The Big Sit! 2024 Results are in!

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Keeli Marvel

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Apr 15, 2025, 9:38:44 AMApr 15
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Congrats to the Utah County Birders (The Skipper Bay Trail Count) for making the top 5 in participation! 

From: The Big Sit! at New Haven Bird Club <thebig...@141515521.mailchimpapp.com>
Date: April 14, 2025 at 9:47:47 AM MDT
To: keeli....@gmail.com
Subject: The Big Sit! 2024 Results are in!
Reply-To: thebig...@gmail.com


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The Big Sit!® Results are in!


In 2024, The Big Sit!® had 93 circles reporting from three countries: the United States, Guatemala, and Portugal. 

For 2024 the circles with the most species are:

Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform in New Jersey – 136 species.

Milford Point-Outer Platform (Big Sit!) in Connecticut – 110 species and 5 other taxa.

Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area--Force Rd. West in Ohio – 96 species and 1 other taxa.

Finca La Gracia in Guatemala – 92 species and 1 other taxa.

Hazel Bazemore Park Hawkwatch Platform in Texas – 89 species.

 

For 2024 the circles with the highest number of participants are:

Richmond Audubon count at Tuckahoe Creek Park, Virginia – 40 birders.

Lenoir Preserve count in New York – 31 birders.

Hackmatack4Birds count in Illinois – 30 birders.

Skipper Bay Trail count in Utah – 28 birders.

Fredericksburg Flighty Flickers’ count at Crow's Nest Research Center, Virginia – 23 birders.

 

Altogether, 909 species and other taxa were reported for a total of 24,911 individual birds. Circles enjoyed doing the Big Sit! for a total of 823 hours, with 736 birders participating for all or part of the time.
Highlights from all the eBird comments
*great weather
*birding with friends
*super casual just watching some from time to time
*lots of fun with raptor migration included
*first (and only) beer cracked around 2:30 PM
*taking photos of our full family gathered together for the first time in almost a decade
*17 participants stopped by throughout the day to assist with the Big Sit
*more than 100 people visited throughout the day
*it was overall an enjoyable day, filled with cookies, cake, and caffeine
*I had not participated in a Big Sit for years, so I decided to do one by myself
*did the Big Sit from our dining room window
*squished 8 spotted lantern flies
*arrived with 4 pizzas around 2:30pm and stayed until 6:10pm
*With a vibrant orange twilight to the west, a Great Horned Owl finally started calling, giving us the last bird of the day. We found the silhouetted owl perched up on a dead tree as we were packing up the final items to depart. It was an exhilarating finish to what certainly will not be the last Big Sit in this wonderful place.
 
The Golden Bird Award was announced in December 2024 and posted to our website. For convenience, the 2024 Golden Bird Award information is also included at the end of this report.
 
See below for the full list of circles and related data. Thank you for another great year.
 
