Difference between revisions of "Ornithology Laboratory"

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== Basic Course Information ==  
 
== Basic Course Information ==  
  
'''EEB 4261'''
+
<span style="font-size: x-large">EEB 4261</span><br>
  
'''Spring 2010'''  
+
'''Spring 2013'''  
  
 
'''Meets:''' Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m, TLS 371
 
'''Meets:''' Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m, TLS 371
  
'''Instructor:''' Dr. Margaret Rubega        '''Office:'''  PharmBio 500
+
'''Instructor:''' '''[mailto:margaret.rubega@uconn.edu Dr. Margaret Rubega]'''<br>        
 +
'''Office:'''  PharmBio 500                 '''Phone:''' 486-4502<br>     
 +
'''Office Hours:''' By appointment<br>
  
'''Office Phone:''' 486-4502      '''Office Hours:''' By appointment
+
'''Teaching Assistant:''' '''[mailto:kevin.burgio@uconn.edu Kevin Burgio]'''<br>
 +
'''Office:''' PharmBio 402        <br>   
 +
'''Office Hours:''' Wed. 12:05 - 1:05 (in the BioPhysics Cafe); or by appointment<br><br>
  
'''Email: margaret.rubega@uconn.edu'''
 
 
 
 
<font color= "#FF0000">Your emails to me '''MUST contain the phrase "EEB 4261” in the subject line;''' email received without that phrase, and especially those with a blank subject line, will be DELETED, unread.</font>
 
<font color= "#FF0000">Your emails to me '''MUST contain the phrase "EEB 4261” in the subject line;''' email received without that phrase, and especially those with a blank subject line, will be DELETED, unread.</font>
 
 
'''Teaching Assistant:'''  Diego Sustaita/Alejandro Rico Guevara    '''Office:''' PharmBio 402/404    '''Office Phone:''' 486-3839/0309      '''Office Hours:'''  Variable and flexible; by arrangement
 
 
 
  
 
== Required Texts ==
 
== Required Texts ==
Line 36: Line 32:
  
 
SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS (Knopf), by D.A. Sibley.(Eastern or North American Edition)
 
SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS (Knopf), by D.A. Sibley.(Eastern or North American Edition)
 
  
 
== Class Schedule  ==
 
== Class Schedule  ==
Line 47: Line 42:
 
