to go before our data recording is completed. Your help in a square where the 90% possible criterion has not yet been met will speed us toward our goal of maximum coverage of all squares. Or ask for our spreadsheet of lagging squares if you're shopping for a new area; it has much more detail on access to the square as well as where it stands with respect to the threshold.

Philip Unitt

birdatlas@sdnhm.org