Date: 3/7/25 3:09 pm From: Kent McFarland <kmcfarland...> Subject: [VTBIRD] Lamoille Birders Win 14th Annual Vermont eBird County Quest
Vermont's birding community took part in the 14th and last Vermont eBird
County Quest in 2024. The annual year-long contest pits county versus
county, birder against birder, all engaged in a friendly rivalry for top
birding honors. The main idea behind the County Quest is simply to get
people out birding, promote camaraderie, and better document bird life
across the state using eBird Vermont. Lamoille County captured the gold
medal for the first time in 2024.
*Vermont eBird County Quest Ends 14 Year Run*
For 14 years, Vermont birders had a friendly cross-county competition. We
all competed in the Vermont County eBirding Quest. Each county challenged
one another to identify as many species as possible during the calendar
year.
Part discovery, part conservation, but mostly fun, this year-long quest
gave us all a welcome excuse to head outdoors and go birding. From the
common to the rare, a diverse and fascinating array of birds resides in or
passes through Vermont each year. Each county sought to document that
diversity, with the added incentive of vying for the top honor of maximum
species count. Vermont eBird provided the tool for that documentation.
I hatched the idea as a challenge to get people out birding, promote
camaraderie, and better document Vermont’s bird life using eBird Vermont.
After 14 years in 14 counties in the 14th state, the Vermont eBird County
Quest has run its course. Some elements live on by popular demand at eBird
Vermont: the County 150 Club (see
https://ebird.org/region/US-VT/partners/vermont-ebird-150-club) and the
Vermont 250 Club (
https://ebird.org/region/US-VT/partners/ebird-vermont-250-club) will continue
to record remarkable birdwatcher feats across the state.
Thanks to all of you that have and do contribute to eBird Vermont, and
joined the Quest each year with such passion. Since eBird Vermont began in
2003, we've added more than 9 million bird records to the database from
across the state, a treasure trove of data for science and conservation.
Let's keep going!
Thanks,
Kent
____________________________
Kent McFarland (he/him)
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
PO Box 420 | Norwich, Vermont 05055
