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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jeff Hopkins" data-source="post: 3326223" data-attributes="member: 44242">Our count (Allentown, PA) is this coming Saturday.  The count circle is split into 12 areas centered on our local Audubon HQ.  Each block is surveyed by a group of 3 or 4 people.  The four who do our area (Block 12) are usually the same 4 guys who've been doing it for the last 15 years (provided we're not away on business).  Our block leader has been doing it since 1973, and he has all the records from every count that he's done.Block 12 is mostly suburban homes and farm fields with some woodsy patches, although it was gerrymandered to include a large flooded quarry which always gives us a few duck species.  But the fields are disappearing fast.  Every year there are more housing developments and smaller fields, thanks to (human) migrants from New Jersey.50 species is a typical count for our area and about 80 for the overall Allentown CBC.  Species we hope in our block for but don't always get are snipe, killdeer, kestrel, and harrier.     But if we want big totals in our block, we need waterfowl.  As of yesterday, there was a tundra swan and some GW teal at the quarry.  Hopefully they stick around until Saturday.  But other than that, I'm not expecting much.  We haven't had the large flocks of snow geese we get here, and with the warm temps in Ontario and NY, most of our usual ducks haven't bothered to come south for the winter yet.</blockquote>