Macomb Audubon joined this year by Oakland Audubon its 13th Annual bird-a-thon, raising money for Joe Rogers’ Wildlife Recovery Association (WRA) with much success in 2010.

A Bird-a-Thon is like a Walk-a-Thon, but it is much more fun to do. During the weekend of May 7-9, birders hit different areas: Crane Creek in Ohio, Pt. Pelee in Ontario, Macomb County as well as Oakland County. The results were pretty good as we tallied 161 species. Some notable ones were: Peregrine Falcon, Clay-colored and Lark sparrow, Upland and Western sandpipers, Kirtland’s and Kentucky warblers.

The weather was challenging, with gale-force winds and highs in the 40s on Saturday. A special thanks has to go out to some fine birders who helped make this a success: Mike and Margaret Goethe, Tom Heatley, Barb Baldinger, Joy Barron, Don Burlett, Kena and Heather Slayton, Colleen Traylor and Mike Mencotti.

Your pledges of either cents-per-species or flat donations help WRA. If you pledge 10 cents a species, you would owe somewhere like $16.10. But feel free to round up!

In past years, we have raised more than $500 annually for this worthy cause. In the 12 years we’ve had the fund-raisers, MAS has raised an astounding total of more than $6,900 for WRA.

The WRA is an organization devoted to helping injured raptors, in hopes of releasing them in the wild. Also, Joe Rogers, WRA’s director, had devoted much of his life to educating in his unique, high-energy way many students of all ages.

As with many nonprofit organizations, the WRA is walking that fine line of insolvency and solvency. It needs your help to keep his programs going. Please pledge either by mail or at the monthly membership meeting.

It is certainly not too late to donate or pledge. Your pledge is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Name ______________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

Phone ______________________

Amount of pledge. _____ per species, or a flat donation of_________

Make your checks payable to Wildlife Recovery Association, and mail c/o Mike Mencotti, 25378 Wykeshire, Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Here's the 2010 Bird-a-Thon List: