A Suggested Strategy for Atlassing

1. Make one or two trips in early to mid-June that include numerous brief stops to look and listen for birds associated with various habitats found alongside any accessible roads within the block will likely result in simple detections (i.e., “Possible” breeding evidence) of many of the species listed as common or widespread in the state. Don’t forget to record hemlock habitat for all Atlas records.

2. Subsequent visits can be planned for obtaining the additional locations and upgraded breeding evidence desired for general conservation interest species, for searching more diligently for habitats that may harbor regional or statewide rarities, and for ensuring that many of the more difficult to detect species, such as owls, rails, and diurnal raptors, are found if they occur in the block (see below).

a) For bird species of general conservation concern (coded "1" in Appendix 1) (Link to materials page at anchor: Appendix 1), Atlas volunteers are encouraged (but not required) to try and obtain multiple observations and associated precise locations within atlas blocks, especially for "confirmed" observations.

b) For bird species that are regional rarities (coded “2” in the region in which your atlas block is located; (available here (Link to materials page at anchor: Appendix 1)), volunteers will need to provide additional details to the regional coordinator as soon as possible, including directions to the location where the bird was observed, so that timely verification of these potentially important records can be made. Precise locations, verification and, if possible, confirmation of breeding for these species is important, because, by definition, they are unexpected where they were observed. To insure the accuracy and, therefore, the credibility of the 2nd PBBA database, there will be a process of review of all records of regionally rare species, which is why careful, thorough details for all these records is so important.

c) For birds that are “species of special concern,” i.e,, endangered or threatened conservation status, in Pennsylvania, or which are statewide rarities, precise locations and verification will be required if the records are to be accepted as part of the Atlas. These records are especially significant for bird conservation in the state and, therefore, should be given high priority in terms of careful, thorough, accurate, and timely record-keeping. Similar to regional rarities records, but even more importantly, please notify your regional coordinator ASAP after making an observation of any one of these species. Obviously, all occurrences of “species of special concern” should be very thoroughly and carefully documented, as these will be incorporated, following official review, into Pennsylvania’s Natural Diversity Inventory database, which, as mentioned above, supports conservation of these birds and their habitats in Pennsylvania.

d) Finally, in the off-season, explore your block(s) to find additional habitats that might produce some different birds. This is also a good time to identify private property owners and to arrange for access to those sites (see next section). Incorporate these additional habitats and sites into the next season’s atlassing.