[Tweeters] Full Moon and Bird Migration Counting Methods

[Robert O'Brien]

It was an early way of doing migration counts. Before it was superseded by
radar. Actually not that much different from standing in one location and
watching migrants go through the trees above and around you and then
reporting the results to eBird. Bob O'Brien Portland

On Friday, December 1, 2023, Nagi Aboulenein <nagi.aboulenein at gmail.com>
wrote:


> I’m curious - what is the purpose of such counts? I would imagine that

> whether a bird appears to be crossing the face of the moon will be

> dependent on the vantage point of the observer. From one point it may

> appear to be crossing while from another it doesn’t.

>

> Am I missing something?

>

> Thanks!

>

> Nagi

>

>

> > On Dec 1, 2023, at 11:13, Dennis Paulson <dennispaulson at comcast.net>

> wrote:

> >

> > Dan, I participated in those counts long ago when I lived in Miami. As I

> recall. we counted birds only that crossed the face of the moon, and we

> recorded where they entered and left the orb using it as a clock face. With

> the time and location known, researchers could calculate the exact

> direction of the bird’s flight. It was really fun, with identifiable birds

> or types of birds often going past. I recall Green Herons, for example. We

> also got to hear the calls of many nocturnal migrants.

> >

> > Dennis Paulson

> > Seattle

> >

> >> On Dec 1, 2023, at 1:52 AM, Dan Reiff <dan.owl.reiff at gmail.com> wrote:

> >>

> >> Hello all,

> >> I am seeking information regarding how Bird migration counters in the

> past counted birds crossing the full moon.

> >> Also, did they count birds seen crossing near the moon or just in front

> of the moon?

> >> Were counts also done during other moon phases?

> >> These questions arise for me, because I was recently filming the full

> moon in the Skagit valley after dark, with within one hour after sunset, at

> 100-600 mm.

> >> When I later viewed the video clips on my computer screen, I was able

> to clearly see the silhouettes of large numbers of birds migrating south,

> crossing in front of the moon, and many more visible within several degrees

> of the moon. Most appeared to be Cackling geese, but I am not certain.

> >> It was very neat to see.

> >>

> >> Thank you,

> >> Dan Reiff, PhD

> >>

> >> Sent from my iPhone

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