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OCTOBER 17 2020 BIG DAY FOR BIRDS AND BIRDERS! BIGGER THAN EVER

Mark your calendars for October Big Day—17 October 2020! Big Days are a 24 hour opportunity to celebrate the birds both near you and around the world.

In addition, this year’s October Big Day 2020 is happening during the first Global Bird Weekend. The goal of Global Bird Weekend is to make October 17-18 the biggest ever birding weekend and support BirdLife International’s appeal to end illegal bird trade. One of Global Bird Weekend’s aims is to have more than 25,000 people submit eBird checklists on 17 October—will you be one of them?

We recognize that COVID-19 continues to impact our communities. Even if your local conditions have improved, we always encourage everyone to put safety first, follow local health guidelines, and bird mindfully. You can bird from home and still participate in October Big Day!

How to participate

  • Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data for scientists to use to better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free.
  • Watch birds on 17 October. It’s that simple! October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You don’t need to be a bird expert, or go out all day long. You can report birds from anywhere in the world—even 10 minutes in your backyard will help.
  • Enter what you see and hear on eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or—even easier—download the free eBird Mobile app. The app allows you to keep and submit lists while you’re still out birding, explore nearby Hotspots, and will even track of how far you’ve walked so you can focus on watching birds. Please submit your eBird checklists before 21 October to be included in our initial results announcement.
  • Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, keep an eye on how the lists are growing in different parts of the world. Follow along with reports from more than 150 countries. Stats will be updated in real-time on our October Big Day page

Watch the sightings roll in

Finding birds and keeping checklists is easy with the free eBird Mobile app. Download for iOS or Android.

Global Big Day Pro Tips

On October Big Day 2019, more than 20,000 participants submitted 42,700 checklists with 6,709 species. How many checklists and participants will we have this year? No matter where you bird, have fun, stay safe, enjoy the birds you find, and share your sightings on eBird. Your observations will help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

For more instructions; https: //docs.google.com/document/d/1Uq7mJQMz0k9XvBTRgrw-MN888-NxdGk7Vp7e6ha2mxM/edit#

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OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY, AN IDEAL BIRD WATCHERS GETAWAY

Birds often take a back seat to mammals when it comes to popularity but there is one private conservancy that provides visitors with a front row seat to discover, learn and experience birding in an unforgettable way  OL Pejeta Conservancy conserves 90,000 acres of savanna and rangeland. Situated between the critically important Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya, the key habitats are found include open Themeda grasslands and Acacia dreponolobium all of which provide habitats for a wide range of birds, including resident species and an ever increasing number of migrants, nomads visitors from: southern Africa, Palaearctic, Malagasy, Oriental, Nearctic, Afrotropical regions as well as housing several endemic and rare birds of the magnificent Laikipia ecosystem

Get your front row seat for a rare opportunity to watch Somali Ostrich display their remarkable dance

The variety of birdlife is enhanced by its visibility. Vibrant Sunbirds flit from tree-to-tree, Weavers build their incredible variety of nests in the open, the Starlings shine, resplendent Widowbirds dance in the air, and bright Turacos are strangely camouflaged in the trees. Kingfishers, Rollers, Bee-eaters, Hornbills, Barbets and Woodpeckers are present in many varieties, and for a greater challenge, the Cisticolas and Greenbuls provide just that. Overhead, the sky is alive with a variety of Swifts and Swallows, and raptors are plentiful. Ground birds include several Bustards, Larks, Pipits and Gamebirds, and the world’s largest bird, the Ostrich. 

Best time for bird watching

The early bird is never disappointed

More than 350 recorded species makes the OL Pejeta Conservancy a spectacular birding destination this includes many north Kenya specials. There has been little birding research in the area, so it’s possible there are even more species present. OL Pejeta focus on wildlife watching, so is you don’t have a private vehicle you can book one of their cool open top land cruisers for a birding experience like no other.

Yellow-billed stork

The Laikipia Plateau offers good bird watching throughout the year, but the best time to come is from November to April when the migrants from Europe and North Africa are present. This partly coincides with the Wet season, when many species can be seen in breeding plumage as they are nesting.. The best time for general avifauna viewing is from July to September and January to March, the conservancy has strategic hides, designated birding trails along the river beds and on-site professional bird guides so gear up get your binoculars, spotting scopes and guidebooks for your magical encounter.

Grey heron and his unique umbrella stand

Whether you are an independent birdwatcher,  with a group, a bird lover or you only see and hear these creatures around your home, your trip to OL Pejeta and you will definitely fall in love with them. Wake up to the melodious tunes of birds on the trees around your tent if you are staying in the camps. They ensure you understand that you are in Africa, in the wild, and it is important that you get ready in time for the day’s host of adventures.

Kori bustard displaying

These creatures also end your day with their tunes as you watch the sun diving into the horizon from the private veranda of your tented camp,info@olpejetaconservancy.org  you may also submit your records to the OL Pejeta Ecological Monitoring Team including photos of birds with rings on their legs to improve the overall monitoring of the environment make a date with OL Pejeta Conservancy at at either www.worldbirds.org/v3/kenya.php or at www.ebird.org/content/ebird as you enjoy up-close encounters with  Lions, Rhinos, Elephants, Chimpanzees  and other wildlife spectacles that   OL Pejeta offers

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