Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 3C
February 11, 2009
iReporter
Monroe County Outdoors
Time for great backyard bird count
I f you are looking for a great activity
that will help you and your
family emerge from the win
ter doldrums, why not join
the tens of thousands of
people across the country that will
be taking part in the 12th Annual
Great Backyard Bird Count? The
count will be held Feb. 13-16.
The priceless data collected
over the count’s 11-year histo
ry have allowed biologists to
paint a picture of the late-win
ter bird distribution across
the continent. Additionally,
the data is being used in a
host of other studies focus
ing on the late winter distri
bution of birds. This is quite
an accomplishment considering the fact
that the data are collected entirely by con
servation-minded citizens.
Last year volunteers from across the
continent submitted 84,784 lists on which
were reported 9,787,367 individual birds
representing 634 species. In 2008,
Georgia ranked 8th for the most check
lists (3,135) submitted from an individual
state. The 221 species reported from the
Peach State were the 5th most reported
by any state. Eight lists and 38 species
were forwarded from Forsyth.
Nationwide in 2008 the 10 most numer
ous birds seen during the survey were
Snow Goose (927,059), Canada Goose
(778,871), European Starling (767,395),
American Robin (534,510), Common
Grackle (508,998), American Crow
(363,321), American Goldfinch (338,403),
Dark-eyed Junco (307,801), Red-winged
Blackbird (302,863) and Mourning Dove
(268,699).
In Georgia, the list of most numerous
birds was quite different. The most abun
dant bird proved to be a local backyard
favorite —the American Goldfinch
(19,610). Rounding out the top ten were
the Red-winged Blackbird (16,382),
Common Grackle (12,360), Sandhill Crane
(11,926), American Robin (10,694),
Northern Cardinal (10,055), Mourning
Dove (7,552), American Crow
(7,348), Chipping Sparrow
(6,974) and Carolina Chickadee
(6,194).
One of the great things about
the count is that you don’t have
to be an expert birder to take
part. All you have to do is
report those birds you can iden
tify. If you can tell a cardinal
from a mockingbird, you are
ready to go.
If you say you can’t take
part because you don’t have
enough time to devote to
the count I have one thing
to say, “Hogwash!” While
participants are urged to
spend as much time as they can counting
birds, you can take part if you spend as
little as 15 minutes on a count.
Simply select a survey area and begin
counting. Surveys areas can be as small
as a backyard or span an entire county. It
is up to you to pick and choose the loca
tion of your survey. Other ideal spots are
parks, school grounds, and neighborhoods.
Since the count runs for 4 days, you can
submit a separate list the same count
area each day of the count. In other
words, if you count the birds seen in your
backyard on each of the 4 days during the
count, you would submit 4 separate lists.
Once you have completed the count, sim
ply log the survey result onto the The
Great Backyard Bird Count website
(www.birdcount.org). If you don’t have a
computer, you can submit your data at the
Monroe County Library. After you submit
your tallies check the maps of both
Georgia and the United States that illus
trate the progress of the count. As counts
flow into the website, data is continually
updated.
I suggest that you visit the Great
Backyard Bird Count website before you
begin counting birds. It will give you a
chance to acquaint yourself with the sim
ple rules and data submission process.
One of the most confusing things for peo
ple to understand is deciding how many
birds to submit. For each species, you are
asked to submit the most individuals of
each species seen at one time, not the
total number of individuals you see dur
ing the count. For example, if you see a
total of 8 cardinals during your count, but
no more than 4 at any given moment, you
would report 4 cardinals.
Since there is no participation fee and
you don’t have to devote more than 15
minutes of your time to take part. You
won’t find an easier way for you and your
family to become citizen-scientists. I hope
that you will have a great time taking
part in the count. I know I will.
Pine Warbler on a suet feeder
Terry Johnson is the retired Program
Manager of the Georgia
Nongame-Endangered
Wildlife Program. He is cur
rently Executive Director of
TERN (The Nongame
Wildlife Section's Friends
Group) and conducts wildlife
research and survey projects,
presents programs and writes
about wildlife. Email him at
TJWoodDuck@aol. com.
Pharmacy &
By Jep Castleberry
STARR
Heating & A/C, Inc.
We Service All Brands of Heating
& Air Conditioning Units
Serving Monroe County &
Surrounding Areas for over 40 years
Free Estimates
Finaticing Available
Juliette Rd. • Forsyth, Ga.
478-994-6127
Ga. Reg. CU 401419
Turn to the Experts'
visit www.carrier.com
Treatment of Low Thyroid Activity
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which there is an underpro
duction of certain hormones by the thyroid gland. This leads to
a slowing of the body’s metabolism. The thyroid gland normal
ly produces two hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine
(T3). Both work to regulate metabolism. The hypothalamus
gland sends a signal to the pituitary gland, which then releas
es thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The production of T3
and T4 by the gland depends on the amount of TSH present.
