2023 Birdathon Teams

Whether you are on a team or just watching from home, there are many ways you can join the fun. Check out Birdathon Stories, a special place to post your Birdathon adventures and read about other teams. You can also share your stories through Instagram (#scvas and #scvasbirdathon), Facebook, Twitter and the south-bay-birds mailing list. If you’re looking for past Birdathon champions, check out our Birdathon “Hall of Fame” page.

Please consider sponsoring one or more of the teams below. Your donations support SCVAS’s work, especially our education programs.

To create a team of your own, please read the event Rules and Guidelines then simply click “Form a Birdathon Team,” fill in the required fields and we’ll get back to you with more information. See all the great trip types below for inspiration. We will follow all restrictions issued by Santa Clara County to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If you are a team leader or participant and wish to add a photo or fundraising goal you can do so by signing into your account here with the email we communicate to you with.

teams by date

You can click on each team name to see a full description and join or sponsor your favorites.

teams by name

Almaden Eagles

Bald Eagles: Chuq von Rospach

DISTRIBUTED: 24-HOUR

The Almaden Eagles continue their tradition as an all-women team this year, birding the Almaden area and stretching into the Coyote Valley in their full day of distributed birding!

Team Leader: Ann Verdi
Date: FRIDAY, APRIL 21

The Almaden Eagles are a private team.

 

Birdcassos

DISTRIBUTED: 10-HOUR

Join our “sketch-a-thon” in its fourth artistic year! We will spend any portion of our 10-hour window to draw or paint the birds around us. As a “distributed team” we do not need to meet in one location, but can draw our avian subjects wherever we happen to be—your back yard, your neighborhood, a nearby park, or wherever… I’ll let you know where I will be if you wish to draw with me. So sharpen your pencils and dampen your paintbrushes and get in the mood to create. Don’t worry about your technique or whatever the world believes to be talent, just look for birds you want to record and set your pencils and brushes to paper. The goal will be to draw or paint as many birds as possible during the 10-hour window… No experience is necessary and any style portrait will be celebrated. The only caveat is that our portraits must be properly identified. After all the drawings are assembled, Matthew will arrange them in a pdf booklet for you to share with your friends. Contact Matthew Dodder for details. director@scvas.org

Note: Participants are encouraged to donate or fundraise $200 or more in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 10.

Team Leader: Matthew Dodder
Birding Level: ALL
Date and Time: WEDNESDAY, April 5; 8:00AM – 6:00PM

 

The Bobettes

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Donna Meyer and Linda Sue Johnson will be birding their favorite hotspots in Santa Clara County in support of Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society’s education and advocacy programs. Help support these long-time SCVAS members raise funds to support our programs!

The Bobettes are a private team.

 

Curious Clickadees

PHOTOGRAPHY

Shweta and Vinayak will be back for their second year in the SCVAS Birdathon. Like our first outing, our aim is to see and photograph a diverse set of bird species, catch some of the spring migrants arriving in the county and hopefully, capture any interesting behavior - all the while remaining curious! In hopes of breaching our previous count, we may head to some of the places visited last year like Joseph Grant CP, Palo Alto Baylands, Coyote Valley OSP and also look to bird in some new hotspots.

Team Leader: Vinayak Hebbagil
Date: SATURDAY, April 29

The Clickadees are a private team.

 

Cycling Siskins

DISTRIBUTED: 4-HOUR

What better way to spend the day than riding your bike and watching birds in the Springtime?! Join us for some fun and sun on Sunday, April 23. Grab your bike and either bike solo or with others along your favorite trails or roads - all while supporting the education programs of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.

Keep track of all the bird species you see/hear, and maybe even take a few photos along the way. Then we will compile our species lists and photos and share amongst the team. (After joining the team, we will provide a short list of resources to better help you identify the birds on your ride.)

Note: You may live anywhere to participate in this team. Each team member should donate or raise $50 for this team. If you are 18 years or younger, you only need to raise $15 per person per team.

Team Leader: Jennifer Oliver
Birding Level: ALL
Date and Time: Sunday, April 23; 8:00AM - 12:00PM

 

DeDUCKtions

TRADITIONAL: 24-HOUR

A county-wide “big day”. We will bird in key habitats and search for seasonal targets, we expect the group to retrieve at least 120 species. The exact itinerary, including start and end time TBD. Contact Matthew Dodder for details. director@scvas.org

Note: Participants are encouraged to fundraise (or donate) at least $200 in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 10.

Team Leader: Matthew Dodder
Birding Level: Advanced
Date: WEDNESDAY, April 12; ALL DAY

 

Fledglings

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Join us for fun, casual birding among teen birders in a variety of habitats for a variety of birds! We’ll explore McClellan Ranch, Shoreline Lake, and the Palo Alto Baylands Duck Pond and Lucy Evans Nature Center. Afterwards, we’ll celebrate with a picnic of pizza and snacks.