!width="300"|Meeting notes, and other resources  
 
!width="300"|Meeting notes, and other resources  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Jan 23 ||P & L p. 274-281,286-287; Sibley p. 9-14; Clark p. 1-19 || Tools of the Trade: Optics, Field Guides, Field Notebooks ||  
+
| Jan 23 ||P & L p. 274-281,286-287; Sibley p. 9-14; Clark p. 1-19 || Course Intro: How We Roll + Tools of the trade: Optics, Field Guides, Field Notes and Journals || Come dressed and ready to bird; meet in TLS 371
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Jan 30 || P & L p. 22-37, 47-65, 263-265; 296-303; Sibley p. 15-21; Clark p. 21-40 || Specimen collections: why keep a bunch of dead bodies around? While in the collection: North American Bird Orders; topography & field marks || <font color= "#FF0000">CHECK UNIVERSITY WEB SITE BEFORE LEAVING HOME </font> in case of class cancellation and BRING YOUR FIELD NOTEBOOK
+
| Jan 30 || P & L p. 22-37, 47-65, 263-265; Sibley p. 15-21; Clark p. 21-40/ P & L p. 66-77  || North American bird Orders; Topography and Field Marks; Feet, Beaks and Body Form;  || Bring P & L to class; meet in TLS 371
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 6 || Handouts|| Birding First, then Opportunities in Ornithology - You Mean I Can Get Paid For This Stuff? || Be on time! We leave at 8 am! Bring your resume, if you have one, for the second half of lab. If you haven't looked at it yet, check out: [http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm Jobs in Ornithology], the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America.  
+
| Feb 6 ||   Handouts|| Opportunities in Ornithology - You Mean I Can Get Paid for This? || Come dressed to bird, bring your resume if you have one
 +
|-
 +
| Feb 13 ||  || Tour of Mansfield Birding Spots  ||
 +
|-
 +
| Feb 20 || P & L p. 81-105    || Feathers & Aerodynamics  ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 13 || P & L p. 81-105  || Feathers & Aerodynamics  || Review your handouts about the class survey project before you come to class
+
| Feb 27 || P & L Chapters 6 & 7, 205-209, 219-226|| Anatomy: musculature and internal organs  || NO BIRDING - we will need the whole class period for dissections. '''Bring your Proctor and Lynch to class!'''
 +
|-
 +
| March 6|| P & L Chap. 5 || Anatomy - Skeletons  ||  Check for weather, and come dressed to bird
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 20||Handouts ||Field Techniques: Survey Methods  ||
+
| March 13 || ||'''MIDTERM EXAM'''; ''birding after''||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 27 || Handouts || Field Techniques: Behavioral Observations  || Off campus field trip: <font color= "#FF0000">CHECK UNIVERSITY WEB SITE BEFORE LEAVING HOME </font> in case of class cancellation and BRING YOUR FIELD NOTEBOOK. BE ON TIME.
+
| March 20 || ||NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK - GO BIRDING! ||  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| March ||'''MIDTERM EXAM''' || BRING your Sibley guide, Birds of Storrs. Birding After||   
+
| March 27 ||Handouts ||Field Techniques: Survey methods  ||  Bring to class, and turn in, your Weather Worksheet.   [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/a/a5/EBird_exercise.pdf eBird exercise (to be done in class)]
 +
|-
 +
| April 3|| Proctor & Lynch p. 266-273 || Weather and Bird Movements: Go Outside to EXPERIENCE both! || [http://woodcreeper.com Monitor bird movements with Dave LaPuma!] [http://virtual.clemson.edu/groups/birdrad/ Clemson University Radar Ornithology Lab] [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/5/5d/Weather_lab.pdf Birds and Weather worksheet]
 
|-  
 
|-  
| March 13 || ||NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK - GO BIRDING! ||  
+
| April 10 || || Vocalizations: Bird outside all four hours||
 +
|-
 +
| April 17 ||  Handouts ||  Field Techniques: Behavioral observations ||  
 
|-  
 
|-  
| March 20 ||P & L p. 66-77 ||Feet, Beaks, and Body Form  ||
+
| April 24|| || Bird, Bird, Bird – outside all four hours||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| March 27 || P & L Chapters 6 & 7, 205-209, 219-226 ||Anatomy - Musculature and Internal Organs ||   
+
| May 1||  || Bird, Bird, Bird - outside all four hours||
 
+
|-
 
+
| May 4 ||'''8:00 – 10:00 am'''|| '''FINAL EXAM in TLS 371'''||
|-
+
| April 3 ||Chap. 5  || Anatomy - Skeletons ||  8 am - birding first
+
|-
+
| April 10 || Sibley; herons, gulls, and ducks || Tour de Local Birds || 4 hour field trip -- we'll be out of the lab from 8-12.
+
|-
+
| April 17 || No required reading ||Birding the campus --- all 4 hours!  ||
+
|-
+
| April 24|| P & L p. 266-273 ||  Weather and Bird Movements ||
+
|-
+
| May 1 ||  ||  Just birding! ||  
+
|-  
+
| May 4 ||'''3:30 -5:30 pm'''|| '''FINAL EXAM in TLS 371'''||
+
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
== Grading ==
 
