Superbowl of Birding X: RESULTS

For the fifth consecutive year, the North Branch Nature Center sponsored young birders to compete in the Superbowl of Birding in Essex County, MA, only this year something was different... there were two teams!  NBNC has coordinated youth teams for birding competitions since 1999 and these fun events have been an opportunity for kids from around New England to come together and celebrate their love of birds.  From Berkshire to Rutland, this year's participants represented all corners of Vermont. 

This Western Grebe at Plum Island
may have been the rarest bird of the day.

The first team, the North Branch Noddies, was coached by Chip Darmstadt and consisted of middle-school aged birders and adult chaperones who were participating in their very first competition.  Despite the challenges of cold weather and unfamiliar birds, the youth team had an exceptional day tallying numerous rare species.  The second team, the Chocolate-headed Cowbirds (with sprinkles), was coached by Larry Clarfeld and consisted of high-school students and young adults, all veterans of previous birding competitions.  The two teams' combined tally of 68 species highlights the diversity of birds that can be found along the New England coast, even in the depths of winter. 

The Superbowl operates on a points system, where rare birds are given a higher point value, and the combined species list below depicts the point values of each bird as follows:
1 point (plain text)
2 points (bold)
3 POINTS (BOLD, CAPS)
4 POINTS (BOLD, CAPS, ITALICS)
5 POINTS (BOLD, CAPS, ITALICS, UNDERLINED)

Canada Goose	WESTERN GREBE	Blue Jay
BRANT	Northern Gannet	American Crow
Mute Swan	Great Cormorant	Black-capped Chickadee
Gadwall	Bald Eagle	Tufted Titmouse
American Black Duck	Northern Harrier	Red-breasted Nuthatch
Mallard	COOPER'S HAWK	White-breasted Nuthatch
CANVASBACK	Red-tailed Hawk	Carolina Wren
RING-NECKED DUCK	PEREGRINE FALCON	HERMIT THRUSH
Greater Scaup	SANDERLING	American Robin
Common Eider	BONAPARTE'S GULL	Northern Mockingbird
Harlequin Duck	Ring-billed Gull	European Starling
Surf Scoter	Herring Gull	YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
White-winged Scoter	Iceland Gull	American Tree Sparrow
Black Scoter	GLAUCOUS GULL	Song Sparrow
Bufflehead	Great Black-backed Gull	White-throated Sparrow
Common Goldeneye	RAZORBILL	Dark-eyed Junco
Hooded Merganser	Black Guillemot	Northern Cardinal
Common Merganser	Rock Pigeon	House Finch
Red-breasted Merganser	Mourning Dove	WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
WILD TURKEY	Eastern Screech-Owl	COMMON REDPOLL
Red-throated Loon	RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER	PINE GROSBEAK
Common Loon	Downy Woodpecker	House Sparrow
Horned Grebe	Hairy Woodpecker