Hey everyone,
It’s springtime, and that means birdathon is just around the corner. For those of you who don't know, a birdathon is an annual fundraiser supporting your local Audubon Chapters! Teams of birders head out for a full, fun day of birding to try and see as many species as they can in a single day. Supporters can pledge a per species amount to support a team, or they can donate a lump sum.
This year, Raymond VanBuskirk, Cole Wolf and I will be heading up a Big Day style birdathon for Central New Mexico Audubuon Society (CNMAS). Funds raised will go to CNMAS as well as Sangre De Cristo Audubon Society in Santa Fe. Our team will have the ambitious goal of beating the all time New Mexico Big Day record of 202 species in a single day! The three of us will start at midnight on May 6th in far southwestern New Mexico and make our way up north to Bosque Del Apache near Socorro by sunset. This whirlwind day of birding is intense and exhausting but that’s part of the fun! Besides just the count day, we also put in hours and hours of planning and several days of scouting to make sure we have a real chance at beating the record and to raise as much money as we can for Audubon. But no matter how much you plan there are always bumps, and last year was no exception. At the last minute Raymond had to drop out of the count and we were left with only two people to run this exhausting route. Despite our handicap we ended the day with 190 species last year; so close it hurts! We still managed to raise over $1,500 for Audubon and we learned a few lessons on the way! (See the attachment to see a full report from last year’s birdathon)
Now we're more confident than ever that this year just might be our year! So please join us in supporting Audubon by making your pledge for our team! You can email or call me with your pledges or for more information!
Michael Hilchey
High Desert Birding Adventures
www.highdesertbirding.com
(505) 228-7439
Locked