== Grading ==
  
Grading in this course is done on a straight percentage-of-points basis, i.e., to obtain an A, you need to earn 90% or more of the available points. <font color= "#FF0000">The grades will '''not''' be "curved", and there will be '''no''' opportunities for "make-up" or "extra-credit" points.</font> Attendance on the field trips is '''required'''. If you miss a field trip, you lose 10 points. If you miss a test, you will receive a score of zero. If you have a legitimate reason (click here for a sample of legitimate vs. lame excuses) to miss a field trip or test, you may be excused (at the discretion of the instructors) IF AND ONLY IF you provide written documentation (for example, a doctor's note documenting illness; an obituary documenting a death in your family). In cases where the instructors determine you have a legitimate excuse, there still will be no make-ups administered: you will be graded only on the basis of the points contained in the field trips and tests you did complete. NOTE that this method reduces the number of points you can afford to lose and still do well in the course.  
+
Grading in this course is done on a straight percentage-of-points basis, i.e., to obtain an A, you need to earn 90% or more of the available points. <font color= "#FF0000">The grades will '''not''' be "curved", and there will be '''no''' opportunities for "make-up" or "extra-credit" points.</font> Attendance on the field trips is '''required'''. If you miss a field trip, you lose 5 points. If you miss a test, you will receive a score of zero. If you have a legitimate reason (for example, a death in your family) to miss a field trip or test, you may be excused (at the discretion of the instructors) IF AND ONLY IF you provide written documentation (for example, an obituary documenting a death in your family) within one week of missing the class or test. In cases where the instructors determine you have a legitimate excuse, there still will be no make-ups administered: you will be graded only on the basis of the points contained in the field trips and tests you did complete. NOTE that this method reduces the number of points you can afford to lose and still do well in the course.  
  
These policies have been developed over years of teaching this and other courses, and are designed to ensure fair treatment of everyone by eliminating discrepancies in testing and evaluation, and by eliminating differences in the amount of field and study time available to students. I am very willing to discuss my reasoning for these policies, but if you try to talk me into making an exception to them for you, you will fail, and probably make me grumpy to boot.
+
SICK? First, do your level best to let us know before the field trip/class exercise/test. Second, if you are sick, believe us when we say that we don't want to see you in lab --- please be responsible, and don't spread germs by coming to class with a fever, or hacking and coughing. For illnesses, we pro-rate your grade on the basis of the point-bearing exercises you didn't miss. If you are sick for the final YOU MUST INFORM THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES in order to be allowed to take a make-up after final exam week is over. '''The final exam is the only point-bearing exercise for which a make-up is possible.'''
  
 +
These policies have been developed over years of teaching this and other courses, and are designed to ensure fair treatment of everyone by eliminating discrepancies in testing and evaluation, and by eliminating differences in the amount of field and study time available to students. I am very willing to discuss my reasoning for these policies, but if you try to talk me into making an exception to them for you, you will fail, and probably make me grumpy to boot.
  
 
== Point Structure for Grading ==
 
== Point Structure for Grading ==
Line 93: Line 87:
 
'''COURSE POINT TOTAL  300 POINTS'''  
 
'''COURSE POINT TOTAL  300 POINTS'''  
  
'''Test 1:'''    50 points,    March 6    
+
'''Test 1:'''    75 points,    March 15    
  
'''Final:'''    80 points,    May 4    (50 points for post-midterm material, 30 points for  material from the WHOLE COURSE)
+
'''Final:'''    75 points,    May 6
  
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/fe/Field_Notebook_Guidelines.pdf '''Field Notebook:''']      30 points  
+
'''Field Notebook:'''         10 points
  
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/f6/Independent_observation_guidelines.pdf '''Independent Field Observations:''']      70 points
+
'''Worksheets/Quizzes'''   40 points  (4 at 10 points each)
  
SEE: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/c/c5/Ebird_Setup_Document.pdf Ebird Set-up Document] and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/7/7f/POINT_COUNT_PROTOCOL.pdf Point Count Protocol] and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/6/62/Point_Count_Datasheet.pdf Point Count Datasheet] and
+
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/f6/Independent_observation_guidelines.pdf '''Independent Field Observations:''']      35 points
 +
 
 +
SEE: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/a/a2/EBird_set-up_document.pdf Ebird Set-up Document] and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/0/05/Point_Count_Protocol.pdf Point Count Protocol] and [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/6/62/Point_Count_Datasheet.pdf Point Count Datasheet] and
 
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/3/38/Point_count_example.pdf Point Count Example].   
 
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/3/38/Point_count_example.pdf Point Count Example].   
  
