I’m now the compiler for the Luzerne Co. Spring Count so here’s straight from PORC:

Instructions for the 2010 Pennsylvania Migration Count

To all compilers and participants:

Thank you for participating in Pennsylvania’s 18th Migration Count (PAMC)! As always, the count will take place on the second Saturday in May, which falls this year on May 8, 2010.

A brief overview:

The PAMC is a county-based bird count. Observations can be made anywhere in a given county over a 24-hour period on count day. Individual participants send their data to the county compiler, who in turn, forwards it to the state compiler (contact info below). The resulting data are published in Pennsylvania Birds, our state ornithological journal.

Information is gathered in two different categories: Regular and Nocturnal.

1. Regular birding: Traditional field birding, where the observer wanders from place to place, counting all birds encountered from dawn to dusk. Briefly checking feeders is OK.

2. Nocturnal birding: Includes all birds counted from midnight to dawn, and from dusk to midnight. Please encourage local birders to try this category, at least for a short time. We need to count those owls, rails, nightjars, thrushes, chats, and various other avian creatures of the night.

While birding, all participants should keep track of their hours, as well as of distance traveled, if any.

Unusual species reports:

Certain unusual/rare species, species of special concern, and state review species are indicated on the tally sheet. Please do your best to provide details on these reports, including location. This helps to insure the accuracy of the reports, and also helps lend a little color to the final account. The intention is not to make a proven, life-long birder submit documentation on every unusual species. Locations of potential rare breeders (owls, shrikes, goshawks, etc) will not be published, and need not be overly specific. Species marked with an asterisk are on the state review list in most counties. Please submit separate reports to the Pennsylvania Ornithological Records Committee (PORC) for these species. For further info on PORC and/or report forms, go to http://www.pabirds.org/PORC.htm

Submit PORC documentation to:
Nick Pulcinella, 613 Howard Ave.,West Chester, PA 19380. e-mail: nickpulcinella@verizon.net

Forms

Forms can be downloaded from the PSO web site at http://www.pabirds.org/PAMC/Index.html