Bird-a-thon a Flying Success!

What’s the first thing that pops into your head when I say Mass Audubon? I am guessing that for most people it will be birds and while Mass Audubon does an incredible number of things – conservation, education, and advocacy – you would be right, we always go back to the birds and for great reason.

Birding, the observation of birds in their natural habitats, continues to grow in popularity. Many people start with just bird watching – the feeder in the back yard or the occasional turkey in the fields.

male turkeys on display

Then they get hooked and want to know more and the true hobby of birding begins with the quest to increase the number of birds you have seen (life lists) to being ready to go on a moments notice when a rare bird is reported in hopes that you too will see it.

Every year, Mass Audubon takes this hobby and highlights it during Bird-a-thon. Since the event began in 1983, it has continued to grow and today Bird-a-thon is Mass Audubon’s largest fundraiser. The centerpiece of Bird-a-thon is a competition where teams representing wildlife sanctuaries and programs attempt to identify the most species of birds in a 24-hour period. And while this competition is a great way to feed our need to bird, it also serves as a reminder of the variety and abundance of wildlife that surrounds us and our role in protecting their habitats.

Over the years, the team here at Moose Hill has continued to grow in team members and increase our standings among the teams within Mass Audubon. With a great team leader, Vin, who not only is an amazing birder but a fantastic strategist, Moose Hill has been in the top 5 for the last 4 years, coming in second place for the last 2. And then Bird-a-thon 2017 came…

The Brewster Cup for most species seen

This year Moose Hill had another full team of 50 birders of all ages and experience as we prepared to spread out across the state to see if we could finally take the cup as the team that identifies the most species in 24-hours. The weekend came, May 12-13, and off we went. Reports were sent to our team leader throughout the 24-hours and Vin reported back to us with words of encouragement and updates on sightings; he was excited about the variety of birds we were seeing. We finished the weekend, turned in our identifications, and waited to hear the results….which came on a Friday evening announcing the winner. To our surprise and excitement, Moose Hill WON!!! Our team had identified 229 species of birds in the 24-hour time frame, and this year, that was more than any other team. We couldn’t have been more excited.

Last week we had our wrap-up cookout to share our birding stories and spend time with each other. For those who were able to make it, the cup was passed around. As there hadn’t yet been time to have our name officially added to the cup, we made our own plaque and we enjoyed all that goes with winning!

some of Team Moose Hill 2017 with the Brewster Cup!

With all the excitement of winning, we cannot forget that this competition is a fundraiser and while we have increased the amount Moose Hill raised this year, there is still time to support this winning team. Donating is easy – every dollar counts and goes to the conservation and education we do at Moose Hill. You can donate online or send us your donation today!

We have already marked our calendars for next year (May 11-12, 2018) – let the strategy sessions begin!

Enjoy some happy team members and their time with The Cup!