This team is led by teens and designed for teens, but parents and siblings are welcome to join. We welcome birders of all skill levels—whether you’ve been birding for years, or never picked up a pair of binoculars before, we’d love to bird with you!

Team Leader: Allison Cheng
Birding Level: All
Date: SATURDAY, April 22; 8AM-12PM

 

Hot Spotters

TRADITIONAL: 10-HOUR

A county-wide “mini-big day”. We will bird in a selection of key habitats and search for seasonal targets, we expect the group to retrieve at least 100 species. The exact itinerary, including start and end time TBD. Contact Matthew Dodder for details. director@scvas.org

Note: Participants are encouraged to fundraise (or donate) at least $200 in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 10.

Team Leader: Matthew Dodder
Birding Level: Advanced
Date and Time: WEDNESDAY, April 26; ALL DAY

 

Last Chance at Purgatory

DISTRIBUTED: 4-HOUR

Late to the Birdathon party? Here's your chance to join a team or maybe one last team -- only this one comes with a magical twist.

Bird anywhere in the county in the morning and then journey to Purgatory Auto Works and Dinosaur Farm to share your sightings and enjoy a lunch* outdoors taking in the views of the entire valley.

Located in the East Foothills you can take a short hike up to the well and catch site of the wrens and warblers or down to the rodeo ring while watching the swallows and catching sight of the blue birds feeding their brood. Additional afternoon activities can even include selfie photo ops with our various large outdoor bird and dinosaur sculptures, a quick tour and history of the area plus learning how race cars are built and basic instruction on the operation of heavy machinery.

*Depending on numbers lunch will either be catered or pot luck or a combination of the two. Details and directions will be sent out prior to team event.

Team Leader: LC Boros
Birding Level: ALL
Date and Time: SATURDAY, MAY 6; 8:00AM-12:00PM

 

Lean Green Birding Machine

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Continuing a long tradition, the Lean Green Birding Machine will attempt to see 75+ species in four hours of biking. We will start again this year at Rancho San Antonio, bike through Rancho, the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, McClellan Ranch, and Blackberry Farm, before heading across the valley along the Stevens Creek Trail to the Bay, taking in Shoreline Lake and, time allowing, the Palo Alto Baylands as well (an approximately 22M route, with another 11M back to the start after lunch at the Shoreline Cafe).

Team Leader: Steve Patt
Birding Level: comfortable birding and biking!
Date and Time: THURSDAY, APRIL 27

 

Los Gatos Birdwatcher

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

In addition to being a nature based gift shop celebrating 27 years in the South Bay, the Los Gatos Birdwatcher is all about teaching folks about backyard birds and birding. We are proud to partner with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society throughout the year as we provide SCVAS with high quality bird seed to sell to members. We also spread the world about SCVAS.org to our bird store community while introducing new birders to our local chapter. This year birder & store owner Lisa Myers will lead a new team called the “Los Gatos Birdwatcher”. We’ll bird several Los Gatos parks in search of as many different species of birds as possible. Birders of all levels are welcome, even if this is your first birdathon. It will be a fun time out in the field! And if you cannot join us on Earth Day, we welcome your support. You can also drop by the store as we’ll have a donation box available specific to the 2023 Spring Birdathon for the entire month of April.

Note: Participants are encouraged to fundraise (or donate) at least $50 in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 20.

Team Leader: Lisa Myers
Birding Level: ALL
Date: SATURDAY, APRIL 22; 8:00AM - 12:00PM

 

PA Backyard Big Sit

Anna’s Hummingbird: John Edwards

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Big Sit at my backyard in Palo Alto.

Team Leader: Julio Mulero
Date: MONDAY, MARCH 27

The PA Backyard Big Sit is a private team.

 

Piratical Flycatchers

TRADITIONAL: 24-HOUR

Barry & Ginger Langdon-Lassagne (The Piratical Flycatchers) fly again, seeking out every species they can find in the county. We'll scour windy mountaintops, hidden valleys, the vast baylands and rolling grasslands. We haven't figured our our route yet, but we know we're going to have fun and we'll be raising funds to help SCVAS's education program. Please consider supporting us as we embark on our nineteenth Birdathon. To read about our previous adventures, go to https://voyageropen.com/natural-history

Team Leader: Barry Langdon-Lassagne
Date: Monday, April 24

The Piratical Flycatchers are a private team.

 

The Quack Pack

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Support the Field Trip Committee! This is the team of people that get the field trips on the SCVAS calendar. We will be birding for a 4-hour period around the Palo Alto Treatment Plant, Byxbee Park and the Palo Alto Baylands duck pond.

Team Leader: Eve Meier
Date and Time: THURSDAY, APRIL 20; 8:00AM-12:00PM

The Quack Pack is a private team.

 

Rail Rave

TRADITIONAL: 24-HOUR

Continuous birding across Santa Clara County starting in Alviso.

Team Leader: Colin Urmson
Date: SUNDAY, APRIL 1

Rail Rave is a private team.

