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About Us
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Events
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How to Find Us
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Enjoy the MWC
Friends of The Montezuma
Wetlands Complex:
c/o Montezuma NWR
3395 US Route 20
Seneca Falls, New York 13148
Montezuma Audubon
Center:
PO Box 187
2295 State Route 89
Savannah, New York 13146
315 365 3580
Refuge Headquarters:
Montezuma National
Wildlife Refuge
3395 US Route 20
Seneca Falls, New York 13148
315 568 5987
Contact us!
If you seek adventure and friendly competition, join us in supporting bird conservation at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex. Organized by Audubon New York and Friends of the Montezuma Wetland Complex, the Muckrace is a 24-hour birding competition that raises money for bird conservation projects within Montezuma. The event will be taking place September 12th and 13th at the Montezuma Wetlands Complex, one of New York's most exciting birding destinations.
When is it?
The 2009 Muckrace will start at 8:00pm on Friday, September 11 and end 24 hours later with a closing ceremony at the Montezuma Audubon Center. Birds are counted for any or all of the period within the borders of the Complex. There are three levels of participation: competitive teams consist of three or more individuals who must count together and recreational or youth teams that can have any number of birders. In 2008, 20 teams from throughout New York and neighboring states tallied 186 species, with the winning team finding 130 species.
Where is it?
The Muckrace takes place within the Montezuma Muckrace Complex in Cayuga, Wayne, and Seneca Counties in Central New York. The Montezuma Wetlands Complex is a 50,000-acre region at the northern end of Cayuga Lake that is one of the most important places for birds in North America. Montezuma is a major migration stopover for waterfowl, shorebirds, and landbirds and provides breeding habitat for several species of conservation concern, including Bald Eagles and Cerulean Warblers. Designated as an Audubon Important Bird Area of global significance, the Complex is a hub of bird conservation activity and research.
Check-in and snacks and beverages are at the Montezuma Audubon Center.
Who can participate?
Anyone can participate! Any age, any skill level. Teams consist of three or more individuals who bird together throughout the day. You can bird for as many or as few hours as you wish.
Registration
Information about the 2009 event will be posted here when it is available..
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.