Independent Field Observation Locations: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/40/Heep_Site_Map.pdf Map of Hillside Environmental Education Project]
+
Independent Field Observation Locations: [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/40/Heep_Site_Map.pdf Map of Hillside Environmental Education Project]or [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=208276875179231289772.0004b684a244c6b18ade9&msa=0 View the locations on Google Earth/Maps]
  
'''Field Trips:'''          50 points    (Field trips are required: you ''lose'' 10 points for every missed trip. Note that field trips are VERY subject to change, depending on birds, weather, circumstances, and whim. Don't assume you know what you are going to miss!)
+
'''Field Trips:'''          45 points    (Field trips are required: you ''lose'' 5 points for every missed trip. Note that field trips are VERY subject to change, depending on birds, weather, circumstances, and whim. Don't assume you know what you are going to miss!)
  
 
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/department/collections/index.html '''Collections'''] '''Work:'''              20 points (4 hours at 5 points per hour).
 
[http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/department/collections/index.html '''Collections'''] '''Work:'''              20 points (4 hours at 5 points per hour).
 +
 +
Note that '''you are required to keep a''' [http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/f/fe/Field_Notebook_Guidelines.pdf '''Field Notebook.'''] Notebooks will be collected for assessment and feedback, at random, throughout the course of first half of the semester. '''You may not begin work on your independent observations (themselves worth 35 points) until you have demonstrated notebook competence''' AND '''you must achieve notebook competence by the midterm''' or forgo your opportunity to earn the 35 points from the independent observations. At the final assessment of your notebook, you will be awarded from 1 (just barely competent) to up to 10 points (EXCELLENT) for notebook skills.
  
 
== Academic Rules/Conduct ==
 
== Academic Rules/Conduct ==
  
 
All students should be aware of the guidelines on academic integrity contained in the Student Conduct Code. The Conduct Code is available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_conduct.html.
 
All students should be aware of the guidelines on academic integrity contained in the Student Conduct Code. The Conduct Code is available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_conduct.html.
 
  
 
== Questions ==
 
== Questions ==
  
''If you have questions, by all means collar me or email me and ask. I will post both the questions (questioners will be anonymous) and answers here.  
+
''If you have questions, by all means ask me in class or email me. I will post both the questions (questioners will be anonymous) and answers here.  
 
''
 
''
  
 +
== Useful and Amusing Links ==
  
== Useful and Amusing Links ==
+
===Online field guides===
  
 
[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/ Bird songs online!]
 
[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/ Bird songs online!]
Line 127: Line 125:
 
[http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/ Feather Identification Resource Online!] The Feather Atlas of North American Birds provided high-resolution scans of flight feathers of the major groups of birds; useful for comparison with found feathers whose origin you aren't sure of.  
 
[http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/ Feather Identification Resource Online!] The Feather Atlas of North American Birds provided high-resolution scans of flight feathers of the major groups of birds; useful for comparison with found feathers whose origin you aren't sure of.  
  
[http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm Jobs in Ornithology], the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America. THE central clearing house for field research internships and jobs.  
+
===Field guide apps===
 +
 
 +
[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/technology/personaltech/22smart.html An article from the NY Times on smart phone apps for birding]
 +
 
 +
[http://ibird.com/compare.aspx A feature comparison of various bird guide apps, inlcuding Sibley, Peterson, NatGeo, and iBird]
 +
 
 +
[http://blog.aba.org/2011/10/digital-bird-song-identification-a-reality.html#comments A forthcoming app for automatically IDing bird song in the field]
 +
 
 +
===Apps for finding birds===
 +
[http://www.getbirdseye.com/ Cornell's BirdsEye app (for finding recent sightings using the eBird database)]
 +
 
 +
[http://ictbirds.wordpress.com/ iCTBirds: an app for finding birds in CT using the Connecticut Ornithological Association's  CTBirds listserv]
 +
 
 +
[http://www.ctbirdtrends.org/storrssightings.html A webpage that shows recent sightings from birding hotspots around Storrs (for free!), using the eBird database]
  
[http://sibleyguides.blogspot.com/  David Sibley's Blog], wherein the field guide guy riffs mostly on the finer and philosophical points of bird identification, and reports his experiments in window treatments to prevent bird strikes.
+
===Bird blogs===
  
