Birdathon Day - Saturday, April 11 - It started slow for some

Ten anxious birders went across Martin County well armed with books, scopes and binoculars to find as many birds as they could in a 24 hour period from midnight Friday, April 11 to midnight Saturday, April 12. The "hunting" started as each birder woke up and listened for the morning songs of their area birds. Although silent on this morning, a Great Horned Owl was the first on Ollie Davis' list and after meeting up with Doug Warns for the trip out to Lake "O", they had a Bald Eagle before 7:15. A Great-crested Flycatcher was amongst the first on Laurie's list while Nancy Price, June Beyman and the great driver George had Wild Turkeys. Bob and Marta Gordon came through as they do every year with Painted Buntings; they also had a noteworthy sighting of a Great Blue Heron "white morph" aka Great White Heron in a Port Salerno pond. It was late afternoon, out at Lake Okeechobee while hoping the White Pelicans would show up that a juvenile Blue Grosbeak was counted and a 4 year juvenile Bald eagle passed low over the vehicle. As the day waned to about 5 or so when another trip down Fox Brown Road made for special sighting successes - Crested Caracara and an Eastern Blue Bird. Tom Tomlinson has Chimney Swifts in his area, Louise had Bob-white Quail and Pam found the Florida Scrub-jay. Requirements for "wild" birds were that they not be fenced or encumbered so, the sighting of Northern Shelduck, Egyptian geese, Black Swan, Mandarin Duck and domestic geese were allowed.

"That was the quietest morning I have ever heard!" was the lament of one birder reflecting the fact that very few birds were singing on our designated Birdathon day. This is reflected in the lack of Warblers found during this years count.

Local birds that we should have seen but were unable to locate: Bard and Screech owls, Pileated Woodpecker, Sharp-shinned Hawk, American Bittern, LBJ's and all those warblers and gnat catchers.

Sightings of Special note include: Eastern Blue Bird, Limpkin w/ nest, Great White Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Crested Caracara, Blue Grosbeak and Snail kite. TOTAL COUNT WAS 107 SPECIES

See Birdathon 08 Listing

Of course the REAL purpose of any Birdathon, besides contributing to the national data base, is to encourage Audubon members and non-members to contribute $ for each species we find. IF you still have not sent in your dollars per species, please write your check to the order of Audubon of Martin County and mail to Attn: Treasurer Bob Gordon. Your dollars go directly to AoMC, your LOCAL Audubon chapter, for Education programs, daily expenditures like, electricity, telephone, Taxes and this website. Thanks for your support. Top