Date/Time
05/13/2017 12:00 am

York County Audubon joins the Global Big Day – And so can you!

For years, YCA has held an annual Birding Challenge in mid-May. It’s been a fund-raiser for our wildlife protection efforts and a day for birders to join together and have fun.  But starting last year, we changed things up a bit, joining with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in a citizen-science project called “The Global Big Day.”  The idea is simple: people all over the world will go birding on May 13, 2017, and record what they see.  Then they’ll enter that data into eBird, where it will give a global image of bird populations and locations. There’s no requirement as to when, where, or how long during that day that one looks for birds.

Eagle with Common Terns by Marie Jordan                     American Oystercatcher by Ken Janes

YCA is always hoping to increase awareness of the fantastic birding opportunities in York County, so we’re adding an additional focus to our Big Day.  We’re going to limit our efforts to York County.  In 2015, 145 species were recorded in York County on the Big Day, and last year, the total rose to 176.

You are invited to join a team, or to go out on your own; to start before dawn and go all day, or simply spend an hour or two in your backyard.  Whatever suits you suits the Global Big Day.  The count day runs for 24 hours starting Friday at midnight.  Birders from all over the world will join in the effort, and you can follow the progress of the Big Day on the Cornell Lab’s Global Big Day website: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/globalbigday/.   The Cornell Lab website also has great information on how to get started with eBird, how to use it in the field, and how to record your sightings. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with it before the Big Day.

Although we encourage everyone to give eBird a try, if you are unable to submit your list for any reason, YCA members will be happy to submit it for you. However, please note where and when you were birding, so that your list can be logged correctly.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology began the Global Big Day in 2015, when people from over 100 countries participated, logging over 6,000 species of birds! The hope is that each year will be even bigger. Your participation is a real contribution, and birding in York County in mid-May is a pleasure not to be missed. If you’d like to join a team of birders, or for more information, contact us through our website or Facebook page, or call Monica Grabin at 985-3342. All levels of experience and all ages are welcome.

There is no donation requirement to participate, although they are always very welcome.  All donations help us fulfill our mission to educate the public and preserve our irreplaceable natural world.