Birdathon Results 2018

My Birdathon was so great! I didn't get a wink of sleep the night before due to excitement...not worry. I got out of bed at 4:30, realized the park didn't open till 7:30 and tried to get another hour of sleep. At 6:00, I packed my cooler, grabbed my coffee, my phone, my Travis Audubon cap, and my binoculars and went out the door. The morning was beautiful. I began at Berry Springs at 7:30 a.m. with Red-tailed hawk. Throughout the morning, I fielded calls and texts from friends, family, and two reporters with National Audubon who were going to meet me later on the trail. I picked up 35 birds at Berry Springs and headed for Windermere in Pflugerville where I picked up four more bird species. I would have liked to stay longer at Windermere, but Mike Fernandez, the National Audubon photojournalist texted to say his plane was in and where now? I suggested he uber to Richard Moya, and I would be there probably 10 minutes after he arrived. I headed for Richard Moya.That completely unplanned logistic worked perfectly as the airport was only 7 minutes away from that park. Mike started filming the moment the ramp came out of the van. I grabbed my cooler out of the back and wheeled to the picnic table. We ate lunch and began birding. I did more talking than birding, but at the end of the walk, an indigo bunting flew into the big pecan tree in front of me. I added two new birds to my species list. I had coordinated another meet up with Tom, another National Audubon reporter, at my fourth park, Lake Creek Trail, with Mike and his camera in tow. We picked up 9 new bird species here. Tom departed, and between parks number four and five, Mike wanted to film my native garden. Apparently, it is the new focus of Nat'l Audubon as a way to protect birds at the local level. He went crazy in my yard, filmed every native plant as I narrated. Then about 7:15p.m., we went to Beverly Sheffield Northwest Park, and it was so perfect! I'd told him a story about the green heron there, and he SHOWED up as if cued. And then as the last light was fading at 8:00, a common nighthawk called and a minute later wheeled in the sky above us. The whole day was like that. First bird 7:30 am. I birded 12 hours, got 52 birds, and wheeled 10 miles in 5 accessible parks. I am very happy. Thanks for your support!