From Sunday 05 April 2020
To Saturday 11 April 2020
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The second weekly challenge will be particularly fun for night owls (pun intended) and an interesting new experience for many others. It's night birding! As an alternative to this challenge (and any in the future), you can continue with the first challenge.
Here is an Audubon piece on birding at night:
https://www.audubon.org/news/birdist-rule-29-try-birding-after-dark
Some additional, useful information concerns the two kinds of photoreceptors in the eye. I apologize for the simplification: the cones are predominant in higher levels of light and can see color; the rods are predominant at low levels of light. It takes several minutes for the rods to "take over," so you have to be patient when you're birding at night. And, unfortunately, if you turn your flashlight or headlamp on for only a second, the cones take over, and you have to start again. But your patience will be rewarded!
Right now is a great time to listen for owls of many species. You might also hear Wilson's Snipe winnowing, migrating ducks, geese, and swans, and truly dedicated passerines like American Robins.
So spend a few minutes out in the darkness, and share in the comments of this event what you're hearing!!! And of course, eBird!