On May 17, birdwatchers and wildflower enthusiasts spread across New Hampshire, including in the greater Concord area, to see how many species of birds and flowering plants they could observe and identify within a 24-hour period. This was part of New Hampshire Audubon’s annual Birdathon/Bloomathon day.
As part of the organization’s 100th anniversary, many observers set a target of 100 species for their excursions. Teams were comprised of 2-6 inpiduals, some of whom were new to the event, while others like Bob Quinn of Webster have participated in nearly every Birdathon/Bloomathon since the event began in 1980. A couple of new birders from Hillsboro were thrilled to identify 22 species on their first attempt. Quinn’s team, the “Knot so Swifts” found the region’s highest number, 98 species of birds, observed almost entirely in Concord. The combined variety of birds seen or heard by the four local teams was 118 species. Other teams focused on blooms, with 52 being the greatest number noted by the team made up of members of the Concord Bird and Wildflower Club.
