Who is on your Birdathon team? Spring, McKenzie (age 5), and Addison (age 2) Ligi
What day are you doing your birdathon? Thursday, May 10th, we’ll do it from approximately 9:00 – 10:30 am
How many species to you hope to get? 20-25 species
How much money do you hope to raise as a team? $250
What bird(s) are you stretching to get this year? A Great Blue Heron because this bird reminds the girls of dinosaurs, which they love
How long has your team been doing this? This will be our fourth year. We started in 2009 when McKenzie was 2 and I was very big and pregnant with Addison
Do you have different roles on your team? The girls are the spotters. They spot all kinds of things…worms, sticks, ponds, and occasionally birds. We try to identify the birds together using our children’s bird guides.
What’s the best part of the birdathon? Experiencing the joys of nature with my girls – watching their faces light up as they spot a bird or correctly identify it
What’s the toughest part of the day? Keeping the girls from jumping into the pond while I’m watching a bird :0)
Why do you/members of your team do the birdathon? To share my passion for birding and the great outdoors with my girls and raise money to protect important wildlife habitat
What do you do in preparation for the count? We watch the birds in our backyard and try to identify them using our field guides. We also line up Grandma and Grandpa to provide back up on our big day. They’re great at keeping the girls from jumping into the pond and poking each other with sticks while I take a moment to identify the trickier birds.
What place do you most look forward to birding during the birdathon and why? The Rust Sanctuary in Leesburg – it’s a beautiful place with a kid-friendly path for hiking through different habitats and observing different birds