Please join us in congratulating Sandra María Plúa Alban of Puerto López, Ecuador, winner of the May 2019 eBird Challenge, sponsored by Carl Zeiss Sports Optics. Sandra María’s name was drawn randomly from 9,644 eBirders who submitted at least 3 eligible eBird checklists on 4 May, Global Big Day. Sandra María will receive a new ZEISS Conquest HD 8×42 binocular for her eBirding efforts. Here’s Sandra María’s birding story:
I have been a professional birding guide on the central coast of Ecuador for 3 years and eBird has been indispensable to me. It has enabled me to keep my registered sightings up to date and organized. eBird has also helped me ensure that my observations were correctly registered. I am able to download my lists so that I can create checklists for my clients and they appreciate not having to look up the local bird species. I also use eBird to demonstrate to my potential clients (over the web) that I am an active birder with lists always recently uploaded. Because of eBird, I can tell them that no Ecuadorian has more sightings in my province … and that is a pretty good promotional tool. I also participate in the annual Global Big Day which is becoming a big event in our little community of Puerto López.
Lesser Nighthawk by Sandra María Plúa Albán/Macaulay Library
eBird is a very useful tool that has allowed me to know more about each species and, using the online guides, to develop skills to identify more birds. It has also helped me to Think Big with the result that we have formed a club of birdwatchers called “Conaves”. Our objective is that more people, especially children and youth, become involved in the bird counts that we organize in our city of Puerto Lopez and the surrounding Machalilla National Park. We want everyone to share and value the importance of our natural resources.
This generous gift of Carl Zeiss binoculars from eBird has spurred me to continue my bird watching activities with even greater dedication.
Thank you for helping out birders like me.