Saturday, January 5, 2013

My First BIGBY

I've been impatiently waiting for the calendar to flip over to 2013, not to make resolutions or start a new year list, but to start my first BIGBY.  I learned about the BIGBY Challenge about half way through 2012 and love the idea of Green Birding.  I couldn't wait for 2013 to come so I could get started!  I live in Kaukauna (Appleton area) and have set a goal of at least 100 species.  There are some great birding locations within biking distance so I hope to make it.  Time will likely be the biggest obstacle.

Today I took my first major excursion after adding the usual yard birds on New Years Day to get the list started.  I took my bike down from the rafters and rode two miles over to the 1000 Islands Environmental Center to bird along the Fox River.  My trip was well worth it as I added 13 species to bring my list total to 30.  The highlight of the day was easily the Peregrine Falcon, which was also a lifer for me.  I had a great time on my first ever January bike ride and look forward to what the year will bring.

Good BIGBYing!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year 2013!

The slate is wiped clean, the spreadsheets are blank, and all is ready for a new year of fossil fuel free birding. Please contact me or Tim if you aren't up for the challenge this year (you can always come back next year) or you know someone in Wisconsin who would like to join. And congratulations to Jesse for his 2012 high total of 214 species! Here are the 2012 Top Ten:

Jesse          214
Daniel        207
Kim           199
Andy         197
Alex          190
Kay           184
Todd          180
Scott          178
Jeff            173
Max           169

Happy Green Birding in 2013!