It's that time of year again--we announce this years Utah Birders Challenge.  This year we decided to step away from challenges involving photos and instead focus our efforts this year on... EBIRD!  This year's challenge is a multi-faceted challenge with several different "challenges within challenges", or as we like to call it, eBird Inception. The actual challenge is quite simple and straightforward, but we've added in a few "bonus" challenges for extra points.  Unline in years past where there is 1 clear winner, this year anyone who completes all the tasks associated with the challenge is a winner--the question is, will anyone complete all the tasks to be a winner?

So right off the bat we can tell you there are 1000 possible points up for grabs if you complete all the challenges.  What do you get if you manage to reach that goal?  We're working on a prize package and reaching out to several local companies for donations for the winners.  Besides a small prize package you will also ge the limited edition 2015 Utah Birders Challenge Sticker--we will only print one for each person who reaches the goal so it will truly be limited.  You'll also get bragging rights.  This year anyone who competes can basically brag that they beat Jeff Bilsky since he might only manage a few points from his distant new home.  Let's jump right into the challenge!

This year we want you to submit 1 complete eBird checklist for a birding location in Utah every day of the year.  It can be any location; your home, your office, your drive, a lunch break birding sessions--whatever you can manage. It must be a traveling count or a stationary count and can be as short as 1 minute.  For every day you submit a checklist you will earn 1 point, for a total possible 365 points this year, just by submitting a checklist.

Now things get interesting.  We want you to try and submit 1 complete eBird checklist this year for every county in Utah during the calnedar year.  This means there might need to be a little planning to make this possible, given Utah's large size.  For each county you submit a complete checklist, you will recieve 3.45 points, for a possible 100 points if you were to submit a checklist for every county.

But hold on you can really tack on those points if you submit additional complete eBird checklists from every county this year.  After your initial checklist, you can submit up to 10 more checklists, from different locations, for an additional 10 bonus points per county.  So if you were to submit 11 checklists each form a different location in a county you would earn 13.45 points for that county--the inital 3.45 points for the 1st list, and an additional 10 points for each different location.  If you managed to get 10 for each county you would earn an additional 290 points for the year.

Now if you've done your math you know that 365 + 100 + 290 = 755.  This means there are an additional 245 points available to each participant.  The way to earn these is simple: 5 bonus points for each eBird birding hotspot write up submitted for the Utah Birding Spots page on Utahbirders.com (http://utahbirdingspots.blogspot.com/) for up to 49 locations.  We want to see if we can get a hot spot write up for every location by the end of the year, so we can have a complete guide to Utah Birding locations, with maps, photos, links to eBird lists, and the ability for users to comments and add information going forward. We have a small portion of these hot spots done, but have a listen of almost 1300 we need information for--and no one knows those places like the birders who go there.

If you want to work on the bonus points for locations, please contact us at utah.birders@gmail.com so we can set you up to do so, and make sure folks aren't double creating locations.

AND THAT'S IT!

If you'd like to compete in this years challenge click below to sign up:

SIGN UP NOW

BUT WAIT... THERE's MORE!!!

For anyone interested in a side challenge just for the fun of it we are challenign you all to do a NON HOME-COUNTY BIG YEAR.  The idea is simple. Do a county big year--in a county where you don't live!  SO if you live in Salt Lake County, choose another county and do a Big Year!

There are no points, no awards, just your own personal satisfaction, and a little good humored ribbing between other birders as you try to find as many birds as possible in a county you don't live in this year--if you happen to have homes in 2 counties--choose one of the other 27 available... :)

GOOD LUCK! and GOOD BIRDING IN 2015!

READY... SET... GO...

This years challenge is easier than last years, but can also be quite a bit harder--this year we are sending you on a birding scavenger hunt to try and find and/or photograph some of the most unique, rare, representative, and down right hard birds to find. It will be a monumental challenge to snag all 100 species on the list--and to photograph them will be even trickier. This year photos are not required--you can just hear or see the species to count it, but if you get a photo, it's worth double points.

Are you up to the challenge?

The challenge includes 96 species on a sliding scale of 1 to 5 for how hard they should be to get--the harder the find, the more valuable the species. There are 4 bonus birds/photos that are worth more points and are a bit more of a challenge. Finally there are 16 additional scavenger hunt items that can be picked up for bonus points. Some are birds, some are people, some are events, and some have the possibility for multiple photos and points.

Spreadsheet to track your sightings!

To participate you'll need to sign up below so we can give you a spreadsheet to keep track of your points. If you are going to take photos, you will need to create a new Flickr Set in your account called, 2014 Utah Birders Scavenger Hunt, and tag all photos with "utah birders", and add your pictures to the Utah Birders Flickr Pool Group.

SIGN UP TODAY!!!

Utah Birders Flickr Pool

The contest is open until December 31, 2014--you may use photos taken in January (before we announced the challenge)... The only rules are that all sightings and photos must happen in Utah. Once you've signed up we will send you the official checklist and tracking sheet to keep track of your scavenger hunt for the year.

CHECK OUT THE SPECIES YOU NEED BY CLICKING HERE OR BELOW

SIGN UP TODAY!!!

The year came, it happened, and now it's in the past.  And 5 Utah Birders stood up to the challenge and did a Photo Big Year!  Big Ups to the 5 who took part in this very unofficial, and friendly game of "photo the birds of Utah".  The rules were simple--find and photograph as many birds in Utah in 2013 as you can.  And so it happened.  Below are a few pictures, and words from the those who took part!

