The Marshketeers are happy to report that they made it through the dawn high winds and early morning rain to have a good day.
In the end they tallied 120 species and walked a little over 7 miles. They spotted deep woodland birds, seabirds in the Delaware Bay, marsh and shorebirds at the Institute and Nummy’s Island, beach nesting birds on Avalon’s beaches, and ducks on some freshwater ponds in Cape May. Best of all, they spotted the bonus bird, the Black-Crowned Night-Heron at 4:45am at Jakes Landing and even saw another one later on Nummy’s Island!
The team of Lisa Ferguson, Dianna McFadden, and Lenore Tedesco was a great combination of expertise. Lisa was the champ at shorebird and seabird identification, while Dianna has an incredible ear for woodland birds. Lenore is a practiced spotter of movement. Our drivers Steve Popowoski and Lois Hamilton kept our team on course and on track – and provided a bit of energy as the day wore on. Burke Motor Group provided a great vehicle with an incredible moon roof that allowed us to spot several birds en route between stops. A great day for conservation and some fun birding too.
In 2013, the Marshketeers spotted 129 species and raised nearly $5,000! Some spotting highlights included:
- Spotted Sandpiper (2013 Bonus Bird)
- Western Grebe
- Glossy Ibis
- Black Volture
- Tufted Titmouse
- Double-Crested Cormorant
- Indigo Bunting
Click here to see the Marshketeers checklist from the 2013 World Series of Birding.
