Darcy and I will be participating in the Drumlin Farm Team again this year for the Massachusetts Audubon Society 2011 Bird-a-thon on May 21st. Because of a schedule conflict we're going to be doing something a little different. Rather than spending our Bird-a-thon in the wilds of Central Mass around the Quabbin Reservoir, instead we are going to spend it in the big city!

 

Our goal is to identify as many species of birds as we can within the city limits of Boston in an 8 hour period (6am until 2pm). There are lots of great places to bird right in the middle of our urban paradise. We don't have a full itinerary set yet, but we will certainly be hitting birding hot spots like Belle Isle Marsh in East Boston, the Public Garden and Post Office Square in downtown, Castle Island and UMass Boston on Boston Harbor, the Arnold Arboretum and Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain and the Boston Nature Center in Roxbury. It will be a busy day!

The funds raised will support preservation of wildlife habitat in Massachusetts, summer camp programs at Drumlin Farm (including scholarships), owl/songbird migratory research, citizen science projects, and educational programs/materials for children and adults.

You can give online right now with the big green button at the top of this page.

Our goal is to identify 60 species. This is the first year we are limiting our Bird-a-thon to the city of Boston so 60 species is our best guess at a "tough" number of species to ID within the city limits. (plus we won't have a ringer ornithologist in our van :-) Hopefully the weather will be on our side.

If you would prefer to donate by check or cash just let me know and I can arrange it. I have a signup sheet at my desk.

More information on the 2011 Bird-a-thon is available here: http://www.massaudubon.org/birdathon/

Thanks for your support and tweet tweet!