Birder’s Big Day in the Watershed, June 2-3
May. 05, 2006
The Luckiamute Watershed Council (LWC) is sponsoring its first (hopefully annual) Birder’s Big Day in the Watershed. Avid birders refer to a 24-hour period in which they locate and identify as many bird species as they can as a “Big Day”. Usually its just for fun. The purpose of our Birder’s Big Day in the Watershed is to enlist the help of local birders to find western bluebirds, western meadow larks, vesper sparrows, pileated woodpeckers and other species that were once much more common in the Willamette Valley than they are today. The LWC hopes to use this information to help us plan education and conservation activities.
The Big Day will include all areas accessible to the public in the Luckiamute and Ash Creek watersheds. The watershed includes much of Polk, and the northern portion of Benton Counties. In addition, several private landowners in the watershed have generously agreed to allow Big Day participants on to their lands to collect information. Data sheets, maps, and detailed instructions will be sent to birders prior to the event. Refreshment and information stations will be open to participating birders at Airlie Winery and the historic Soap Creek schoolhouse.
The Big Day will begin at 3:00 pm, Friday, June 2 and will end 24 hours later. In appreciation of the efforts by birder’s and landowners, LWC members are hosting a picnic for participants immediately following the birding. Birders will have an opportunity to share their lists and stories from the day…and they will be entered in a prize drawing. We know the event is going to be a lot of fun and the information collected will help the LWC conservation program.
Participants must register for the event and sign a liability waiver before May 27. For more information, contact the event coordinator, Dave Vesely (541) 745-0240, Email dvesely@peak.org (include “Big Day” in email subject line).