numbers game or counting- Forgot something

Bob Parcelles,Jr. rjparcelles at yahoo.com
Thu May 2 03:13:15 EDT 2002


--- Anne Kilmer <viceroy at GATE.NET> wrote:
> Lynn Scott wrote:
> 
> > I've been following this thread about counts with a kind of
> horrid 
> > fascination, and trying to imagine what I would be able to count
> if we 
> > had a one-night moth count in my area of Ottawa, Canada if I were
> the 
> > only person participating.  Answer is, anywhere from 0 to about
> 20 
> > species at my location, in quantities anywhere from 0 to 25 or
> so, 
> > depending on the date, the weather, and how many times I actually
> looked 
> > to see what was there.  In actual fact, over 2000 species of
> lepidoptera 
> > have been recorded from the Ottawa area, and in just over two
> years 
> > within 25 feet of my own front door I have photographed at least
> 500 
> > species, many of which I have yet to identify (and when I started
> taking 
> > pictures, I was naively expecting that there might be 50 or 100 
> > different kinds of moth around here).  The problem is that many
> of these 
> > moths are very seasonal, and if you're not looking when they're
> flying, 
> > you simply won't know if they're flying in your area at all.  I
> assume 
> > the same would be true of many butterflies.
> > 
> > So I guess my question is whether the purpose of these counts is
> to 
> > ascertain how many of "something" happen to be around at a
> particular 
> > time, or whether the purpose is to find out how many kinds of 
> > "something" happen to be around at all, or both?  And then
> there's also 
> > the question of whether a specific "something" is present at a
> time 
> > because it normally would be around at that time, or whether it
> is there 
> > because of some freak of wind and weather conditions.  Whatever
> the 
> > purpose of counting, it seems to me that a common understanding
> of that 
> > purpose and broadly consistent practices are needed, or the data 
> > accumulated in the count(s) may have rather limited use.
> > 
> > My apologies if I sound as though I'm being deliberately obtuse.
> > 
> > Lynn Scott
> > 
> > 
> 
> Well, now. As I understand the purpose of the NABA count, it pretty
> well 
> amounts to "Let's get among them", as Leroy would say.
> It's a nice party, many neophytes are introduced to the wonders of 
> butterflying, and everyone has a good time.
> The press comes along and takes pictures of Alana in her shorts,
> with 
> her lovely long legs, swinging her net, or whatever pretty girl
> they 
> happen to have on hand, and maybe a picture of a butterfly sitting
> very 
> still, and you get a bit of publicity, which is also nice.
> As to scientific accuracy, you probably get an accurate count on
> the 
> participants.
> 
> I agree that the choice of date is an annoying one ... wasn't
> Xerces 
> Society using that same date, before NABA "hijacked it"? The idea
> was 
> probably to choose a date when the weather was reasonably agreeable
> 
> everywhere, and when Canada wasn't under a thick layer of snow ...
> not 
> to mention New York.
> As a Floridian, I don't find July agreeable. That's why I now spend
> 
> summers in Ireland. We have a fourth of July here, too, you know;
> just 
> not a Fourth.
> 
> The count circle is, of course, arranged to include as many
> butterfly 
> gardens as possible. We were able to include the zoo and Mounts 
> Botanical Garden in one of our count circles in the Atala Chapter
> (West 
> Palm Beach, Florida and environs) and, in fact, had three circles,
> so as 
> to include as many of the local private butterfly gardens as
> possible. 
> Made for great bragging.
> But I imagine that people counting a transect choose a place where
> there 
> are butterflies. Success is a great motivator.
> 
> Conditions change, but the count circles remain the same. If the
> zoo 
> stops being kind to butterflies, if the Mounts starts using
> pesticides 
> or releasing butterflies at weddings, there it still is in the
> circle, 
> and the change is documented.
>    Enough real butterfliers accompany each counting group, net in
> hand, 
> to make sure that counts are as accurate as possible. Y'all have 
> discussed exhaustively the perils of estimating, and the neglect of
> 
> sub-species and difficult identifications. Obviously all Checkered 
> Skippers, for instance, are suspect in the South, unless you've
> turned 
> up their little tails. That's why the nets are there.
> Assuming that the same counters attend every time, your count
> accuracy 
> is stable. Where Bob Beiringer is counting, for instance, you can
> be 
> sure the count is well done and scientifically as accurate as
> possible.
> 
> As a scientific endeavor, the NABA count is flawed. We are mere
> mortals.
> As a brag, the count is flawed ... it's not timed for the part of
> the 
> year that our species are there and easy to see ... that's true for
> many 
> of you. But it isn't the point.
> As a way of getting public attention for butterflies and
> butterfliers, 
> it's just fine. It gets good PR, people enjoy it, they get out in
> the 
> lovely countryside, see plenty of bugs, and if a good butterfly
> spot 
> becomes a condominium, they see this, sorrow for it, and complain
> to the 
> powers that be.
> 
> Me, I think we should do the count in December. Barb might not
> agree.
> Back when I was active in the chapter, before my health went west,
> we 
> talked of doing four counts a year. I don't think we ever followed 
> through on that, but it would certainly have made the count more 
> interesting. I see Kenelm, pattering across the taiga on May First
> (The first of May, the first of May,
> Outdoor loving begins today)
> with his little net, poking about the dwarf willows in search of 
> unfrozen larvae ...
> And everybody has a First of May, though here and there this date,
> too, 
> has political connections.
> I think it would be fun to do the counts on the Solstices and the 
> Equinoxes, and let the butts fall where they may. Too bad for those
> of 
> you who will have to count six Small Tortoiseshells (hibernating in
> the 
> woodshed) and a Red Admiral (likewise, in the study) ... I'm all
> right, 
> Jack.
> As for me, the swallows are back, lambs are dashing across the
> pasture 
> far below me, racing the gulls; it is a bright and sunshiny
> morning, and 
> it's hard to believe that gales and hail are predicted, again, for
> the 
> day. It's a fine day not to be a butterfly.
> Cheers
> Anne Kilmer
> Mayo, Ireland
**********************************************************************

I got a phone call to get up and read my mail. Lo and behold my
little buddie Anne of the Dark Humor fame is at it again.
I love blonds in shorts and it is so sexy when they swing a net. 

Well I woke up with the subject in hand . I want to anounce my newest
Organization. It is the North American Moths Association NAMA. You
must have a net and a light trap to join. Leroy, who also fancies
blonds in shorts swinging nets is going to be the charter President
and I will be the Magazine Editor. We will encourage breeders  to
release moths at weddings (night only) No scientists, amateur nor
professional need bother joining. No scientific names and no
subspecies. We want to make it easy so all can play. We will have
circle counts on the 4th of July. since we will be out after dark we
will nto conflict with our brethern in NABA. This sounds great. I
hope you all join and we will have a nice magazine and have a nice
time in the dark. I hope no one else gets this idea and takes us
over. Oh well there are plenty moths to go around.

I am going back to bed

bob

PS: 1 Leroy come back...come back!
PS: 2 Jeff go away...go away!


=====
Bob Parcelles, Jr
Pinellas Park, FL
RJP Associates & Clean Millennium Movement (C2M)
rjparcelles at yahoo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naturepotpourri
"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
- Norman Vincent Peale

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