Overview
The Keowee-Clemson Bird Club
and the Greenville County Bird Club
are excited to announce the second annual Upstate SC Big Day. This friendly competition pits teams of birders
against one another in an effort to identify as many species of birds as possible in six Upstate SC counties.
Competition opens at 12:00 AM on Saturday, May 7, 2016, and runs until 12:00 AM on Sunday, May 8.
Spring birding in Upstate SC is incredibly rewarding, with a great variety of migrating and nesting birds, a
great diversity of habitats, and beautiful scenery. Last year's winning team identified 124 species, and several
remarkable birds were found by various teams, including Least Bittern and Least Flycatcher. Teams of all skill
levels are encouraged to come out to challenge themselves and one another.
We'll gather at the Hayden Center at the SC Botanical Garden at Clemson University at 9:00 AM on Sunday morning
for breakfast, to share stories, and to tally the results and name the winning team (but you don't have to be
present to win.)
Area Covered
Birders may go anywhere in the following six Upstate SC counties: Anderson, Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Cherokee. See the map below if you are unfamiliar with the Upstate.
Included counties outlined in red. Map Courtesy of Digital-Topo-Maps.com
Competition Rules
We should have an official rules document posted soon. For now, see the rules summary below.
- Teams must have a minimum of three members. Non-birding drivers will be allowed.
- Team members must remain within shouting distance of one another while birding.
- Only full species currently accepted by the ABA Checklist Committee may be counted. Birds must be alive, wild, and unrestrained when identified.
- Competition runs from midnight to midnight on May 7, 2016.
- No use of electronic playback is allowed.
- No spotlighting is allowed.
- Birds may be identified by sight or by vocalization.
- All birds reported must be conclusively identified by at least two team members, and 95% must be identified by all team members.
- For example, if your team reports 100 species, all team members must identify 95 of those species, and every species must be identified by at least two team members.
- Birders must not harrass nesting or roosting birds in order to flush them for identification.
- No trespassing. Teams must comply with all laws as well as the ABA Code of Birding Ethics.
- Species lists must be turned in electronically or in person by 9:00 AM on Sunday, May 8.
Registration
Registration before the competition is not strictly required, but is encouraged. To sign up or to ask a question about the event, click here to send an email to bigday@gcbirdclub.org.
Resources
Click here for a bar chart
showing species reported to Ebird for the Upstate in April and May.