Onondaga Audubon 62nd Annual Birdathon & 1st Annual

FALL FLIGHT

Saturday May 16, 2020 Rescheduled to September 19, 2020

Don’t be shy, give the Fall Flight a try!

Onondaga Audubon has made the decision to push back our annual Birdathon to September 19 from its usual May date as we do not wish to put pressure on our members, friends, and families to donate to us during this difficult time. We look forward to the adventure of performing a Birdathon during fall migration and have named it Fall Flight for this occasion. We hope you will join us then!

Fall Flight is timed to take place at the peak of fall migration, this is the perfect opportunity to go out and find some great birds. Through your participation, you can help document the occurrence of birds in Onondaga Audubon’s service area and provide financial support for the important work of Onondaga Audubon, all while enjoying a day of birding.  So, mark your calendar, contact your bird-watching teammates, and start making plans for Fall Flight!

Alison Kocek & Paul Richardson
Birdathon Coordinators
OAS.FallFlight@gmail.com

How Fall Flight Works (the basics)

Date and Time: Go afield on Saturday, September 19th for as many (or as few) hours as desired between midnight and midnight  — no rain date!

Boundaries: Anywhere you like within Jefferson, Lewis, Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Oneida and Herkimer Counties, plus Cayuga County north of Route 31.

Teams: Join another, form you own, or go solo. No assigned territories. Teammates may split up from one another to cover more ground but if you choose to bird together, please use face masks and practice social distancing!

Count: Carefully identify species by sight and/or ear — the honor system please!

Fund-raising: Lining up sponsors (flat donations or so much per species) is optional, but definitely encouraged! We hope you can try to raise $100 per team member.

Bird List Deadline: Submit your results by 4:00 pm Sunday, September 20 by eBird, email, or phone. We will not have a compilation picnic at Derby Hill on Sunday due to COVID concerns but will have a virtual compilation meeting on Tuesday, September 22.

Final Bird Results: Birding and fundraising results will appear in The Kestrel newsletter and on the Onondaga Audubon website.

Dollars Deadline: Turn in to Birdathon Coordinator by November 15.

Records to Beat

Most Participants – 43 teams, 116 members (1999)
Most Money Combined – $7,500 (2001)
Most Money for a team – $2,001.11 (2017)
Most Species Combined – 209 (2011)
Most Species for a team – 158 (2013)

Here are printable PDFs of 2020 participant information materials. 

2020 Birdathon Announcement
Species Checklist
Fund Raising Tips
Sponsor pledge sign-up sheet
Remittance Sheet

Register.

Please get in touch with us prior to the event to let us know that you will be participating.  We will need your team name, member names, address, a telephone number and an E-mail address. We will be sending you additional information on how to report your bird lists (hopefully you choose to use eBird) and how to provide donations. Don’t have a team but want to participate? Let us know and we will help you find a team to join or you can always go solo if you prefer.  Contact us at: OAS.FallFlight@gmail.com

The traditional day-after compilation picnic will not occur this year due to COVID concerns but we will plan to have a virtual compilation on Tuesday, September 22. There, we will learn who found the Best Bird, and the most species in the three categories of Overall, Low Carbon Footprint (within 10 miles of your house), and Yard List.

Report

We ask that you provide your counts prior to 4 pm Sunday to be included in the awards.  Call us to make arrangements if you think you will have trouble making this deadline. We hope that you will consider using eBird to report your lists. To do this please create an eBird account with your team name (or something close if that username is taken). Each member will then send each of their eBird lists for that day to your team list. One team member will then be tasked with sending all of their team lists to OnondagaAudubon and then you’re all set!

Funds raised are due by November 15 so that your total can be included in The Kestrel, but late funds will be gladly accepted through December 31 for credit toward this year’s event.

If your donors contribute on-line thru the Onondaga Audubon website, be sure they include your team name in the notes so that your team will be credited.   onondagaaudubon.com/about/contribute

Sign up now for this exciting bird-watching event and help support Onondaga Audubon’s LOCAL education and bird sanctuary priorities.

Alison Kocek & Paul Richardson
Birdathon Coordinators
OAS.FallFlight@gmail.com

Paul Richardson:
107 Eggleston Dr.
Camillus, NY  13031
Phone: 315-488-5022