THE 2009 MONTEZUMA MUCKRACE

September 11 - 12, 2009

Audubon New York and Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex announce the thirteenth annual Montezuma Muckrace, to be held on September 11 and 12, 2009. This 24-hour birding competition raises funds to support conservation projects within the Montezuma Wetlands Complex.

This year our goal is to raise $13,000. Money is raised through sponsorships, registration fees and pledges sought by participants. Prizes are awarded to the team that raises the most money and to those teams that record the highest number of species. Again this year, Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex will match money raised by the top three-fundraising teams.

The 2008 competition raised over $12,000, which funded a shorebird restoration project on Savannah-Spring Lake Road in the northern part of the MWC named the Muckrace Flats, as well as an expansion of the wetland/retention pond behind the Montezuma Audubon Center to enhance wetland education opportunities at the MAC. 20 teams from throughout New York and neighboring states tallied 186 species, with the winning team finding 130 species.

Birdwatching

The 2009 t-shirt design, by artist Sue DeLearie Adair, will be based on three of her warbler drawings for the recently-published New York State Breeding Bird Atlas. One of these original drawings, an American Redstart, will be raffled off at the closing ceremony. The other two, a Blue-winged Warbler and a Black-and-white Warbler, will be sold in conjunction with the event, with one-third of the sale price contributed to Muckrace funds.

The Muckace starts at 7:00 PM (an hour earlier than last year) on September 11 and ends 24 hours later with a closing ceremony (complete with plenty of pizza) at the Montezuma Audubon Center. Birds are counted within the boundaries of the Complex for any or all of the 24-hour period. There are several levels of participation: Competitive (3 or more individuals who must count together), Youth, Family/Mentor (new this year!), Low-Carbon, or Recreational (any number of individuals).

Mid-September is a great time to be birding at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, one of New York's most exciting birding destinations. Please consider either participating with your own team or pledging support to your local team!

For more information about participating, becoming a team sponsor, or to be added to the mailing list, contact Jane Graves at jgraves@skidmore.edu. The registration deadline is August 25.

Download Muckrace forms here:

2008 Results:

74 birders participated in the twelfth annual Montezuma Muckrace. The 20 teams tallied 186 species during the 24-hour event, only two fewer than the record 188 species recorded in 2006, up from 177 in 2007.

In contrast to last year's drought and low water levels, this year's challenge was the generally high water throughout the Complex. Friday's more-or-less continuous rain did not bode well for participants, but shortly before the start time of 8PM, the rain stopped, and dry but extremely humid conditions prevailed for the 24-hours of the event. There was a very limited night flight, with three species of thrushes identified by flight call, but little else. During Saturday, flocks were few and far between. 25 species of birds were identified by only one team. Overall, 19 species of waterfowl, 10 species of raptors, 23 species of shorebirds, eight species of flycatchers, seven species of thrushes, and 26 species of warblers were found.

Congratulations to the top three fund-raising teams in the 2008 Muckrace! The winning team, with $1430.20, was The Three Muckateers, sponsored by Micron Industries. The team consisted of John Ballou (Rochester, NY), Dick Beery (Shreve, OH), and Dom DeFazio (Olyphant, PA). Second place, with $1316.00, went to the Capitol Cuckoos, sponsored by the Audubon Society of the Capital Region, consisting of Jane Graves, Meena Haribal, Larry Rowland, and Alison Van Keuren. Third place, with $695.90, went to the NYSDEC Crane-iacs, sponsored by the Old Duck Inn, consisting of Jim Eckler, Dave Odell, Paul Novak, Mike Putnam, and Mike Wasilco. The money raised by these three teams, $3442.10, was matched dollar-for-dollar by the Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. This enabled us to exceed out $11,000 goal, with a net total raised of $12,386.50. The funds raised are being used to restore a shallow-water marsh for shorebirds on Savannah-Spring Lake Road in the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area and to expand the wetland educational opportunities at the Montezuma Audubon Center by enlarging the retention pond/wetland west of the Center.

The winning competitive team, with 130 species, was EmpidoMAX!, sponsored by the Cayuga Bird Club. The team consisted of Jay McGowan, Shawn Billerman, Tom Johnson, and Brad Walker, all Cornell students. Second place, with 124 species, went to the New York Ornithological Association's Tyrannus tyrannus (formerly known as The Real White-Rumps), consisting of Mickey Scilingo, Jeff Holbrook, and Marty Mau. Third place, with 123 species, went to the self-sponsored Wind Birders, consisting of Bob Spahn, Doug Daniels, Allan Strong, and Kinsley Whittum.

The winning youth team, with 83 species, was the Downy Chicks, sponsored by the Cayuga Bird Club, followed by The Hummers, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited, with 63 species.

The Low-Carbon category was won by Ryan Douglas, the St.-Louis Cardinal, also sponsored by the Cayuga Bird Club, with a mountain and road bike combo, who tallied 103 species in 9 hours and 52 miles of birding, even though he had forgotten his insect repellant. The second-placed team, with 97 species, was Audubon NY's No rEgrets, with a mere single bike apiece.

2008 Muckrace Musings is available here.

Other documents you may find of interest:
2008 Muckrace total checklist
Breakdown of the checklist by team

So, round up a team and join us in 2009 for this premier fall birding event to raise money for bird conservation efforts at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex in central New York.

Past Muckrace Musings for your enjoyment:
2005
2006
2007