By Wendy Schultz, WSO BIGBY Birding Coordinator
The Wisconsin Society of Ornithology is heading into its NINTH year of managing the Wisconsin Green Birding Challenge—better known as BIGBY birding. For those of you who need a refresher course on what BIGBY stands for, it means BIG GREEN BIRDING YEAR.
This more-than-exciting and HEART-HEALTHY form of competitive birding is carbon neutral and relies on human-powered transportation, such as walking, biking or running—whatever mode one prefers, as long as each trip starts from the SAME home base. BIGBY birders do much of their birding by bicycle and while some are satisfied keeping their trips close to home or within their favorite “patch”, others venture further—in some cases, MUCH further.
Since January of 2016, WSO has overseen the BIGBY spreadsheet where competitors keep track of who is seeing what birds, and when they see them. This year we have 40 people on the spreadsheet! There is also a BIGBY webpage conveniently found on the WSO website (wsobirds.org) and dedicated to this very moving (literally) form of birding—please check it out under the “WHAT WE DO” tab. And finally, a Green Birding Facebook page was created to give BIGBY participants an opportunity to share their photos and stories, not to mention encouragement and kudos. If you like adventure you will enjoy reading about the gale force winds, those lucky warbler fallouts, the flat tires and mosquitoes, the unexpected rarity and oh-so-much-more.
Yes of COURSE, so much depends on where you live in the state, the distance to bodies of water, forest or specialty habitat, your willingness to get up EARLY and bike or hike in the dark just to see a single bird or whether you have the good fortune of strength to tackle miles of hills because you live near drumlins and this is how you MUST travel to see the NEXT TARGET SPECIES! WHEW. Take a breath.
Even if you’ve never tried it before, there is no time like now, and walking or biking short distances is a great way to start. It can be so darn good for your mood, your body and your birding observation skills. Some studies have shown just 45 minutes of exercise can settle the anxious mind. Being outside and tuned into nature has a tremendous and beneficial calming effect. TRY IT!
If you are a tiny bit competitive or need some motivation, you might be interested in getting your name on the “SPREADSHEET” where you can keep your tally of birds and take a look at how you compare to others in the state. Some people just like to compete with their own record—there is no pressure. At the end of the year, we acknowledge the top listers.
Want a little more information? Go to the WSO website and there you will find all you need to know about the sport. Scroll down near the bottom of the page and check out the statistics and links to past BIGBY spreadsheets.
While the competitive part is fun, nothing beats the pleasure of seeing the countryside, touring the many pastoral back roads and experiencing the interesting topography of our lovely state. YES, it is exhilarating and quite addicting—but cooler than cool is the great feeling of getting to know your local birds and their habitats without burning fossil fuels ALL while keeping your MOOD a little lighter and heart a little healthier.
Hope to see more of you on the list. Contact me at bigby@wsobirds.org to sign up.
