This year, we proudly formed the first Chinese Birdathon team: the Loong (Chinese dragon) Team 🐉! Our team name carries deep meaning, celebrating the pride of the Chines community and our reverence and love for nature.
On the morning of April 28th, we spent four hours at Overfelt Garden for the Birdathon. We recorded 32 bird species, including rarer sightings like the Hooded Oriole and Nashville Warbler.
Simultaneously, our team’s birding expert, Phil, recorded 48 species at Ogier Ponds, including the rarely-seen Solitary Sandpiper, significantly boosting our Birdathon records. In total, we documented 56 species.
As a well-known Chinese saying goes, “Heroes come from the youth.” Despite having only seven months of birdwatching experience, our pupil birder Kaiting has rapidly honed his birding skills, inspiring his mom to become a birding enthusiast. His keen eyes and ears led to the discovery of the rarest bird we saw on this trip. Kaiting is indeed a young birding prodigy! We spent at least 20 minutes under a sun-dappled tree, finding almost ten species including Nashville Warbler, which added to our life lists.
While walking along, we spotted a beautiful golden bird perched atop a tree ahead. Everyone exclaimed in surprise as it turned out to be a male Hooded Oriole, shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Although we had seen a female Hooded Oriole earlier, it hid among the foliage. In contrast, this male posed for us to take plenty of photos. After a while, a red-headed Acorn Woodpecker also flew to the top of the tree, making a striking pair with the bright oriole.
From the lake came the loud calls of the Pied-billed Grebe while Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Violet-green Swallows were busy foraging—a Violet-green Swallow with its beautiful metallic feathers streaked by like lightning. Besides birdwatching, our plant expert, Ping Li, introduced us to many native plants. We also took the opportunity to appreciate Chinese architecture. In front of the “One World, One Family”; archway at Overfelt Garden, an elderly Chinese man who regularly exercises there took a group photo for us.
Through this Birdathon, we enjoyed unforgettable birdwatching experiences and have raised $570.18 in donations for bird conservation efforts. Let’s hope for more participation and contributions in next year’s Birdathon!
Loong Team! 🐉 Soar like a dragon in the sky 🐉, you’re amazing!