And what about
the bird surveys?
Tell me more
about the
Marsh Monitoring Program.
Who are
MMP volunteers,
and what do they do?
Unlike the amphibian surveys, the marsh bird surveys use a "fixed distance" semi-circular sampling area; surveys are conducted from a central point located on the edge of a 100 metre (110 yard) radius semi-circle sample area. Marsh bird survey stations should be separated by at least 250 metres (275 yards). However,
unlike the amphibian surveys, these stations can not be arranged back to back because of problems caused by the use of a taped broadcast (i.e. the tape will be heard by birds situated within a full circle, not just the semi-circle).
Each marsh bird sample station is to be surveyed twice each year between May 20 and July 5, no less than 10 days apart. Routes are surveyed in their entirety, in the same station sequence, at about the same time on both visits. Both surveys should begin after 6 p.m. and must end at or before sunset. Each station is surveyed for 10 minutes. In order to ensure that data are collected on some important, but shy marsh birds, a 5-minute broadcast tape is played during the first half of the survey.
Many MMP volunteers heard the loud and distinctive call of the Pied-billed Grebe (311 k) during their 1995 and 1996 surveys.
