Blackbrook Audubon Society adjusts annual Birdathon fundraiser

Blackbrook Audubon Society’s annual Birdathon fundraiser will take flight this year with minor adjustments.

In the past, Blackbrook encouraged individuals or teams to ask people to sponsor them on their search for birds over a 10-day period in May.

This year, Blackbrook still asks everyone to bird separately in their yards or local park setting over a 48-hour stretch, according to a news release. When they or their sponsors send in donations, Blackbrook will use these funds to purchase Audubon Adventures for students in Geauga and Lake counties.

Participants can choose any 24-hour period between noon on May 15 until noon, May 17. The hours logged do not have to be consecutive, so a morning bird walk and evening walk within a 24-hour block “fit the bill,” the release stated.

Only count the maximum number of each species seen at one time. Two American Goldfinches in the morning and three in the evening are recorded as three.

Submit a copy of the bird list with the donation by May 31 to Blackbrook Audubon Society, P. O. Box 1306 Mentor, OH 44061-1306.

Blackbrook reminds Birdathoners to also submit their results to eBird.org, the release stated. Blackbrook will use the copies of lists turned in by Birdathoners to post results in categories such as most species recorded, most unusual bird, most common bird, etc.

The longer period of time to bird in past years often included the annual Spring Bird Walk series and Big Sit at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve. With this year’s more cautious guidelines due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Blackbrook Audubon had to cancel these events and encourage birders to compile their checklists of birds from their own properties, the release stated.

Sponsors can pledge according to the number of species spotted or a flat donation. While birding, participants should maintain social distancing and refrain from sharing binoculars or spotting scopes.

Audubon Adventures is an environmental education periodical created by the National Audubon Society. Blackbrook provides these publications to about 900 students in the Nature Scopes program at Geauga Park District and at Mentor Marsh, the release stated.