October 07, 2022

The Big Sit!®

This week's Musings from Main explores The Big Sit!, and just a couple of the many ducks that make the pond in my neighborhood their home!  The images used in this Musing, are courtesy of Joe Wojnilo a wonderful photographer and great observer of avifauna.  Join in the fun with the Hartford Audubon Society's Big Sit! circle this Sunday, October 9th at Station 43 Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Big Sit!

This year is the 30th anniversary of The Big Sit!, a semi-competitive, free, international birding event. The Big Sit! was started by fun-loving members of the New Haven Bird Club, and is held annually on the second Sunday in October.  It is a 24 hour Bird-a-thon where birders confine themselves to a circle no more than 17 feet (5.2 meters) in diameter, and count how many different bird species they can see or hear. 

These "circles" can be made up of an individual or a "team" of people.  A public list of circles allows people to join in the fun with other like minded enthusiasts in their area, and experience what some people have called “a tailgate party for birders.” There are a few basic rules to follow but the emphasis is definitely on the rule of the day; to have fun!

After the 24 hour Big Sit! event, circle captains submit and “share” their checklists and information using eBird, then wait for the results!  The winner's "trophy" is all important bragging rights and last year it was shared by two circles, on two different continents. The Smith Neck Road Circle in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and the Big Sit Zeiss Birding Team, Segerstads fyr, in Kalmar Iän, Sweden both reported 97 different species.

This year in addition to bragging rights, the Golden Bird Award is returning in celebration of 30 years of The Big Sit!. The Golden Bird Award is chosen by randomly drawing a bird species reported during The Big Sit!, then a second random drawing selects one of the circles that reported seeing or hearing that species. Zeiss is the sponsor for the 2022 Golden Bird Award and will present the winning circle with a pair of HD binoculars.

Hooded Merganser (Female)

I had never heard of The Big Sit! before this week, but the pond in my neighborhood is home to many different species of water fowl including this pair of Hooded Merganser Ducks. Perhaps one year a circle from my neighborhood will earn international bragging rights, or be chosen to bring home the Golden Bird Award.

Hooded Merganser (Male)

Thank You, Joe Wojnilo!

for your beautiful images of South Windsor Birds, and helping us fulfill our mission of bringing Nature alive!

The Upcoming  Big Sit! Birding Event
Hartford Audubon Society Station 43 The Big Sit!,
October 9, 2022

Other Public The Big Sit! Circles

If you would like to ask to join an existing circle, please email the circle’s coordinator/captain in advance.