My Global Big Day of birding this weekend started at 7:14am Saturday morning and ended over 12 hours later at 8:33pm when a Great Blue Heron flew over Metzger Marsh as the sun was setting on the southwestern shore of Lake Erie.
Thankful for a good weather day with no rain, I saw 701 birds in seven locations in the states of Michigan and Ohio.
This year I saw 71 species, with 10 first-of-year birds, including one life bird (a bird I’ve never seen before): Swamp Sparrow.
My goal was to beat my record from last year, which I did by 10 species.
What is Global Big Day?
Birdwatching’s biggest day, Global Big Day is a one-day event hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on the first Saturday in May.
People around the world, including many first-time birdwatchers, report the birds they see and hear via the Cornell Labs eBird website or free eBird application.
Global Big Day lasts for 24 hours, from midnight to midnight. People are known for getting up early and staying out late to watch or hear nocturnal birds. (Not me, yet!)
Last year, more than 30,000 people around the world participating, reporting more than 7,000 species.
Go Watch Birds!
Along with the Biggest Week in American Birding, what I like about Global Big Day is that everyone is invited to participate.
Join in the worldwide event by yourself, with family or friends at no cost and enjoy seeing birds in your area.
This year I told three of my friends about Global Big Day. They didn’t know about it and spent part of their day observing birds in their yards and nearby parks.
What else do I like about Global Big Day?
Meeting other people, first-time and long-time birdwatchers who are enjoying a day outside.
I met people from New York, Kentucky, and of course, Michigan and Ohio yesterday.
The ornithology class from Miami University showed me where to find the Yellow-headed Blackbird. I pointed out where the Osprey and Horned Larks were to several people at Howard Marsh.
With three people on the shoreline of Lake Erie at dusk, I helped identify a Marsh Wren that was carefully hiding itself from our eyes and binoculars in the dimming sunlight.
Here are a few more pictures of the 71 bird species I saw yesterday.
Did you participate in Global Big Day? If yes, what birds did you see?
