Birdathon! 2005

Spring is here! Each day brings a report of at least one new arrival; birders are dusting off their optics and getting out into the field. Along with spring comes one of the highlights of the season, Birdathon! 2005: The 6th Annual Dr. William S. Beecher Birdathon Cup Challenge!

Although the 2004 Birdathon was the most spirited competition in Beecher Cup history, the team from Lake Forest College (Caleb Gordon, Ben Goluboff, Jeff Sundberg & Kris Sundberg) retained control of the coveted Cup by identifying 149 species in a single day! Following closely behind were the BudBirders, with 146 species, a total which would have won the Cup in any previous year. Four other teams, the Steel Belted Kingfishers, the President’s Posse, the Village People and the Fledglings, also competed, and the six teams raised just over $9,000.00 for the programs of the Chicago Audubon Society.

Again this year, all funds raised through Birdathon pledges will go toward CAS programs. With cuts in funding from National Audubon, it has become more important than ever that each local chapter, such as Chicago Audubon, raise more of their operating expenses on their own. Our programs in education, preservation, restoration and advocacy have continued to be well received. Two examples include Chicago Audubon Early Birds, which provides seminars and walks to new birders of all ages, and our scholarship program, which will send two teenagers to the Audubon camp in Minnesota this summer.

To raise funds for these endeavors, Birdathon! 2005 teams will be going out during the week of May 11th-17th. We would love to add more teams this year, and get even more birders involved. If you are a member of a group of birders who’d like to compete, great! However, if you’re a “stray cat” who’d like to join a team, we’ll try to help with that, too. Not very experienced? Don’t worry, we’ll find a team for you. Many birders (including me) have added species to their life lists on Birdathon day.

If you know of a school group, or a youth organization (Scouts, youth groups, etc.) that would be interested in entering the Junior competition, please let me know.

There are a number of pledging options. You can pledge a flat amount (as many have done in the past), pledge an amount per species identified by your favorite team, or pledge an amount based on the total species count of all teams, which, last year, was 181 species (also a Birdathon record, by 20 species). Please feel free to contact me with any questions, and start forming your teams! You can get a pledge form by emailing me or download it HERE.

The late Dr. William S. Beecher was Director Emeritus of the Chicago Academy of Sciences, and one of the pioneering birders in the Chicago area. The Board of Directors of the Chicago Audubon Society is honored that he consented to the use of his name for our competition.

The Rules:

1) Each team must have 3 to 6 members. (Junior teams may have more participants.)

2) Birding is to be confined to any one day between May 11 and May 17, 2005.

3) All birds must be seen or heard by at least 2 team members.

4) All birds must be seen or heard in Cook County, IL.

5) Your team must bring in at least $100.00 in pledges. (This is not required of Junior teams.)

The team that gets the most species will gain possession (for one year) of the coveted Beecher Cup! Prospective teams should contact me at (773) 631-3154 or by Email before May 10th.

Joe Lill, CAS Birdathon Coordinator