Ridgway’s Rail: Tom Grey

 

Rancho Wood Peekers

Acorn Woodpecker: Chuq von Rospach

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Starting at the feeder at Jenny's house (no parking problems!), we'll walk to the Deer Meadow entrance of Rancho San Antonio. We'll head over to the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, looking for the usual suspects, and amble back.

Team Leader: Jenny Robertson
Birding Level: All
Date and Time: SATURDAY, MAY 6; 8:00AM-12:00PM

 

Rock Wrens

Rock Wren: Chuq von Rospach

DISTRIBUTED: 24-HOUR

We will have excellent birders covering eight varied habitat zones in the county. Each zone leader may select a recorder (ebird preferred) to keep track of the birds seen in that zone. While we are a private team, if you are interested in participating let Bob Hirt know. The leaders will be in touch if they need help. Results from all teams will be added up on 4/24 to see how many species were found the day before. Count will be all day or a shorter time frame based on leaders discretion. Our target species count for this year’s Birdathon is 160 species!

The Rock Wrens are a private team.

 

Saint Anthony Ranchers

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

The Saint Anthony Ranchers are hitting the trails again this year! From Lazuli Buntings to Great-horned Owl chicks, the Ranchers are sure to find noteworthy birds in their exploration of Rancho San Antonio.

Team Leader: Mary Murphy
Date and Time: WEDNESDAY, April 19; 8:00AM-12:00PM

The Ranchers are a private team.

 

The Solitary Sandpiper

TRADITIONAL: 24-HOUR

Covering every habitat of Santa Clara County, Mike aims for the dubious goal of seeing at least 8 bird species. Anything more than that is a victory in his book.

Team Leader: Mike Ambrose
Date: FRIDAY, April 28

The Solitary Sandpiper is a private team.

 

Song Birds

AUDIO: 4-HOUR

Whether your recording gear is an iPhone/android, shotgun mic, or parabolic collector, come join the song birds in recording as many birds as we can. Not great at birding by ear? Not a problem! Recording the birds gives you more chances to listen, compare spectrograms and get help with IDs. We will have a group meet up at Smith Creek in Joseph D. Grant Park at 8 am, or join us remotely by recording at your favorite spot. We have limited gear to share if you want to try something different, and we'll have a follow up Zoom get together to share our recordings, spectrograms and species. Join the Song Birds and help build the SCVAS audio library. Follow up Zoom TBD.

Team Leader: Sue Pelmulder
Birding Level: ALL
Date and Time: Saturday, April 15; 8:00AM-12:00PM

 

Spiderhunters

PHOTOGRAPHY: 4-HOUR

Team Spiderhunters (Vivek and Vayun Tiwari) venture out for bayland birding at Shoreline and Palo Alto Baylands and then rounding off with inland birding at Ed Levin.

Team Leader: Vivek Tiwari
Date and Time: SATURDAY, April 8; 8:00AM-12:00PM

The Spiderhunters are a private team.

 

Stoned Chats

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

We will start at 8:30 AM on Saturday. April 22, 2023 at Almaden Lake Park and bird the creek trail and lake area. We will then go to other birding spots nearby. We will end up at at 12:30 PM at the Bay near Mountain View Shoreline Lake and Palo Alto Baylands where we will enjoy a nice picnic lunch and tally up our birds.

Leader: Bob Hirt
Birding Level: Intermediate
Date and Time: SATURDAY, APRIL 22; 8:30AM-12:30PM

 

Subspecies

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Birding in key habitats and searching for target birds, we expect the group to retrieve at least 100 species. Contact Matthew Dodder for details. director@scvas.org

Note: Participants are encouraged to fundraise (or donate) at least $100 in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 10.

Team Leader: Matthew Dodder
Birding Level: Intermediate
Date and Time: WEDNESDAY, May 3; 8:00AM-12:00PM

 

Weathered Wanderers

Bewick’s Wren: Sarah Chan

TRADITIONAL: 24-HOUR

A big day across Santa Clara County! How many species will Mike Rogers and his team find this year? We’re looking forward to seeing if he beats his own record for Birdathon this year.

Team Leader: Mike Rogers
Birding Level: Advanced
Date: SATURDAY, May 6; all day

 

Wrong Terns

TRADITIONAL: 4-HOUR

Not a tern

The Wrong Terns are hitting the trails again (with maps)! While this team is predominantly made up of SCVAS’s education docents, we’re happy to welcome all birders interested in joining us for a day of casual birding and conversation. This year we will be celebrating our return to the traditional birding format with a potluck lunch. The team will begin at the Palo Alto Baylands, the site of many of our educational field trips, before we head south to visit the Coyote Valley for our inland birds.

Note: Participants are encouraged to fundraise (or donate) at least $50 in contributions to participate in this team. TEAM LIMIT OF 20.

Team Leader: Carolyn Knight
Birding Level: ALL
Date and Time: SATURDAY, April 29; 8:00AM-2:00PM

Banner by Sarah Chan