Date Total Time (hours) Number of birders Country/State/ Province Team's eBird Location Team Name eBird Species eBird Other Taxa
10/12/24 24.00 4 US-NJ Cape Island--CMPSP--Hawkwatch Platform   136 0
10/13/24 14.32 9 US-CT Milford Point-Outer Platform (Big Sit!) B. W. Surf Scopers 110 5
10/12/24 17.83 8 US-OH Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area--Force Rd. West Bobolink Area Big Sit 96 1
10/12/24 12.92 9 GT-ES Finca La Gracia The Lost Tinamou, Saturday 92 1
10/13/24 10.00 9 US-TX Hazel Bazemore Park Hawkwatch Platform   89 0
10/12/24 7.25 6 US-NC Battery Buchanan   85 0
10/12/24 12.33 3 US-VA Kiptopeke State Park CVWO big sit 83 2
10/13/24 12.35 3 US-TX Richland Creek WMA (N. Unit)(Navarro Co) PPW-W 019 Pie-filled Grebes 82 3
10/13/24 14.50 20 US-TX Estero Llano Grande SP WBC (LTC 054) Weslaco Red-crowns 81 0
10/12/24 11.67 7 US-CT Smith Neck Road Big Sit!   80 7
10/12/24 12.67 1 US-PA HRDABRD at Middle Creek (Big Sit)   77 1
10/12/24 13.47 17 US-TX Lake Waxahachie western cove (Yard) Super Silly-em! 73 1
10/13/24 13.00 8 US-MD 2024 Big Sit - PG County Mt. Calvert - Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission 72 1
10/13/24 14.63 20 US-IN Lake Lemon--Hengeveld's   72 0
10/12/24 11.75 2 US-CA Jalama Beach County Park   71 4
10/12/24 9.83 14 US-SC Big Sit 2013 - 33.5056x-79.0692 - Oct 13, 2013, 6:02 PM   70 1
10/12/24 12.58 16 US-OH Mill Creek Wildlife Sanctuary (restricted access)   70 0
10/13/24 12.42 16 US-ME Wharton Point, Brunswick Merrymeeting Audubon Field Trip/Maquoit Bay Birders 69 3
10/12/24 13.00 3 US-PA John Heinz NWR--impoundment (Philadelphia Co.)   67 1
10/12/24 13.43 1 US-MO Swan Lake NWR ,  Observation Tower   67 0
10/12/24 10.20 5 US-IL Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve   66 0
10/13/24 14.00 8 US-OK Eagle Cove Observation Platform, Tishomingo NWR, Tishomingo, Oklahoma, US (34.195, -96.633) Eagle Cove Observation Platform at Tishomingo NWR 65 6
10/12/24 14.00 10 US-OH Home   65 0
10/12/24 7.75 1 US-MI Independence Lake County Park   65 0
10/13/24 incidental 40 US-VA Tuckahoe Creek Park Richmond Audubon 65 0
10/12/24 6.50 2 US-CT White Memorial Foundation--Little Pond   64 0
10/13/24 8.50 18 US-NC Cowan's Ford Wildlife Refuge Meckbirders 61 0
10/13/24 8.00 2 US-PA Meadow Grounds Lake   58 1
10/12/24 13.05 4 US-PA Hillview   57 0
Date Total Time (hours) Number of birders Country/State/ Province Team's eBird Location Team Name eBird Species eBird Other Taxa
10/13/24 12.00 10 US-NJ The Celery Farm   57 0
10/12/24 9.67 4 US-CT 1 Birdseye St, Stratford US-CT 41.17984, -73.12441 Birdseye Bitterns 56 2
10/13/24 10.50 3 US-TX 7 Hope Boulevard, Galveston, Texas, US (29.277, -94.855) Moody Flews 55 1
10/12/24 11.42 23 US-VA Crow's Nest Research Center (access by request) Fredericksburg Flighty Flickers 55 0
10/12/24 11.75 14 US-NC Greensboro Bog Garden Piedmont Bird Club Pishers 55 1
10/12/24 12.20 5 US-CT Jared Eliot Preserve Connecticut Wobblers 55 0
10/12/24 11.27 3 US-CT Lighthouse Point Park   55 5
10/12/24 12.58 1 US-IN Goose Pond FWA--Main Pool East Goose Pond MPE 54 0
10/13/24 10.65 2 US-CT Salt Meadow NWR Big Sit!(R) circle, Menunketesuck River, Westbrook US-CT 41.28166, -72.47414   54 0
10/12/24 9.75 28 US-UT Skipper Bay Trail   54 1
10/12/24 12.17 9 US-MD ASCM Big Sit 2024, Audrey Carroll Sanctuary, Mt. Airy US-MD (39.4189,-77.2050) Audrey Carroll Audubon Sanctuary 53 0
10/13/24 4.62 10 US-SC Spring Island--Bonny Shore (restricted access)   53 3
10/13/24 12.00 12 US-FL Celery Fields Raymond Blvd Celery Fields Forever 52 0
10/12/24 10.08 1 US-PA Godshall Property   50 5
10/13/24 8.00 30 US-IL The Big Sit Hackmatack4Birds Hackmatack4Birds 50 0
10/12/24 11.85 5 US-CT Thompson Preserve (Big Sit! NHBC), Litchfield, Connecticut, US (41.744, -73.214) Litchfield Larks 50 1
