PRATT ­– Kathy Carroll, Bonner Springs, identified 334 unique species of birds in the Sunflower State last year while participating in the fifth annual Kansas Birding Big Year contest that ended on Dec. 31, 2017. Her efforts won 1st place in the intermediate category and was the overall high among all entrants. The Kansas Birding Big Year contest is an annual competition among birders in Kansas to see who can spot the most species in a calendar year. Winners of the 2017 contest listed below competed against 62 total entrants.

Adult Advanced

            1st – Malcolm Gold, Overland Park, 332 species

            2nd – Andrew Burnett, Erie, 307

            3rd – Sue Newland, Wakarusa, 305

            4th – Robert Penner, Ellinwood, 302

            5th – Kevin Groeneweg, Wichita, 296

Adult Intermediate

            1st – Kathy Carroll, Bonner Springs, 334 (High Overall)

            2nd – Mickey Louis, Overland Park, 304

            3rd – Jennifer Hammett, Shawnee, 294

            4th – Kelli Egbert, Spring Hill, 286

            5th – Linda Zempel, Topeka, 259

Adult Novice

            1st – Allison Godek, Prairie Village, 297

            2nd – David Kirsch, Overland Park, 270

            3rd – Michael Bader, Great Bend, 234

            4th – Suntesha Wustrack, Augusta, 221

            5th – Walt Cochran, Gardner, 220

Youth

            1st – Andrew Miller, Partridge, 272

            2nd – Will Kirsch, Overland Park, 257

            3rd – Sam Schermerhorn, Wamego, 232

            4th – Lynnea Nelson, Carbondale, 208

            5th – Michaela Gold, Overland Park, 193

            6th – Ella Burnett, Erie, 162

Senior

            1st – Dan Larson, Berryton, 255

            2nd – Doris Burnett, Manhattan, 223

            3rd – John Row, Manhattan, 191

Birds are counted from January 1 to December 31 of each year and entered through the website, www.ebird.org, a reporting program housed at Cornell University.

Apart from bragging rights, winners receive prizes from the KDWPT Education Section, and Acorn Naturalists of Tustin, CA, a supplier of resources for the trail and classroom. The winners of each of the three age classifications (and skill levels in the adult classification) will also receive matted and framed original drawings of native Kansas shorebirds, drawn and donated by Dr. Robert Penner. Dr. Penner is the land steward and avian projects coordinator for The Nature Conservancy at Cheyenne Bottoms.

To sign up for the 2018 contest, visit http://ksoutdoors.com/Services/Wildlife-Diversity/2018-Kansas-Birding-Big-Year and get counting.

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