What Kind of Atlasser Am I:
Paddlers and Fishermen

Water enthusiasts can contribute data to the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas by simply paying attention on their outings. Throughout Pennsylvania, quiet water of all sorts abounds: Pocono ponds, Pymatuning Reservoir, Black Moshannon, the lower Susquehanna, Tinicum NWR, and countless other marshes and lakes alive with birdlife. These areas are typically difficult to access on foot or bike, but they can harbor many kinds of breeding birds.

If moving water is more your style, there are literally thousands of miles of canoeable creeks, streams, and rivers that take you at a varying pace through riparian habitat that also can be inaccessible to the hiker and cyclist. Regardless of whether you're paddling quietly through lily pads, canoe-camping on a river, or punching through waves in a kayak, the view of the shoreline from your boat gives you a unique perspective on PA's breeding birds.

Spring paddlers are often the first to see the Louisiana Waterthrush claiming territory, to chase the spotted sandpiper continually further downstream, or to see that moorhen or coot working the cattails near the lakeshore. By noting the where and when of your bird sighting, your outing may produce valuable records of species that might otherwise have been missed. So while you are paddling, keep your eyes and ears open, because in your boat, you are in a unique position to provide records for many hard-to-census bird species, such as nesting colonies of herons or egrets.

To make it as easy as possible for you to participate, we have created a field card to help you track your observations in the field. Field card entries include your name, dates and the block in which you are atlassing, plus spaces for recording any observations. You have the option of using a species code insert that lists the 4-letter code for each of the birds you are likely to see.

The Field Card and Field Card Insert are available as PDF files under the Atlas Materials link.

PDF files require Acrobat Reader. If you do not have Acrobat Reader, click here for the free download.

By contributing to the 2nd PBBA, you can count yourself among the thousands of volunteers who are literally putting Pennsylvania's breeding birds on the map. You will be acknowledged for your contributions in the final published book, and you will receive the very informative and interesting project newsletter, "The PennsylAvian Monitor," at least twice a year. The 2nd PBBA is a project that can involve everyone in your family, regardless of age or bird watching experience.

Pennsylvania's waterways and other bodies of water are crucial to many of the state's most interesting birds, and we sincerely hope you will help us to learn more about the birds near you, so that we can conserve them and the habitats they depend upon in Pennsylvania for many years to come.