2024 Big Sit at the National Butterfly Center

2024 NBC Big Sit Team — *Selene Shores, Roy Rodgers, Nestor Hernandez, Joe Salazar, Ryan Rodriguez, Jack Daynes, Kristy Baker, Amanda Hernandez. Not pictured: Luciano Guerra and Judy Salinas.*

The first shift’s vigil at the National Butterfly Center’s “Big Sit” event began on Sunday at 5:00am. The sunlight had not begun to show. In the darkness, we could hear the songs of distant Common Pauraque and the ever-present Northern Mockingbirds. One of the sharper-eyed team members spotted the silhouette of a creature landing in the overhead branches of the nearest tree. When we shone our lights, we could see it was an Eastern Screech Owl. It was the first sighting of the day.

Only at about 6:30am, did the sky begin to illuminate. And that initiated the “Dawn Chorus”, when every bird in the area started singing their hearts out. Our biggest challenge during these pre-dawn moments was differentiating the calls and songs of the mockingbirds, from the nearby birds they imitated.

I consider my skills at bird-song identification to be above average (like the kids from Lake Wobegon), but we had on our team one of the most skilled birders in the region. I first met Ryan Rodrigez in 2021, during the first “Big Sit” I attended. Then, the 14-year-old was under the tutelage of one of Texas’ most beloved and amazing birders, Mary Gustofsen. We lost Mary to cancer in November 2022, and Ryan, now 17 years old, was on his own. His skill at bird identification was invaluable.

The Big Sit is just one of several state-wide birding competitions put on by Texas Parks and Wildlife under the name of the Great Texas Birding Classic. The goal of the Big Sit competition is to identify by sight or sound as many birds as possible, while staying inside a 50 foot diameter circle. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizers restricted the circle to a diameter of 17 feet. But to maintain respectful social distancing guidelines, they changed it to 50 feet, where it remains today.

The NBC teams for the past few years counted over 100 species, and they won the competition for the past two years. When we compiled our sightings for the day (5am-9pm), we had 98 species on our list. One factor that diminished our count, was the severe drought conditions the region has suffered over the past few years. This year, the 60 acre reservoir bordering the property’s eastern boundary was dry. In normal years we would get shorebirds, waders, and waterfowl fly-overs that could have pushed our count past the 103 species that were recorded last year. We all hoped for more, but despite the intense heat (106°F) and high humidity, it wasn’t the numbers that we counted, but the memories and the company of the people on the team that I will treasure.