2022 Chapter Big Day

Congratulations to the 2022 Chapter Big Day Winners

TOP TEAM AWARD
Team Emiquon Audubon Society
Species Count: 227

RUNNER-UP TEAM AWARD
Team Lake-Cook Chapter
Species Count: 194

HIGHEST SPECIES COUNT AWARD
INDIVIDUAL
Kelly McKay (Team Emiquon Audubon Society)  181

18 YEARS OLD & UNDER
Anton Meyen (Team Emiquon Audubon Society)  95

80 YEARS YOUNG & OVER
Karen Forcum (Team Little Wabash Audubon Society)  122

TOTAL SPECIES COUNTED BY ALL TEAMS COMBINED: 251

BIGGEST TEAM ROSTER
Team Lake-Cook Chapter: 28

TEAM WITH MOST SPECIES PER BIRDER
Team Fort Dearborn Chapter: 39

TOUGHEST CHASE AWARD
Karan Greuel (Team Little Wabash Audubon Society)
Having all the swallow species except the bank swallow, I was determined to get them.  I knew a place that they have nested, so I donned my boots and climbed down into the creek bed, hoping to also nab a kingfisher. I sloshed through the creek and was startled by a behemoth of a water snake. Then I heard them, bank swallows! One more to the list.

MOST SURPRISING BIRD AWARD
Marlys Oosting (Team Thorn Creek Audubon Society)
I know where there is a nesting bald eagle close to my house. So I took 2 other birders there to show them the nest and two young. While there one of them noticed a large bird overhead as we returned to the car. She wanted to know what it was. I waited for it to clear the tree canopy and saw it was an osprey carrying sticks to build its nest just across the street from the nesting eagles and right over our heads. What a surprise!