Winter is a wonderful time to bird in northeastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire. In celebration of this season, the Joppa Flats Education Center, 1 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, is hosting the Superbowl of Birding XI on Saturday, January 25, 2014 – 5am to 5pm (Snow date: Sunday, January 26).
Superbowls I-X were great successes with teams from as far away as Delaware and Pennsylvania participating. The challenge is renewed this year, with prizes awarded in ten categories!
This is a unique competition to find the greatest number of species and to earn the greatest number of points based on the rarity of the birds recorded. The Nikon Joppa Cup is awarded to the team that collects the most points by the end of the specified 12-hour birding day. Strategy and planning are essential in order to win this competition.
The event consists of activities targeted for all levels of birders. Expert birders can compete for a number of awards, including the Nikon Joppa Cup, Essex County Award, or Rockingham County Award. Teams with young birders 18 years old or younger can vie for the Seekers Award. The Fledgling Award encourages young families to participate. Nikon is the lead sponsor, and complete information may be found at http://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/joppa-flats/news-events/superbowl-of-birding.
