Birdathon 2022
May 14-15, 2022
The Loess Hills Audubon Society recently held its annual Birdathon to raise funds for Chapter projects. Much like other “-athons,” donations are pledged based on chapter members’ ability to find as many species of birds as they can during this two-day period.
All in all, 11 teams, representing 19 Chapter members, turned in their findings. The 8 teams searching six local counties found a total of 137 species, while two additional teams birding farther afield in Indiana (IN), Eastern Iowa (EIA) and Colorado (CO) found an additional 19 species for a grand total of 156 species. These two totals compare with 150 and 168 species, respectively, with similar effort in 2021. The Chapter thanks all participants (see below) for their time and effort. Here are our hightlights:
| BIRD | BIRD | BIRDER |
|---|---|---|
| Hooded Merganser | Horned Grebe (CO) | Ben Carlson |
| Eared Grebe (CO) | Western Grebe (CO) | Mark Haindfield |
| Sandhill Crane (EIA) | American Avocet | Bill Huser |
| Black-bellied Plover | American Golden Plover | Kevin Kerr |
| Willet (CO) | Hudsonian Godwit | Marla Kerr |
| Marbled Godwit | Ruddy Turnstone | Bob Nickolson |
| Sanderling | Dunlin | Phyllis Nickolson |
| Black Tern | American White Pelican | Jan Null |
| Great Egret (CO) | Cattle Egret (CO) | Pam Pfautsch |
| Swainson's Hawk | Broad-winged Hawk | John Polifka |
| Merlin (CO) | Olive-sided Flycatcher (CO) | Sharon Polifka |
| White-eyed Vireo (IN) | Tufted Titmouse | Jerry Probst |
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Gray-cheeked Thrush (IN) | Jerry Probst |
| Clay-clored Sparrow | Lincoln's Sparrow | Ed Sibley |
| White-throated Sparrow | Bobolink | Jane Sibley |
| Great-tailed Grackle (CO) | Bullock's Oriole (CO) | Dawn Snyder |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler (IN) | Magnolia Warbler (IN) | Jerry VonEhwegen |
| Northern Parula | Black-throated Green Warbler (IN) | Randy Williams |
| Blackburnian Warbler | Prothonotary Warbler (IN) | Bill Zales |
| Louisiana Waterthrush | Canada Warbler | Dotty Zales |
| Summer Tanager | Blue Grosbeak | . |
Now, the critical portion of the project follows:
Each participant/team is requested to collect all their pledged donations and send them to me.
Each donor who pledged a donation is requested to forward it to your team or directly to me.
Each additional person who would like to donate to the Chapter’s projects is asked to send an amount based on the number of species found or a flat amount of your choosing. Be sure to designate it as ‘Birdathon.’
(Note: Make checks out to ‘Loess Hills Audubon Society’)
Most importantly, the Chapter thanks all of you who have donated to Chapter projects and to those of you who considered such.
Bill Huser, LHAS Outings Coordinator & Birdathon Czar, 140 Oakmont Drive, South Sioux City, NE 68776; cell: 712-574-3107 or billfhuser@gmail.com