Last year our annual World Migratory Bird Day festivities needed to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. Sadly, we lost a year of our long-term data. This year, we are adapting and changing the way we usually hold our event, and we really need your help. Instead of guided group walks and boat excursions, we are introducing our Big Weekend Challenge on Saturday and Sunday, May 15th and 16th. We invite you to come and independently help us document the birds present on the refuge. Here's how to participate:
1. Register for our Big Weekend Challenge here so you are eligible for our door prizes and so we know you are coming: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWL9ZlioOgyBDoT4H-emRznFSDBEJNeTqG3_5YBcMmGA6mPw/v[...]ink:
2. Visit the refuge trails and/or waterways anytime from sunrise to sunset on Saturday and Sunday. For a map of trails and water access points please download our Refuge Map : https://www.fws.gov/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147616885. Please note the Jeep Trail will be closed at this time of year, but Mac's Bend Road will be open for walking.
3. Record all your bird sightings via eBird to any of the refuge's hotspots and share your lists with our eBird account (MNWRBirdDay) which allows us to have a record of your data.
Our goal will be to see if we can collectively beat our record of 113 species for the weekend. The more you bird and contribute, the better our data will be. To get you motivated, the Friends of Missisquoi NWR will be awarding a number of prizes for different categories of participation, so the more time you spend looking and recording (and the more data you collect for our World Migratory Bird Day dataset), the more chances you have to win. Don't forget to bring your camera along for more chances to win! Some of our prize categories will be:
* Most miles covered on the refuge
* Most time spent on the refuge
* Most submitted eBird photos (different species)
* Best in Show photo
* Grand Slam- one list from each trail eBird hotspot (Discovery, SJYMarsh, Railroad Passage, Maquam/Black Creek)
* Paddle Challenge- A list reported from each of the 3 water eBird hotspots (mouth of the Missisquoi, West Branch, and Dead Creek)
* Most complete Early Bird / Night Owl lists (checklists before 5am or after 8pm)
* Best new World Migratory Bird Day sighting (a bird never reported in past years)
If you are unfamiliar with eBird, please visit this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvYYeDd05TQ for a great tutorial on how to submit your sightings right from your smartphone.
Come out and enjoy the Missisquoi NWR on May 15th and 16th as the birds return to the refuge and help us make this a successful weekend of data collection. As you participate as a citizen scientist for the refuge, please be sure to follow all current COVID-19 guidelines, stay on the open trails and waterways, and be careful not to venture into any of the restricted areas.
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