[birding] help with birdfeeding project this summer

[W.Douglas Robinson]

Hi all,

I am helping a colleague do some tests of bird preferences for a few  
seed mixes this summer.  I am looking for a couple of people to help  
with the observations, which includes watching the feeders for 60  
minutes each morning, 5 days per week, over the course of 8 weeks.   
Preferably, the 8 week period would begin 7 June, but the start date  
is a bit flexible.

We prefer to put the feeders at one site in town and one in a more  
rural area.

Here are the requirements, if you think you might be interested:

1. There are 4 feeders, which are placed in a line about 45 feet long,  
so you should have a large enough yard or space to accommodate that.

2. The feeders are hung on 5-foot tall garden hooks, so you have to be  
ok with having 4 of those standing in your yard.

3.  You have to be able to identify all species likely to attend bird  
feeders around here and able to follow protocols. The protocols are  
simple.  You identify and count individuals of all birds at each  
feeder every 5 minutes for half an hour, then take a 15 minute break,  
then repeat again for half an hour.  Feeders are filled each day with  
a particular set of seed mixes, so you should be able to follow the  
instructions for this (they are super easy).  This is the kind of  
thing that might be done nicely during your morning cup of coffee of  
each day, or might be a good task for a precocious youngster to get a  
little experience with some simple science.

4.  It is best if you live in the Corvallis/Albany area so I can  
deliver the feeders and food to you.

In return, although I cannot give you the feeders and hooks (we will  
use them again in other work), I can give you more bird seed than you  
will know what to do with, for free.  You won't need to buy much bird  
seed for the upcoming fall and winter.

If you might be interested, please reply off-list to me directly.

Thanks!
Douglas Robinson