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Hartford County – Big January of Birding: 1/1 – 1/31/2023

January 1, 2023 - January 31, 2023

Month of January – All of Hartford County

The Hartford Audubon Society (HAS) is pleased to announce our sixth annual Hartford County Big January of Birding birdwatching challenge.  Especially in this time of COVID-19 social isolation, birdwatching can bring tremendous joy.  The purpose of the activity is to encourage folks to get outside during the month of January and see as many species of wild birds in Hartford County as possible.  The competition is free to people of all ages.   You do not need to be an HAS member or reside in Hartford County to enter.

To participate, birders should enter their daily or periodic observations into ebird.org, the free birdwatching site maintained by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. At the end of the month, Hartford Audubon will retrieve all the data and award prizes. If you don’t use eBird, you can list your species, date seen, location, and brief description, and send it via email or mail right at the end of January; it must be received by Monday, February 6th.  There are four categories:

  • Youth (ages 4-10) who must see at least 25 species to enter
  • Teen (ages 11-17) who must see at least 35 species to enter
  • Weekend Warrior (adults ages 18 and up who can’t get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 50 species to enter
  • Adults (ages 18 and up who can get outdoors during the week) who must see at least 60 species to enter.

All entries that meet the minimum number of species for each challenge group will receive a certificate of achievement.  A special prize will be awarded for the highest species count for each challenge group, and the coveted “Golden Grebe” award will be given to the birder finding the most unusual bird.

Thus far, with winter barely starting, we’ve already seen an increased number of winter finches.  January, 2023 may be a very interesting month and a joyful way to enter the new year.

Please feel free to share this information with all your bird-loving friends.  We’d like nothing more than to hand out dozens of certificates!

Please contact Sarah below with any questions regarding this event.

Sarah Faulkner     sffaulkner@comcast.net             860-543-1280

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