10/13/24 12.00 11 US-MI Big Sit 48045, Harrison Township US-MI 42.57192, -82.80660 Metro Munchers 49 0
10/13/24 3.28 19 US-DE The Point Parking lot Sussex Bird Club 49 2
10/12/24 12.12 11 US-ME Big Sit Riverside Nature Group (RiNG) 48 2
10/13/24 11.00 10 US-ID Blacks Creek Bird Reserve   48 2
10/12/24 7.50 3 US-NH Copps Pond Wildlife Management Area, Tuftonboro   48 0
10/13/24 6.50 4 US-CT Durham Meadows--Frederick White Farm Birding for Pleasure 48 0
10/12/24 18.00 10 US-PA Shaver's Creek Env. Center--Boardwalk Shaver's Creek Environmental Center 47 0
10/13/24 5.00 5 US-CT Station 43   47 0
10/13/24 7.50 10 US-MD Adkins Arboretum   46 1
10/13/24 3.77 11 US-FL A. D. Barnes Park Phoebes 45 0
10/12/24 11.25 13 US-MD Baltimore Big Sit - North Point SP Baltimore Bird Club 44 1
10/13/24 2.00 2 US-PA Rose Tree Park Birding Club of Delaware County 44 0
Date Total Time (hours) Number of birders Country/State/ Province Team's eBird Location Team Name eBird Species eBird Other Taxa
10/12/24 6.00 1 US-FL Split Rock Park   44 0
10/12/24 12.00 2 US-ND Fargo--Heritage Hills   43 0
10/13/24 9.50 2 US-MN Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve   42 2
10/12/24 7.42 31 US-NY Lenoir Preserve   42 0
10/12/24 4.20 3 US-CT Dossin Park Beach, Meriden US-CT 41.52378, -72.83509   41 0
10/12/24 8.00 14 US-WI Retzer Nature Center Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club 41 0
10/13/24 5.50 6 US-MS Riverview Cemetery   40 0
10/12/24 3.33 3 US-CT Big Sit 2024: The Gray Jays of Woodbridge! The Gray Jays of Woodbridge! 38 0
10/13/24 4.00 2 US-NH Eaton, pond and marsh on Brownfield Rd Eaton and Birdin 38 1
10/12/24 12.00 5 US-PA Trexler Nature Preserve, Big Sit point   38 0
10/12/24 3.50 6 US-FL Peaceful Waters Preserve, Wellington US-FL 26.63236, -80.23385   37 0
10/13/24 3.85 11 US-NM Gila River Preserve—Iron Bridge Conservation Area SWNM Bird Alliance Big Sit Iron Bridge 36 2
10/13/24 6.50 5 US-MO Loess Bluffs NWR—Eagle Pool  Midland Empire Audubon Society 35 1
\10/12/24 7.20 8 US-MD Morgan Run Natural Environmental Area Carroll County Bird Club - diurnal 35 0
10/12/24 5.00 3 US-WV Mountain Valley Lake   35 0
10/12/24 9.08 7 US-PA Locust Lake SP   33 1
10/13/24 6.42 5 US-PA Sweet Arrow Lake   33 1
10/12/24 6.00 2 US-NH Heald Tract--King Brook Reservoir Area, Wilton   31 4
10/12/24 4.00 10 US-WI Wehr Nature Center   31 2
10/13/24 10.00 1 US-NV 1340 Muir Drive   29 0
10/12/24 12.00 14 US-VT Missisquoi NWR--Stephen Young Marsh Friends of Missisquoi 29 0
10/12/24 11.00 10 US-NH Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge--Cherry Pond, Jefferson   28 0
10/12/24 1.53 2 US-CT The Big Sit on the Big Chair! (at the JCC), Woodbridge US-CT 41.35143, -72.99254 Big Sit on the Big Chair! 27 0
10/12/24 2.50 2 US-VA Home   26 0
10/12/24 12.00 11 US-NH Miller SP--Pack Monadnock   26 3
10/13/24 1.00 7 US-VT Birds of Vermont Museum   22 0
10/13/24 2.52 1 US-SC Table Rock SP Table Rock SP Day 1 22 0
10/12/24 12.00 1 US-CT 17 Hunters Ridge Rd, Killingworth US-CT 41.40574, -72.59557   21 0
10/12/24 incidental 14 US-FL Penney Farms   21 0
Date Total Time (hours) Number of birders Country/State/ Province Team's eBird Location Team Name eBird Species eBird Other Taxa
10/12/24 0.58 2 PT-02 Craveiral Farmhouse Big Sit   19 0
10/13/24 0.70 1 US-ME Grandview Point, Little Sebago Lake   19 0
10/13/24 2.00 2 US-CT Riverbound Farm Sanctuary   19 0
10/13/24 0.50 1 US-TX Crescent Lakes   16 0
10/13/24 2.00 3 US-NY EABC Beaver Island State Park NY Sledding Hill   14 0
10/13/24 7.25 2 US-CT Filley Road Haddam CT   14 0
10/12/24 6.00 1 US-PA 6236 Jerome Boulevard, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US (40.341, -76.781)   12 1
Golden Bird Award for the Big Sit!® 2024
 
