The weather was amazing for the 12th Annual Bird Quest with a moderate breeze under mostly sunny skies. We had another fantastic Bird Quest!!
Our winning team, the Stro-birds, saw 80 species with the 2nd place teams in a tie right behind them at 71 each. To take nothing away from the winning team the 2nd place teams included the Girl Scout Bus and the Counting Crows (who never left the confines of Clayton). The combined participants saw 124 species in Gloucester County in the 5 morning hours. This is an impressive number as we see more and more of our habitat in Gloucester County lost.
Woodford Cedar Run Refuge once again provided some fun and focused educational time with live birds back at Washington Lake. The weather was perfect, the new location was inspiring, and the chance to connect with friends and see great birds was invigorating. Bird Quest 2011 was a wonderful day.
Everyone received our Bird Quest t-shirt which focused on our theme of preserving natural places in Gloucester County. Without our natural places there would be no place for the birds. Like most people in Gloucester County and probably the country, I enjoy seeing the birds, the turtles, the grasshoppers, and butterflies. I’m reminded of a time when I explored the world with fresh eyes and everything was new to me. How wonderful to investigate the secrets of a decaying log or explore a sunny meadow for the first time. A stream beckons for children of all ages to come and discover lessons of life and the world. Bird Quest provides the excuse to listen to the call of the stream or enjoy the meadow’s warm embrace.
A friend of mine said to me at the event – “I look forward to Bird Quest each year because it is the only time I see orioles. Many people I work with have never seen one.” I thought this was incredibly sad to only see orioles once a year but truly tragic to have never seen an oriole. I didn’t know what to say to that other than to agree with him. “You are very lucky – they are very beautiful.” I leave the conversation wondering: How can I get more people to see these wonderful birds – these flying gems? For I hope that if they see the birds then like me they will want to protect them. To do that, we need to save the natural places like Maple Ridge. There is a stream out there calling your name. Will you answer the call and will you protect it?
All proceeds from BQ this year will be donated to the efforts to save Maple Ridge.
I look forward to seeing everyone next year – May 6, 2012 at the next Bird Quest.
Thank you to all the sponsors and to all the people who helped to make this event a success. You know who you are!
- Brian Hayes, BirdQuest Coordinator