[http://www.surfbirds.com/blogs/mbalame/archives/2008/03/photo20080313.html North Coast (Oregon) Diaries] Comments on photo documentation versus detailed notes. See also the March 2, 2008 post on Ugly Gulls (browse Main calendar).
+
[http://www.woodcreeper.com Dave LaPuma's Bird Migration Blog], an excellent spot to learn to use weather radar to watch migration happen. As he says: Look Busy, Birds Are Coming!
 +
 
 +
[http://www.sibleyguides.com/  David Sibley's Blog], wherein the field guide guy riffs mostly on the finer and philosophical points of bird identification, and reports his experiments in window treatments to prevent bird strikes.
 +
 
 +
[http://www.surfbirds.com/community-blogs/mbalame/2008/03/13/when-bad-photos-happen-to-good-birds/ North Coast (Oregon) Diaries] Comments on photo documentation versus detailed notes. See also the March 2, 2008 post on Ugly Gulls (browse Main calendar).
 +
 
 +
===Jobs in Ornithology===
 +
 
 +
[http://www.osnabirds.org/on/ornjobs.htm Jobs in Ornithology], the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America. THE central clearing house for field research internships and jobs.  
 
   
 
   
 
[http://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html ECOLOG-L listserve postings] Job postings, other miscellaneous information and discussions about field ecology.
 
[http://listserv.umd.edu/archives/ecolog-l.html ECOLOG-L listserve postings] Job postings, other miscellaneous information and discussions about field ecology.
  
== Collections Work Hours Sign Up ==
+
[http://beardsleyzoo.org/volunteer-gi1 CT Beardsley Zoo Summer Internships]
  
'''Vertebrate Collections Manager:''' Sue Hochgraf              susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu                      860-486-8945
+
== Collections Work Hours Sign Up ==
  
 +
'''Vertebrate Collections Manager:''' Sue Hochgraf              susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu  860-486-8945
  
To sign-up, let Dr. Rubega or the TA (Brian Hiller) know which date/hours you would like to work; refer here to see hours already taken. No more than 2 students in an hour block simultaneously, unless Sue Hochgraf approves it.
+
To sign-up, let Dr. Rubega or Kevin know which date/hours you would like to work; refer here to see hours already taken. No more than 2 students in an hour block simultaneously, unless Sue Hochgraf approves it. The Thursday during spring break is available for collections work.
  
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
 
{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
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!width="85"|1 pm
 
!width="85"|1 pm
 
!width="85"|2 pm
 
!width="85"|2 pm
!width="85"|3 pm
+
!width="85"|3 pm ||
!width="85"|4 pm
+
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 19|| X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X ||
+
| Feb 5|| || || || || || || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Feb 26|| X || X ||X || X || X || X || X|| X ||
+
| Feb 12|| || || || || || Jenny, Damon || Jenny, Damon ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Mar 5|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| Feb 19|| ||  || || || || Jenny, Damon || Jenny, Damon ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Mar 12|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| Feb 26|| ||  || Megan T || || || || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Mar 19|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| Mar 5|| ||  || Megan T || || || Megan T. ||Megan T. ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| Mar 26|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| Mar 12||  || || || || || || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| April 2|| || || || || || || || ||
+
| Mar 19|| Spring || Break || No || Collections || Work  || || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| April 9|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| Mar 26|| ||  || || || ||Jaron, Andrea || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| April 16|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| April 2|| ||  || || || ||Jaron, Andrea  || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| April 23|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| April 9|| ||  || || || ||Jaron, Andrea  || ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| April 30|| ||  || || || || || || ||
+
| April 16|| ||  || || || ||Jaron, Andrea  || ||
 +
|-
 +
| April 23|| ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||
 
|-  
 
|-  
| May 7|| ||  || || || || || || ||
 
 
|-}  
 
|-}  
  
  
 
[[Category:EEB Courses]]
 
[[Category:EEB Courses]]

Revision as of 18:46, 5 March 2015

Wesahead.JPG


Western Sandpiper; drawing copyright Bridget Keimel

Basic Course Information

EEB 4261

Spring 2013

Meets: Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m, TLS 371

Instructor: Dr. Margaret Rubega
Office: PharmBio 500 Phone: 486-4502
Office Hours: By appointment

Teaching Assistant: Kevin Burgio
Office: PharmBio 402
Office Hours: Wed. 12:05 - 1:05 (in the BioPhysics Cafe); or by appointment

Your emails to me MUST contain the phrase "EEB 4261” in the subject line; email received without that phrase, and especially those with a blank subject line, will be DELETED, unread.

