World Series of Birding: faces
Last Saturday, I participated in the World Series of Birding as a member of the "chase car" that shadowed Team Zeiss. As for most folks who take part in the 24-hour competition, my sleep deprivation didn't begin at 12:00 a.m. Saturday.
Oh no, it began Thursday night with a red-eye flight from Orange County, Calif., to Detroit, Mich., followed by a delayed flight to Philadelphia. After landing in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday morning, I rode with Zeiss employee Stephen Ingraham to Basking Ridge, N.J., where we collected Catherine Hamilton from an Amtrak station.
Despite the lack of mental refreshment Thursday, my spirits remained high on Friday and Saturday because of the people around me. One of the best perks of my business trips remains the community of birders. As a group, they're utterly wonderful. WildBird trips often seem like reunions of far-flung friends and colleagues.
With many familiar faces among Team Zeiss and the chase car, this crazy undertaking -- to shadow these five birders as they competed for 24 hours to find and identify the most species throughout the Garden State -- seemed a little less daunting. Thanks to Stephen, Catherine, Pete Dunne, Don Freiday, Michael O'Brien, Tom Reed, Will Russell -- and Murphy the golden retriever -- for the memorable night/day/night!
Click on an image to see a larger version.
Hm, maybe this post should've been called "Fronts and Rears."
Oh no, it began Thursday night with a red-eye flight from Orange County, Calif., to Detroit, Mich., followed by a delayed flight to Philadelphia. After landing in the City of Brotherly Love on Friday morning, I rode with Zeiss employee Stephen Ingraham to Basking Ridge, N.J., where we collected Catherine Hamilton from an Amtrak station.
Despite the lack of mental refreshment Thursday, my spirits remained high on Friday and Saturday because of the people around me. One of the best perks of my business trips remains the community of birders. As a group, they're utterly wonderful. WildBird trips often seem like reunions of far-flung friends and colleagues.
With many familiar faces among Team Zeiss and the chase car, this crazy undertaking -- to shadow these five birders as they competed for 24 hours to find and identify the most species throughout the Garden State -- seemed a little less daunting. Thanks to Stephen, Catherine, Pete Dunne, Don Freiday, Michael O'Brien, Tom Reed, Will Russell -- and Murphy the golden retriever -- for the memorable night/day/night!
Click on an image to see a larger version.
Tom (left) and Michael
Will (way down the road), Don, Pete and Catherine
Stephen (left) and Catherine
Don (left), Michael, Will, Catherine, Stephen and Pete
Catherine
Don (left), Michael, Pete, Tom and Will
Tom (left), Pete, Michael, Will and Don
Hm, maybe this post should've been called "Fronts and Rears."
Labels: World Series of Birding
posted by Amy at 8:42 AM
1 Comments:
Great pix.
I spent years in an editing room battling Fronts And Rears Syndrome. Someday, a cure must be found!
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