It has been five years since the New Haven Bird Club, Inc., once again resumed administration of the Big Sit! ® from Birdwatchers Digest. The event was started by the New Haven Bird Club in 1992, but was soon being administered by Birdwatcher’s Digest and grew to be the international event that it is today. We have had circles in more than six different countries.
 
Zeiss sponsored the Golden Bird Award for 2024 by donating a pair of Conquest HDX 8x 42 binoculars. The “Golden Bird” itself is randomly drawn from all of the bird species reported for the Big Sit!®. Next, the winning circle is randomly drawn from all of the circles that reported the Golden Bird species.
 
The Golden Bird for 2024 is the Yellow-throated Euphonia (Euphonia hirundinacea). This bird is found in southeastern Mexico and throughout Central America with its range stretching from Belize south to western Panama. It inhabits primarily both humid and dry regions where it prefers the forest edge, open woodland, and shaded plantations.
 
The winning circle for 2024 is The Lost Tinamou, Finca La Gracia's birding center located in Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, in the municipality of Escuintla, Guatemala. This sanctuary, on land that was previously used for coffee cultivation, is today occupied by very humid subtropical (warm) forest. The Finca La Gracia sanctuary is a refuge among a sea of intensive cattle ranching, pineapple, rubber, and sugarcane fields. The native flora and fauna have found refuge in this relatively small preserve.
 
The New Haven Bird Club’s Big Sit! ® committee is looking forward to some exciting developments for 2025. We are entering into a partnership with World Migratory Bird Day so the Big Sit! ® will be promoted as an activity for their international event. One of the two World Migratory Bird Days usually falls on the second Saturday of October. Also, we have heard that eBird has been working on some changes in their data reporting functionality that will make eBird checklists for the Big Sit! ® easier to submit and will capture more information. We are also looking forward to a new look on our website that will feature mapping capabilities.






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The Big Sit! · PO Box 9004 · New Haven, CT 06532-0004 · USA

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Glenn B. Barlow

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Apr 15, 2025, 9:46:54 AMApr 15
to Keeli Marvel, UCBirders

Keeli, that's wonderful! The only Western group mentioned. All the others are Eastern, except Illinois (which is almost Eastern).

You are doing a great job! Thank you. Glenn


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Suzi Holt

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Apr 15, 2025, 10:21:20 AMApr 15
to Keeli Marvel, UCBirders
That's awesome!!

On Tue, Apr 15, 2025, 7:38 AM Keeli Marvel <keeli....@gmail.com> wrote:
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Steven Van Winkle

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Apr 15, 2025, 11:12:16 AMApr 15
to Suzi Holt, Keeli Marvel, UCBirders

Super stats!


To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ucbirders/CAPUuOobftxAiFZF7%2Bt1PLmZCy-DBhGtimv5TZXpufXoteO4Jfw%40mail.gmail.com.

Steven Van Winkle

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Apr 15, 2025, 11:13:57 AMApr 15
to Suzi Holt, Keeli Marvel, UCBirders

... Sorry to say " I was unable to attend our terrific Big Sit day.

Robert Parsons

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Apr 15, 2025, 3:29:02 PMApr 15
to Steven Van Winkle, Suzi Holt, Keeli Marvel, UCBirders
That is so exciting!!!   Wish I could have been there!   

Robert 

Robert E. Parsons


On Apr 15, 2025, at 17:13, Steven Van Winkle <qrub...@gmail.com> wrote:


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