Overview
In the late 1980's, my friend Ed Mair conducted an intensive five-year watch at Plum Island: over 180 hours of coverage from Lot 1 and 1800+ hawks, cumulative. In 1996, I began another scientific study: over 180 hours and 1800+ birds in my first year alone. Then 1996 through 2002, the count tallied: 1,368 hours of observation & 13,955 hawks [sixteen species; seven years, beyond the five I had planned as a nod and complement to Ed's study]. I intended and accomplished coverage well beyond the "big day" myth, beyond the narrow ideal flight weather conditions, and beyond the scope of what volunteers can cover... I think demonstrating that Plum Island should have daily professional-style observer coverage from late March through late May. And I began publishing the results, here, and elsewhere online, in 1999.

From this work, I will say that Plum Island is the best place in North America to observe, and therefore study, the Spring flight of the American Kestrel! I have, sadly, observed that species' two-step decline. But, on a positive note, I now continue to watch this bird with three new project goals: one involving the effects of macroweather patterning [my terminology] on movement, another objective looking at an aspect of population flight behavior, and a third more intimate and individual element photographing Kestrel plumages.

For both -- hobbyist and scientist -- enjoyment is key, hopefully. The scientific endeavor is, and should be, distinctive through its evolution: observing, hypothesizing, testing, theorizing, and publishing. The hobbyist observes and reports, more or less. Of course the hobbyist can become a scientist, and vice versa.
The words, images, and data are copyright © 2006 Tom Carrolan. They may not reprinted or used in any other fashion without my written permission.