Bird-a-Thon provides friendly competition, supports conservation

The Sussex County Bird Club will hold its second annual Bird-a-thon from 6 p.m. on Friday, May 4 through Saturday, May 5 at 5 p.m. The goal is to raise money for county organizations that protect birds or promote bird watching and to give to the community and the environment shared by birds and birders alike. Teams of birders (aka bird-watchers) will search the county in friendly competition to record all the bird species that they can see or hear during the time frame allotted. Join the fun Anyone is welcome to form or join a team (minimum of two people); registration forms must be submitted by April 30. Those who don’t want to be on a team, can sponsor one by pledging money toward the number of species seen during the Bird-a-thon. All teams and sponsors are welcome to attend the award ceremony afterwards. It's $10 for dinner and a cash bar. The tradition of bird watching to raise money for conservation began in 1984 with the first World Series of Birding. Their objective was for each team to raise money for their favorite environmental cause and to focus attention upon the habitat needs of migrating birds. Thirteen teams counted as many species as they could find over the entire state of NJ in a 24-hour period. Many organizations have since replicated the concept. Over the course of a year, hundreds of different bird species either live in, or migrate through, the county — so the Sussex County Bird Club decided to help with bird conservation in Sussex county. Habitat loss is as much a concern here as anywhere. Every time a road or development is built, it affects habitats. Thus, the first Bird-a-thon was born in 2011. Any bird that was seen or heard by at least 50 percent of the team members could be counted on the checklist for the final tally. Last year's results There were three teams competing during the first annual event. Team Robin Hoods consisted of Club President Josh Osowski and first-time birder Caterina Mako. Team Old Coots included Club Vice President Dennis Pegg (team captain), Bill Mathews, Bob Templin, and Charlie Fineran. Team Hoodwinks included Merle Tanis (team captain), Roger Tanis, Bill Warren, Karyn Cichocki, and Marianne Ofenloch. The teams hit the road, binoculars and field guides in hand, and were delighted to find great weather and many birds during the 2-day effort. Some of the best spots to see birds included the Paulinskill, Flatbrook, and Hainesville Wildlife Management Areas, Stokes State Forest, High Point State Park, Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge, and the Sussex County portions of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. First-time birder Caterina Wako said she had a great time. She was excited to see a solitary vireo before anyone else on either her team or team Old Coots did. While she didn’t know the name of the bird, other birders were able to identify it. Her team garnered 65 species during the weekend. Members of team Old Coots were thrilled to hear many sapsuckers calling on Saturday at multiple points on Sunrise Mt. Road in Stokes and Sawmill Road in High Point. They also enjoyed a great view of three green herons at the Paulinskill causeway on Friday night. Their efforts yielded a total of 91 species seen throughout the county. On team Hoodwinks, one of the highlights was Karyn Cichocki’s quick eye and ear finding a Cape May warbler high in a stand of Norway spruce trees at Hainesville Wildlife Management Area. This is a bird not easily seen and not found in great number in NJ. It was a lifer for teammate Marianne Ofenloch (meaning it was a first sighting of that species for a birders’ life list — a list of birds seen throughout a person’s life). Pizza, beer, wine, and soda, as well as sightings, stories of the day, and laughs, were shared as the teams gathered to make the final tallies. Team Hoodwinks garnered first place with 102 species of birds sighted. Money went to Avian Center Pledge money raised by this team and team Old Coots was later donated to the Avian Wildlife Center in Wantage. On August 2, 2011, the Sussex County Bird Club presented a check to Giselle Smisko of the Avian Wildlife Center in Wantage to assist the Center in its work of bird rehabilitation. The funds were raised through the Club’s first annual Bird-a-thon, held in May 2011. The Avian Wildlife Center is a private, non-profit organization that works primarily to provide care to orphaned and injured wild birds. The center also provides information and advice about birds, gives educational presentations to schools, clubs, and community events, and conducts research related to birds. Birds that are permanently disabled (for example, have lost use of one or both wings) are often retained for use in educational programs. Trooper, a red-tailed hawk who is missing an eye and is used in educational programs, greeted club members with Smisko for the presentation of the check. Want to join? The Sussex County Bird Club members are residents of Sussex County, as well as other counties in NJ and PA. Meetings are usually held on the second Friday of each month from September through May; guest speakers, member talent shows, field trips, an annual dinner, and the annual picnic are some of the events hosted by the Club. New members are always welcome. More information on the club and the annual Bird-a-thon can be found on (www.sussexcountybirdclub.org).