Required Texts

MANUAL OF ORNITHOLOGY (Yale Univ.), by N.S. Proctor and P.J. Lynch

BIRDS OF STORRS (Natchaug Ornithological Society) by G.A. Clark, Jr.

SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS (Knopf), by D.A. Sibley.(Eastern or North American Edition)

Class Schedule

(very subject to change; check back before every lab)

Date Required Reading Subject Meeting notes, and other resources
Jan 23 P & L p. 274-281,286-287; Sibley p. 9-14; Clark p. 1-19 Course Intro: How We Roll + Tools of the trade: Optics, Field Guides, Field Notes and Journals Come dressed and ready to bird; meet in TLS 371
Jan 30 P & L p. 22-37, 47-65, 263-265; Sibley p. 15-21; Clark p. 21-40/ P & L p. 66-77 North American bird Orders; Topography and Field Marks; Feet, Beaks and Body Form; Bring P & L to class; meet in TLS 371
Feb 6 Handouts Opportunities in Ornithology - You Mean I Can Get Paid for This? Come dressed to bird, bring your resume if you have one
Feb 13 Tour of Mansfield Birding Spots
Feb 20 P & L p. 81-105 Feathers & Aerodynamics
Feb 27 P & L Chapters 6 & 7, 205-209, 219-226 Anatomy: musculature and internal organs NO BIRDING - we will need the whole class period for dissections. Bring your Proctor and Lynch to class!
March 6 P & L Chap. 5 Anatomy - Skeletons Check for weather, and come dressed to bird
March 13 MIDTERM EXAM; birding after
March 20 NO CLASS - SPRING BREAK - GO BIRDING!
March 27 Handouts Field Techniques: Survey methods Bring to class, and turn in, your Weather Worksheet. eBird exercise (to be done in class)
April 3 Proctor & Lynch p. 266-273 Weather and Bird Movements: Go Outside to EXPERIENCE both! Monitor bird movements with Dave LaPuma! Clemson University Radar Ornithology Lab Birds and Weather worksheet
April 10 Vocalizations: Bird outside all four hours
April 17 Handouts Field Techniques: Behavioral observations
April 24 Bird, Bird, Bird – outside all four hours
May 1 Bird, Bird, Bird - outside all four hours
May 4 8:00 – 10:00 am FINAL EXAM in TLS 371

Grading

Grading in this course is done on a straight percentage-of-points basis, i.e., to obtain an A, you need to earn 90% or more of the available points. The grades will not be "curved", and there will be no opportunities for "make-up" or "extra-credit" points. Attendance on the field trips is required. If you miss a field trip, you lose 5 points. If you miss a test, you will receive a score of zero. If you have a legitimate reason (for example, a death in your family) to miss a field trip or test, you may be excused (at the discretion of the instructors) IF AND ONLY IF you provide written documentation (for example, an obituary documenting a death in your family) within one week of missing the class or test. In cases where the instructors determine you have a legitimate excuse, there still will be no make-ups administered: you will be graded only on the basis of the points contained in the field trips and tests you did complete. NOTE that this method reduces the number of points you can afford to lose and still do well in the course.

SICK? First, do your level best to let us know before the field trip/class exercise/test. Second, if you are sick, believe us when we say that we don't want to see you in lab --- please be responsible, and don't spread germs by coming to class with a fever, or hacking and coughing. For illnesses, we pro-rate your grade on the basis of the point-bearing exercises you didn't miss. If you are sick for the final YOU MUST INFORM THE OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES in order to be allowed to take a make-up after final exam week is over. The final exam is the only point-bearing exercise for which a make-up is possible.

These policies have been developed over years of teaching this and other courses, and are designed to ensure fair treatment of everyone by eliminating discrepancies in testing and evaluation, and by eliminating differences in the amount of field and study time available to students. I am very willing to discuss my reasoning for these policies, but if you try to talk me into making an exception to them for you, you will fail, and probably make me grumpy to boot.

