Bird-a-thon 2021 Highlights

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Mass Audubon

Bird-a-thon, which took place May 14-15, was a great time to get outside to bird and enjoy nature. About 1,000 participants trekked out across their state, or stayed close home, to spot bird species, search for items on our 125th anniversary scavenger hunt, and/or complete nature activities like drawing a picture of a bird and playing nature bingo.

The weather was amazing, the birding spectacular (including sightings of a Tropical Kingbird, Swallow-tailed Kite, White-faced Ibis, Pacific Loon, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Sandhill Crane, Thick-billed Murre, Red-headed Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, and Prothonotary Warbler), and the fact that we could bird safely together again made moods soar.

Check out some favorite social shares, scroll down for results, and show our sponsors some love!

Social Shares

It’s a Waiting Game

“Chimney Swift” Sees a Baltimore Oriole

Inclusive Birding

Nature Activity Fun

Follow the Leader

Crushing the Scavenger Hunt

Creating Bird Art

By Melissa Hanson

View more photos in the online photo gallery. Feel free to add your own Bird-a-thon pictures as well, and please be sure to include your name in the file name so we know who to credit.

The Results

Our 13 teams recorded an impressive combined total of 274 bird species in Massachusetts. Great job! We’ve finished tallying the species and activity lists and are excited to announce the winners of the 2021 Bird-a-thon birding and points awards.

Congratulations to our winning teams!

Brewster Cup (most species recorded statewide)

  • Team Metro South with 245 species

Forbush Award (2nd place in species recorded statewide)

  • Team Metro West with 238 species

County Cup (highest percentage of county par value)

  • Team West (Berkshire County, 146/142, 103%)

Sitting Duck Award (most species recorded while staying within a 25-foot circle)

  • Team West with 110 species

Eagle Eye Award (highest average number of activity points)

  • Team Cape Cod with 60 activity points

Mighty Migrant Award (highest average number of species points)

  • Team Central with 100 species points

It’s Not Too Late to Get Involved

The birding may be over, but fundraising is open through Friday, June 11! So far we’ve raised over $270,000 to support nature education, land and wildlife stewardship, and so much more. We can’t thank you enough for your generous support.

Thank you to our 2021 Sponsors!

Lead Sponsor

Media Sponsor

Supporting Sponsor: ZEISS

Community Sponsor: River Valley Co-op

Green Heron © Michael Snow

Take 5: The Subtle Art of Composition

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Ryan D.

The 2021 Picture This: Your Great Outdoors photo contest is now open! We’ll be accepting submissions until September 30 of photos that highlight people in nature, capture the beauty of Massachusetts wildlife, and celebrate our stunning landscapes and habitats.

To get you inspired to hone your photography craft, we created a photography composition cheat sheet to go with our tips for taking a winning photograph. To help you visualize the different techniques photographers use to create a balanced, impactful shot, here are five photo contest winners that exemplify different compositional principles.

But remember, photography is a creative art, not a science—that means experimenting is strongly encouraged and rules are meant to be broken!

Rule of Thirds

To achieve a balanced-looking shot, try to imagine that the frame is divided into a three-by-three grid and place your subjects along the dividing lines and intersection points.

Coyote, Winner: Mammals, 18 and over © Jason Gilbody
Coyote, 2020 Winner: Mammals, 18 and over © Jason Gilbody

Balance

You can offset the “visual weight” of your subject by counter-balancing it with another focal point of lesser importance in the same frame. Here, the hummingbird is balanced by the jewelweed flowers it has its eye on.

Hummingbird © Bernard Creswick
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 2017 Grand Prize Winner, Birds © Bernard Creswick

Leading Lines

Use naturally occurring visual lines to draw the viewer’s eye toward a specific point in the distance.

Grand Prize/Landscapes 18 and Over Winner © Evan Guarino
2018 Grand Prize Winner: Landscapes © Evan Guarino

Symmetry

The human eye instinctively gravitates toward symmetry and regular patterns—try focusing on the shape and texture of the subject to best capture this.

2014 Grand Prize Winner © Arindam Ghosh
Mallard, 2014 Grand Prize Winner, Birds © Arindam Ghosh

Tell a Story

As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s amazing the complexity of stories and emotions you can capture in a single fraction of a second!

Green Heron © Michael Snow
Green Heron, 2019 Grand Prize Winner, Birds © Michael Snow