Southwest Michigan Team Birdathon Report & Summary

[Love Creek Nature Center]

Greetings,

 

For any interested, please find below a brief report regarding yesterday's
20th Annual Southwest Michigan Team Birdathon in Berrien County.

 

The day got off to a rather bleak start, with rain and high winds just
before dawn. Fortunately the rain did not last long and - despite forecasts
for a gusty day - the winds backed off as well. Teams then enjoyed a sunny,
relatively calm day with moderate temperatures. Perfect for a full day in
the field - and the birds did not disappoint. 

 

It was a fantastic warbler day (36 species were reported) and a good mix of
other birds - including 15 species of shorebirds - were located by the 24
teams participating. A count of the cumulative list for the day shows 198
species recorded. Not bad for single day effort in a southern Michigan
county!

 

*	Matt Hysell, Tim Baerwald and Kreg Bateman (aka - the Fanatical
Cuckoos) earned the "C. Roy Smith Award" by recording 164 species for the
highest team total of the day. (In this regard I think it's worth noting and
impressive this single team total was accomplished by the 7 p.m. event
conclusion time and without the use of recorded calls - a day of event
rule.)

 

*	Scott Jenex, Josh Haas and Jeff Schultz (aka - the Steller J's)
earned the "Outstanding Introduced Birder's Award" by recording 159 species
for the highest total by a team without any Berrien County residents.

 

*	Taking nothing away from the accomplishments of the teams mentioned
above, the 153 species recorded by Gordon Atkins, Alison Village, Marie
Ostrander, Christina Burden and Doris Burden (aka - the Andrews Biology
Coots) is particularly impressive, as it was accomplished while keeping
their total driving miles under 100 miles. (97 to be exact - compared to 297
for Cuckoos and 267 for the Steller J's!) Their efforts earned them the
"Limited Miles Driving Award." (Current gas prices may make this award of
more interest to others in future years..)

 

In addition to the fun of a full day in the field, another important aspect
of this event is the (optional) opportunity to generate pledge dollars for
conservation related organizations. In this regard all teams together
generated in excess of $38,000. Some of the organizations that will benefit
from these efforts include the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy, the
Michigan Bird Conservation Initiative, Michigan Birds & Natural History,
Friends of Indiana Dunes and several southwest Michigan nature centers and
Audubon groups.

 

Some of the species highlights of the day include all three scoters, both
bitterns, White-rumped Sandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, Franklin's Gull,
Chuck-wills-widow, White-eyed Vireo, Northern Mockingbird; Yellow-throated,
Prairie, Cerulean, Worm-eating, Kentucky and Connecticut Warblers,
Yellow-breasted Chat, Summer Tanager, Clay-colored and Henslow's Sparrows,
Dickcissel, Western Meadowlark and Orchard Oriole.

 

Next year's event is scheduled for Saturday, May 16th. If you're interested
in receiving an entry packet, please drop me a note. It's a fun and friendly
event for birders of any level with an interest in a full day in the field.
All teams set their own itinerary and determine their own pace and we all
meet at Love Creek in the evening for a catered dinner and a chance to share
highlights of the day.

 

Good birding,

 

Kip Miller

Love Creek Nature Center

Berrien County Parks

lovecreek269 at att.net

www.berriencounty.org/parks

 

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