LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

--Paul Lehman

In February 2002, I became the new editor of Records of New Jersey Birds (RNJB). This was no small order, as the shoes I needed to fill-those belonging to the retiring Rich Kane-were large indeed. Rich had been the editor ever since the beginning. In 1975, he established RNJB as the magazine of record, documenting the comings and goings of the state's avifauna. Rich has seen the magazine through its various stages, from nestling, to fledgling, to adult. It is now the magazine all birders, researchers, and conservationists should consult when wanting a detailed look at each season's avian happenings, when consulting the state's historical record, and when searching for articles discussing migration, rarities, population changes, and other scientific and citizen-science-based avian studies.

The strengths of this magazine will continue: the seasonal reports and lead articles. They are the crux of what Records of New Jersey Birds is all about. The only changes you will notice in the short-term are minor tweakings in the presentation of this information, such as more detailed photo captions and textural comments discussing the importance of records listed, and small changes in the format of the regional reports themselves. I am interested in receiving ideas and offers for lead articles. For now, let me say that a few ideas for material we would love to see in RNJB include the following articles:

• profiles of species in New Jersey with particularly interesting (alas, sometimes sobering) declining or increasing populations (e.g., Cattle Egret, Upland Sandpiper, Common Nighthawk, Common Raven),
• discussions of major avian historical events (such as one or more hurricanes, winter irruptions, etc.) or the birding history of a major birding site,
• bird-finding articles covering little-known or newly discovered sites not covered in the available bird-finding guides.

The seasonal reports, and the articles and books which are based on them, would be impossible to write without the contributions of many observers. The numbers of field birders reporting their sightings has increased greatly since the early days, but there is still much room for improvement. There are many active birders, as well as less active observers and feeder watchers, who have important sightings who rarely if ever submit their records to the RNJB regional editors. The result is an incomplete ornithological record, which could well be a major negative later on when trying to look at long-term trends and act on future conservation issues. Some of the regions in the state appear to be particularly cursed by a very limited number of contributions. Obviously not all of the state's five reporting regions receive equal birder coverage. But the problem is much more complex than this. And even those regions which receive better coverage are blessed with only spotty reporting. Perhaps a good number of observers think that "someone else will do it."

OK, I've made my plea for this issue. Send in your sightings of note to the regional editors. If in doubt, send it in. Although space limitations will restrict what can actually be published, your material will always receive close consideration. Whereas each individual sighting may not make it in to print, it may be important in helping to more clearly define larger-scale happenings, population trends, and the like.

Please feel free to contact me to discuss any issues relating to the magazine. I am eager to receive input on material that has been presented in the past, and on ideas for improvement in the future.

Paul Lehman
P.O. Box 379
Cape May, NJ 08204

e-mail: lehmfinn@bellatlantic.net