"It's just after midnight in north New Jersey when a white SUV pulls up next to a deserted park, and three teenage boys leap out into the dark. They sprint across a field, vault a fence and peer through binoculars up toward giant nests atop a pole all in the hopes of catching a momentary flash of a sleeping parrot's tail. By the light of street lamps, they strain to get a look through the nests' dark holes."
"After 10 minutes of waiting, 16-year-old Otys Train calls out: "I've I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got the monk parakeet!" He and his friends, 17-year-old Jack Trojan and 16-year-old Zade Pacetti, have repeatedly come to this park late at night to try to find this bird. And tonight, the work has paid off. They've found their first bird of the 43rd annual World Series of Birding."
"The competition started at midnight on Saturday, and they have until the last seconds of the day to count as many bird species within New Jersey as they can and claim victory. The teenagers are accompanied by their dads: Mark Trojan, Chris Pacetti and Jeff Train. They're in charge of driving the van and ensuring that their sons remember to drink water and eat food, not just energy drinks and a family-sized bag of M&M's."
"It's put on by the nonprofit New Jersey Audubon, part competition for birding glory and part fundraiser for conservation. It's become an intergenerational gathering of bird lovers: This year, 87 teams are participating in several divisions sorted by age. They range from birders who have competed for decades, to first-graders who are just learning the ropes."
After midnight in north New Jersey, three teenage birders sprint into a deserted park to search for a sleeping monk parakeet by peering through binoculars at nests atop a pole. After waiting about ten minutes, one teen identifies the monk parakeet, marking their first bird in the 43rd annual World Series of Birding. The competition runs from midnight to the last seconds of the day, with teams trying to count as many bird species within New Jersey as possible. The teenagers are accompanied by their dads, who handle driving and encourage proper hydration and food. Teams wear matching sweatshirts named after dunlins and birding founder Pete Dunne. The event is organized by New Jersey Audubon and includes many age-divided teams, from long-time birders to young beginners.
#birding-competition #monk-parakeet #new-jersey-audubon #teenagers-and-families #wildlife-conservation
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