Women, especially those over 50 years of age, are more likely to
be affected by low thyroid (hypothyroidism), although anyone
can develop the condition. Hypothyroidism may occur in
response to a variety of causes, including and autoimmune con
dition, radioiodine therapy, and removal of the thyroid gland.
Certain drugs may also cause hypothyroidism, including lithi
um, and amiodarone.
Levothyroxine (Levoxyl, Synthroid) is the currently recom
mended treatment for hypothyroidism. The medication works
to maintain a sufficient level of thyroid hormone in the body on
a daily basis, resulting in improvements in signs and symptoms
of the condition, such as fatigue and weight gain.
CASTLEBERRY DRUG CO. LLC
N. Lee St. • 994-2051
Creating good health is a lifetime task. Use this directory to help you find excellent
ties.
HEALTH
Advertise Your
Health Specialty
Call Carolyn Martel
478-960-2259
CHIROPRACTIC
WALKER CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC
Dr. Steven Walker
Mon. - Tues. - Wed. - Fri. 9-6 • Thurs. & Sat. By Appointment
PHYSIOLOGIC THERAPEUTICS
CHIROPRACTIC SPORTS PHYSICIAN
255 Tift College Drive • 994-1562
DENTISTS
Deena Holliman Smith, DMD
GENERAL DENTISTRY
205 Medical Court • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-1171
Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Clell M. Morris, DMD
FORSYTH DENTAL CENTER
Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
94 Bennett St. • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-0440
Mon. - Thurs. 8-6
Family Dentistry
John O. Bowcock Jr., DDS PC
Stanley J. Hickman, DMD
103 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive • Forsyth
478-994-2070
GYNECOLOGY
Perry B. Wells, M.D.
100 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive • Forsyth
(In the Surgical Arts Building)
478-994-5909
Professionals in your quest for healthy lifesty
FEATURING
1 1 - FORSYTH
DENTAL
CENTER
Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
Clell M. Morris, D.M.D.
478-994-0440
94 Bennett Street
Forsyth, GA 31029
HOSPITAL
Monroe County
Hospital
478-994-2521
88 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Forsyth, GA 31029
www.monroehospital.org
MASSAGE THERAPY
CeyiHt fm Clinical lActiyy, t.Ll.
Sabine Anderson, LMT, NMT
Debbie Lefevers, LMT, NMT, NCBTMB
Sabine:478-986-4861 • Debbie:478-394-2343
800-951-2998
www.aboutclinicalmassage.com
OPTOMETRIST
Tom Perry, OD PC
FIRST QUALITY OPTICAL CARE
105 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive
Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-2988
Monday thru Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m - 12 p.m.
Ready for your close-up smile/
Dr. Morris can help you have a
brighter smile in about an hour!
~7c\CtJV/l 7 Whiter Smiles in
C/f VI £ about an hour!
OPHTHAMOLOGIST
J.Gregory Jones, M.D.
Jeffrey B. Crowder, M.D.
Board Certified Ophthalmologists
Monroe County Hospital Specialty Clinic
235 Medical Court • Forsyth, GA.
(478) 741-1740,
ORTHOPEDICS
Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex
4660 Riverside Park Blvd.
Macon, GA 31210
478/474-2114 • 1-800-338-5141
Open Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
PHARMACY
CASTLEBERRY DRUG CO.
• Compounding Specialists
• Customized Medications
• All Your Pharmaceutical Needs
67 N. Lee St. • Forsyth • 478-994-2051
PHYSICIANS
Dr. Craig Caldwell
Dr. Jeremy Goodwin
INTERNAL MEDICINE & GERIATRICS
97 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive • Forsyth, GA
478-994-1010
Mon. - Fri. 8:30 - 5:00
PURE WATER
Callaway Blue.
CCN Distributing, Inc.
P.O. Box 99
Bolingbroke, GA 31004
478-992-5757
VETERINARAN
Kevin Smith, DVM
ANIMAL MEDICAL CLINIC OF FORSYTH
60 South Jackson St. • Forsyth, GA 31029
478-994-4986
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Caldwell Veterinary Hospital, LLC
951 Hwy 41 South • Forsyth • 478-957-9084
Butler Caldwell, DVM
478-994-8228 y :
butlercaldwell@bellsouth.net • www.caldwellvet.com
Dr. Jill Lancaster
Plantation Centre Animal Hospital
6411 Peake Road • Macon, Georgia 31210
Office
(478)474-3616
“Big & small, we treat them all. ”
^Reporter
Jep Castleberry, RPh John Wilson, RPh