 |
|
|
|
Sapsuckers
Take Stearns Trophy
Lab team triumphs in 16th Annual World Series of Birding For the fourth year running—literally—the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Sapsuckers brought home the Stearns trophy for best out-of-state total in the World Series of Birding. The event was held on International Migratory Bird Day, Saturday, May 13, 2000 when more than 60 teams competed in the New Jersey–based event, many to benefit conservation. The World Series of Birding requires teams of birders to scour the state, tallying, by sight or sound, as many species as possible in a 24-hour period. The Sapsuckers score of 217 placed them third overall . . . a mere two birds behind the winning team.
The team had a terrific morning in the northern part of New Jersey, identifying 154 species by 9:30 a.m. The team then headed for the southern part of the state, where its tally slowed. The Brant left during the night, after hanging around several locations on Friday; Northern Harriers refused to cruise over the marshes; the Black Rail spot was visited by a thunderstorm soon after the team rolled in; they just plain struck out on the not-so-common Royal Tern; and the scouted-out Great Cormorant vanished from the location it favored during the previous two days. Still, the team did end on a big bang, so to speak: during a distant lightning flash, they saw a last-minute Blue-winged Teal, another tough-to-find species. Most
important, the team raised more than $140,000 in pledges for bird conservation
efforts. This year’s pledge money will go to support the Lab’s
Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project. “Golden-winged Warblers are
facing serious population declines, and the Lab is working to reverse
that trend,” says director John Fitzpatrick. “We’re just
thrilled that Lab members and friends appreciate the importance of the
Big Day for this vital conservation work.” Thanks to sponsor Swarovski
Optik, all pledge money will go that much further. Those who pledge
$1 or more per species will receive the highly acclaimed new book, National
Audubon Society’s Birder’s Handbook, by renowned puffin
researcher Stephen W. Kress, generously donated by publisher Dorling
Kindersley. |
