Birdathon has officially wrapped up for 2022. We can ease back into the slower pace of summer birding, take the time to appreciate juvenile birds visiting the feeders, spend a morning just watching swallows instead of of trying to maximize our species counts. For many of us, this is when we get to embrace a more relaxed birding. The time for strategizing has passed (unless you’re one of those folks who enjoys that).

But before we completely move on from Birdathon, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge every team that took part in this year’s event. Their efforts raised more than $55,000 to support SCVAS’s education and outreach work for the coming year. This year our teams were distributed and together, newcomers and veterans alike. Thank you to everyone who took part in Birdathon this year, whether as a prize donor, a team member, or as a contributor to team fundraising.

If you want to see more about each of these teams, you can find reports from their trips here.

Almaden Eagles

The Eagles took to the distributed team model last year and continued the trend to find 115 species, a record for the team, with the added benefit of decreasing the driving the team does on the day of the event. This team raised more than $1,300 for Birdathon this year.

Birdcassos

The most artistic of our teams, the Birdcassos spent 4-hours observing, sketching, and painting birds across the county. This six-person team raised nearly $900 for SCVAS. You can see the artwork that came out of this team here.

Curious Clickadees

The Curious Clickadees photographed 90 of the 103 species they found on their first ever Birdathon trip. These newcomers to Birdathon raised more than $100 in support of SCVAS programming with their fundraising efforts.

You can see some of their favorite photos from the day, as well as read the report of their birding here.

DeDUCKtions

The DeDUCKtions were a nine-person team of all experience levels who birded across Santa Clara County in small groups. They found 137 species in the 15 hours they spent birding, and even more impressively raised nearly $6000.

Hot Spotters

The Hot Spotters were a two party distributed team this year, managing to find 123 species in their day of birding. The three teammates raised $150.

Kingfisher Khanzodes

This family team found 68 species (but no kingfishers) in just four hours as they visited some of our favorite birding hotspots in the county. This team of longtime SCVAS members raised a fantastic $1800 in support of our chapter.

Last Chance at Purgatory

This brand new team led by LC Boros was a small group, but they took advantage of the fantastic setting provided by the Purgatory Auto Works and Dinosaur Farm in the East Foothills. This team raised more than $600 for Birdathon!

Lean Green Birding Machine

Likely the most energetic of our Birathon teams, the Lean Green Birding Machine biked while birding along Stevens Creek and Shoreline. In addition to working up a sweat in their 4 hours, they raised an impressive $6,200!

Persistent Picidaes

This in-person team welcomed birders of all stripes to join their 4-hour effort around McClellan Ranch. Led by Lisa Meyers of the Los Gatos Birdwatcher, together they raised nearly $3,500 in support of our chapter!

Piratical Flycatchers

Our winners of the team fundraising competition this year, The Piratical Flycatchers raised more than $10,000 for SCVAS education and outreach work! Barry and Ginger Langdon-Lassagne went all out for their 24-hour effort, which you can read about (and see some fantastic photos) here.

Rock Wrens

The Rock Wrens remained a formidable force this year, raising nearly $8,500 for SCVAS. This team made good use of the distributed birding strategy to find 157 species across the county.

Saint Anthony Ranchers

The Saint Anthony Ranchers may have gone a bit further afield from their namesake site this year, but they remained fabulous supporters of our organization. The team, led by long-time Education Committee member and WDP Docent Jim Liskovec raised more than $4,000 this year. You can read about their birding here.

Spiderhunters

Another of our family birding teams, Vivek and Vayun Tiwari formed the Spiderhunters to bird around Santa Clara County. The father and son duo raised $200 in support of SCVAS this year.

Subspecies

Focused on South County, this three-person team led by Matthew Dodder found 86 species in their 4-hour field trip. They raised $200 for SCVAS programs.

The California Towhees

The California Towhees took backyard birding to new levels again in their second year of Birdathon. This team is formed of members of our All Around Town group, backyard birders who took to birding and sharing their findings in the start of the pandemic. The Towhees raised nearly $6,000 this year.

The Fledglings

The four young birders who made up The Fledglings this year founded the revitalized team out of South Bay Bird’s new Discord Server. This group birded seperately in the morning before coming together at Shoreline Lake. They finished a twelve hour day with 152 species, and their efforts raised $2600

Varied Twitchers

The Varied Twitchers remained at the top of the birding game this year with 154 species, including a Black Rail! Mike Rogers and the other veteran birders of the Twitchers raised nearly $800 in support of SCVAS. They also had the best non-bird photo of the 2022 Birdathon!

Wrong Terns

The Wrong Terns only got a little bit lost on this year’s trip, but found 75 in their 4-hours of birding regardless. This team raised nearly $900 for this year’s fundraising competition.

5-milers

The 5-milers were literally built for distanced birding. Despite birding seperately (and within a 5-mile radius of their homes/workplaces), they came together to raise over $900 for SCVAS.