Annual Point Count Breeding Bird Survey at Pepperwood Preserve in the California Coast Ranges 2007-2019

The Dwight Center for Conservation Science at Pepperwood is an
ecological institute dedicated to educating, engaging, and inspiring
our community through habitat preservation, science-based
conservation, leading-edge research, and interdisciplinary educational
programs. Our mission is to steward the life and landscapes of the
3,200-acre Pepperwood Preserve and to advance science-based
conservation of ecosystems throughout our region and beyond. The
Pepperwood Breeding Bird Survey was initiated in the spring of 2007
with the goal of establishing a set of baseline bird community data
that would be built upon for years to come. Four transects (totaling
38 points) are surveyed annually using standardized five-minute point
count protocols outlined by the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now
called Point Blue Conservation Science; Ballard et al. 2003) and the Handbook of Field Methods for Monitoring
Landbirds (Ralph et al. 1993). Surveys are conducted by
experienced volunteers during the breeding season starting in late
April and ending in June, with each transect surveyed a total of three
times. The Rogers Creek and Martin Creek transects were established in
2007. The Weimar Flat and Pepperwood Road transects were established
in 2008 and 2012, respectively, to ensure comprehensive coverage
across the various habitats that occur at the preserve including
Douglas-fir forest, mixed hardwood forest, oak woodland/forest,
chaparral, and open grasslands. This dataset includes data collected
between 2007-2019.