"Big Sit" Sunday October 9, 2005 (1 Viewer)

[aplomado2u]

Greetings All:
Maybe someone made this post already...but just in case.....

This sunday is the 13th annual "Big Sit". For those of you have never heard of it, it is a barrel of fun! It has been dubbed "birding´s most sendentary event"......here is the gist of it. You pick a location and in a circle 17 ft in diameter and you count all of the birds that you can see or hear for a 24 hour period, Starting at 12am Sunday October 9 til midnight. The rules, registration and general information can be found at the following link:

big sit information

I have participated for the last 4 years and it is a "kick"! You can approach it in ernest, or take a more laid back approach. The cool thing about the "big sit" is that it brings people together and makes them aware of just how many birds there are around them. The people at Birdwatchers Digest are doing a great job of sponsoring the event...the idea originated with the New Haven CT Birding Club.

This a worldwide event. Got for it! you can register you circle at the above link, and you might just have a good time doing it.



Good birding,

 

[Hanno]

I gues it will be a small circle, just my wife and me, but somebody needs to represent Asia))

 

[Larry Lade]

Big Sit at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge

We are doing our 2nd Annual "Big Sit" up at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge this Sunday. It was a lot of fun last year and we are looking forward to an enjoyable time this year. I have participated in one in previous years over at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge which is about 90 miles east of where we live in Saint Joseph, Missouri. I believe we tallied on average about 65 species on these "Big Sits". If I recall correctly I think on our first go at this a Squaw Creek last year we got 45 species.

They are a lot of fun! Is anyone else on BirdForum taking part in these "Big Sits"?

 

[Larry Lade]

Yesterday was the international "Big Sit". Various groups around the world participated in this event. Check out the website below to see "who" and "where", (just don't ask "why"?)

2005 "Big Sit" of the "Eagle Eyes" circle at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mound City, Missouri, USA.

Note the number of raptor species seen (8)!

Osprey Pandion haliaetus

Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus

Cooper's Hawk Accipiter cooperii

Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

Merlin Falco columbarius

American Kestrel Falco sparverius


This is the web page with results of our "Big Sit"

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/funbirds/bigsit/results05/stats.php?find_type=circle&find=Eagle+Eyes

 

[Hanno]

My wife and I had a great day out in Tra Su, Vietnam, with spectacular numbers of herons and egrets. Full report is here:The Big Sit

 

[Larry Lade]

Hanno, that was a stunning report of your "Big Sit" days activities! Such a great list of birds that you recorded. Sounds like you really did have a great day afield. I believe every bird you listed would have been a "lifer" for me.

Our day's list of birds at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge seems to pale in comparison to your list. And the extraordinary numbers of the various species was awesome.

All the same, we did have an enjoyable day out and fortunately it did not rain and was not very cold. We never know quite what to expect, weather-wise, in October.

I really enjoyed reading your report, Thanks.

 

[Hanno]

I am sure quite a few people were cold during their "Big sits", luckily not a problem that poses itself in Southern Vietnam))))