What follows is a combination of number crunching and recommendations for winter atlasing. Here, I focus generally on birding during the early winter period of November/December. The protocols for the several winter surveys are available on the Atlas website (Timed 1-Hour Surveys; Inland Waterbodies; Communal Roosts; Shoreline Points; Incidental Observations; Rare Observations). Connecticut Bird Atlas Team Member Morgan Tingley recently wrote a “Winter Progress Update” for the Atlas, now in our second year of winter field work. His report matches closely with the latest (November 25, 2019) update on the Atlas website. Here’s some of what he found in the developing Atlas database. I’ve added some of my own notes. Realize that reports are coming in on a steady basis from eBird posts and written submissions. The block by block numbers are fluid. Still, it’s useful to have a snapshot view at this time. The Atlas Team expects to post a new update very shortly. *79% of blocks have been adopted (474), and 21% (OPEN blocks) have no leader/adopter (127). However, 52 OPEN blocks do have some bird records submitted. *59% of blocks have some early winter records, and 41% do not. (Note: nearly 80% of these unbirded blocks are full blocks wanting attention, and just 15% straddle bordering states or Long Island Sound and have <20% land mass in CT. The few remaining blocks are 50%, 70%, 80%, or 90% full.) *48% of blocks have 10 or more species recorded, and 52% of blocks have fewer than 10 species recorded. *The total number of birds recorded during the full winter season (early winter = November/December, late winter = January/February) is 34,454. *184 species have been recorded thus far statewide in the early winter period of November/December. Summary: we have been doing very well with early winter Atlas submissions, but we have a lot of work remaining. There are too many blocks needing attention, and block busting teams cannot do it all in covering them. Find a block near you that is under-represented, and spend an hour or two or three there this December. Repeat for the late winter period. A small amount of time birding produces valuable data. [Full disclosure: Much of my birding during the 2018-19 late winter period was in Middlesex County, and as a result I completely ignored birding in one of my assigned atlas blocks. I have much field work to invest there when we reach January and February, and again for the following year. It’s not too late to cover a block successfully.] In Part II, I suggest how easy it is to provide good coverage to an Atlas block given a range of hours spent in the field. Steve Broker Cheshire