Point Structure for Grading

COURSE POINT TOTAL 300 POINTS

Test 1: 75 points, March 15

Final: 75 points, May 6

Field Notebook: 10 points

Worksheets/Quizzes 40 points (4 at 10 points each)

Independent Field Observations: 35 points

SEE: Ebird Set-up Document and Point Count Protocol and Point Count Datasheet and Point Count Example.

Independent Field Observation Locations: Map of Hillside Environmental Education Projector View the locations on Google Earth/Maps

Field Trips: 45 points (Field trips are required: you lose 5 points for every missed trip. Note that field trips are VERY subject to change, depending on birds, weather, circumstances, and whim. Don't assume you know what you are going to miss!)

Collections Work: 20 points (4 hours at 5 points per hour).

Note that you are required to keep a Field Notebook. Notebooks will be collected for assessment and feedback, at random, throughout the course of first half of the semester. You may not begin work on your independent observations (themselves worth 35 points) until you have demonstrated notebook competence AND you must achieve notebook competence by the midterm or forgo your opportunity to earn the 35 points from the independent observations. At the final assessment of your notebook, you will be awarded from 1 (just barely competent) to up to 10 points (EXCELLENT) for notebook skills.

Academic Rules/Conduct

All students should be aware of the guidelines on academic integrity contained in the Student Conduct Code. The Conduct Code is available at http://www.dosa.uconn.edu/student_conduct.html.

Questions

If you have questions, by all means ask me in class or email me. I will post both the questions (questioners will be anonymous) and answers here.

Useful and Amusing Links

Online field guides

Bird songs online!

Feather Identification Resource Online! The Feather Atlas of North American Birds provided high-resolution scans of flight feathers of the major groups of birds; useful for comparison with found feathers whose origin you aren't sure of.

Field guide apps

An article from the NY Times on smart phone apps for birding

A feature comparison of various bird guide apps, inlcuding Sibley, Peterson, NatGeo, and iBird

A forthcoming app for automatically IDing bird song in the field

Apps for finding birds

Cornell's BirdsEye app (for finding recent sightings using the eBird database)

iCTBirds: an app for finding birds in CT using the Connecticut Ornithological Association's CTBirds listserv

A webpage that shows recent sightings from birding hotspots around Storrs (for free!), using the eBird database

Bird blogs

Dave LaPuma's Bird Migration Blog, an excellent spot to learn to use weather radar to watch migration happen. As he says: Look Busy, Birds Are Coming!

David Sibley's Blog, wherein the field guide guy riffs mostly on the finer and philosophical points of bird identification, and reports his experiments in window treatments to prevent bird strikes.

North Coast (Oregon) Diaries Comments on photo documentation versus detailed notes. See also the March 2, 2008 post on Ugly Gulls (browse Main calendar).

Jobs in Ornithology

Jobs in Ornithology, the job board for the Ornithological Societies of North America. THE central clearing house for field research internships and jobs.

ECOLOG-L listserve postings Job postings, other miscellaneous information and discussions about field ecology.

CT Beardsley Zoo Summer Internships

Collections Work Hours Sign Up

Vertebrate Collections Manager: Sue Hochgraf susan.hochgraf@uconn.edu 860-486-8945

To sign-up, let Dr. Rubega or Kevin know which date/hours you would like to work; refer here to see hours already taken. No more than 2 students in an hour block simultaneously, unless Sue Hochgraf approves it. The Thursday during spring break is available for collections work.

Date 9 am 10 am 11 am 12 pm

(can only be worked consecutively after an 11 am block)

1 pm 2 pm 3 pm
Feb 5
Feb 12 Jenny, Damon Jenny, Damon
Feb 19 Jenny, Damon Jenny, Damon
Feb 26 Megan T
Mar 5 Megan T Megan T. Megan T.
Mar 12
Mar 19 Spring Break No Collections Work
Mar 26 Jaron, Andrea
April 2 Jaron, Andrea
April 9 Jaron, Andrea
April 16 Jaron, Andrea
April 23