Such-n-Such Bird Blog: Support the Tropicbirds!

On April 24th, I (Marcel) will be joining forces with four other young birders from across the country to compete in the Great Texas Birding Classic (GTBC). Together we are the "Tropicbirds," the American Birding Association's (ABA) GTBC team. We will be doing a Big Day in which we will count as many bird species as possible within a 24-hour period. That's right, 24-hours of non-stop birding fun with no sleep! This year we are doing the Upper Texas Coast, birding such legendary places as High Island, Sabine Woods, Galveston Island, and Anahuac. All entry fees support bird conservation and awareness. Additionally, this is the main fundraising event for the ABA's education and young birder programs, so I greatly encourage you to make a pledge. The future of birding and bird conservation depends on today's youth to carry the torch forward!

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near Anahuac NWR

by Joel Such

The ABA's youth programs have helped myself and many other young birders hone their note taking, illustration, photographic, and writing skills through the ABA Young Birder of the Year competition. ABA camps for young birders bring kids together to bird and learn along side some of the best birding mentors in the country. And last, but certainly not least, the ABA's publications, such as Birding, Winging-It, North American Birds, and other brochures, help broadcast and educate the general public about birds, birding, conservation, and other vital environmental subjects. If you are willing and able to make a substantial pledge, that is great, BUT lots of small five or ten dollar donations are equally or dare I say even more powerful! I'd love to see a swell of support for bird education from across my home state of Colorado and beyond! To make a pledge or to find out more, go to this link, or

www.aba.org/yb/tropicbirds/pledge.html

Be sure to select the Great Texas Birding Classic. Those of you who want to do a $$/species pledge, rather than a fixed pledge, will receive an invoice by mail after the event telling you how many species were tallied on the Big Day and what you owe based on your pledge. FYI, we are expecting to find about 150 species. All donations are tax deductible! If you make your pledge online, please put a note in the comment section that says "through Marcel Such" and send me a quick e-mail (mpsuch AT gmail.com) so that I can keep track of who's donating on behalf of my fundraising efforts. I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Our team this year is:

Andy Johnson, Age 17, Ann Arbor, MI

Neil Gilbert, Age 17, Orange, CA

Marcel Such, Age 14, Lyons, CO

Spencer Hardy, Age 15, Norwich, VT

Harold Eyster, Age 16, Chelsea, MI

Go to www.aba.org/yb/tropicbirds/photos.html for our team's photos and bios.

Go Tropicbirds!

Here are some photos of just a few of the birds we expect to see . . . these photos are from the spring of 2008, when my family visited the Upper Texas Coast with the Colorado Field Ornithologists.