*At the close of each atlasing season, VABBA2 director Dr. Ashley Peele
takes on the herculean task of reviewing the year’s observations. Digging
into stats for montane songbirds, she noticed something intriguing:
Probable breeding activity and confirmations for species like
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Canada Warbler, Least Flycatcher and at least six
other warblers—all expected to show declines—had instead risen dramatically
since the first VA BBA. *
To read more about this discovery and what it could mean for the future, click
here <https://ebird.org/atlasva/news/treasures-in-the-database>.
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If you're interested in mountain songbirds, consider signing up for one of
the *Atlas Rally weekends <http://amjv.org/vabba/atlas-events/> in Smyth or
Scott county*.
These counties are ground-zero for many of our high-elevation migratory
songbirds, so it is vitally important that we boost our survey data in
these regions. One weekend of volunteering can make a big difference, so
come join us!
These events are co-sponsored by VA State Parks and the VABBA2 project. Dr.
Peele will be leading each event, along with regional coordinators. These
weekends will be a fun way to dive into priority blockbusting in some of
the most beautiful and poorly visited parts of the state.
For event information or to register for these events, go to:
http://amjv.org/vabba/atlas-events/
Ashley Peele, PhD
Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator
Conservation Management Institute - Virginia Tech
Office: 540-231-9182
Fax: 540-231-7019