• • •

Wilson's Snipe by Nate Brown

Nate Brown

188 Species Photographed

This was a fun challenge as I've never photographed birds in Utah, let alone kept an annual count. I enjoyed the photos mostly for showcasing the variety of birds in Utah, but also as a useful tool for identifying purposes. PLEASE let me know if any of these are misidentified!

Thanks to everyone who posted on Ubird and eBird, and thanks to anyone that helped located, identify, and email/respond to inquiries.  Also a special thanks to Uncle Bill for the awesome photography equipment.

Birds I didn't get pictures of: American Crow, American Tree Sparrow, Barrow's Goldeneye (lost the pic), Black-billed Magpie (seriously!), Brown Creeper, California Quail, Horned Grebe (lost the pic), Marsh Wren, Red-breasted Merganser (lost the pic), Sage Trasher (lost the pic), Turkey Vulture (seriously!)

Tough identifications for me (please offer opinions or misidentified images) - Terns: Common vs. Forester's; Flycatchers: Gray, Hammond's, Dusky, etc.: Yellowlegs: Greater vs. Lesser (especially at a distance); and Thrushs: Hermit vs. Swainson's.

• • •

Red Crossbill by Tim Avery

Tim Avery

254 Species Photographed  + 2 hybrids

So where to start... I was gung-ho from day 1--I knew I would photograph over 300 species this year, and maybe, just maybe take a shot at my previous photo big year record of 332.  I was off to a really good start bird # and photo wise--but then this summer I just hit a brick wall and came to  a halt-- after the first week of June, I didn't really go birding much the rest of the summer, and took next to no pictures--then I was gone for an entire month during migration--and once I got back was bed ridden for about 5 weeks--then it was November and too late for a lot of birds.  The year came to a close and I had barely scratched past 250 photos.

Oops.  I already know that quite a few people did better than me, and I think that's awesome!  I guess I will have to wait and try this again when I know I wont be doing any heavy traveling for a year and can really get after the specialty birds, and be here for the entire fall.  Can't wait for the 2014 challenge--its a doosey!

• • •

Western Screech-Owl by Dickson Smith

Dickson Smith

266 Species Photographed

I must add that I too enjoyed the challenge that Tim put out there for us to try and photograph all the species we could for the year 2013. I was able to compile a total of 266 photos and a observation list of 286 for the year. Trying to lug my 600mmm lens around everywhere I went birding made for an additional challenge but still was fun. There were several species that were seen by others and reported that I was unable to locate after many tries, but which I hope I can observe this year

• • •

Blue Jay by Stephanie Greenwood

Stephanie Greenwood

268 Species Photographed

I loved this challenge because by the end of 2012 I had all but given up taking photos. I am glad that I started again because now I have a whole collection of photos--mostly terrible--that remind me of the good times and good birds I saw over the year. Seeing a Blue Jay in my very own neighborhood was probably one of the most exciting things of the year, so I chose that as my favorite photo. But probably my highlight of the year was the day I took my first-ever trip up to Kolob Reservoir. My best-yet views of Lewis's Woodpeckers, lifer Acorn Woodpeckers, lifer Pygmy Nuthatches, lifer Grace's Warbler. Also a first that day was finding Grafton and getting lifer Scott's Oriole and Black-chinned Sparrows. And getting bit by painfully venomous Harvester Ants and having to strip down to my britches and shake out my pants and treat my wounds. Luckily Grafton is a ghost town. Despite the pain and welts that lasted for weeks, the amazing birding made up for it, and plus I have a fun story to tell.  (One that my friends are probably tired of hearing.) All in all, 2012 was a great year, I learned a ton about Utah and the birds that live in and visit our state!

• • •

Little Gull by Kenny Frisch

Kenny Frisch

315 Species Photographed

It was fun visiting many new areas of Utah in 2013. I got to see 43 new Utah birds in habitats ranging from above treeline to the Mojave Desert. 10 of those species were lifers for me as well. Utah birding is the best.

• • •

The were no losers in 2013, only winners--those who took part are all winners for going out and tackling something differen this year! So congrats to the 5; and Kenny well done tracking down and photographing 315 species this past year--that's a very impressive feat!

Let's just say it's on!  

Although this isn't an official Utah Birders Competition (yet) I am challenging any takers to a friendly match of "photographic big year".  The goal here is to take identifiable photos of as many species of birds in Utah in 2013 as you can.

They can be taken with a camera phone, a point and shoot, an SLR, a video camera, etc.  It doesn't matter how you take them, as long as you can identify them.  

We will use the Utah Birders Flickr Pool as the official location of the contest.  Create a SET on your Flickr account called 2013 Utah Photo Big Year, and upload your images there--1 photo of each species, what # of bird it was for the year, and when and where it was photographed.  Then also make sure to add it to the Utah Birders Photo Pool so we can see everyone who participates progress as the year goes on.

This is just for fun, but I will come up with some prizes for the winners--at least for 2nd and 3rd place since I don't want to give myself a prize :) Now that I have staked my claim, are there any takers?

UPDATE: 01/01/2013 at 4:45pm MT

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask via email at western.tanager@gmail.com. I went and created my new SET and added 32 pictures from 2.5 hours of birding this morning... Good Luck Everyone!