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A Change for the Twitchers

A Change for the Twitchers

(by Becky Suomala)

Each year the Twitchers usually participate in the Superbowl of Birding, competing in one town in Rockingham County, NH – but this year was different! In 2023, I was on a trip to the southern hemisphere during the Superbowl of Birding. As the Twitcher Captain, with me out of town, the rest of the team took a break from the competition. I still participated – but from a boat in the waters off Antarctica!
On Saturday, January 28, 2023, I recorded 13 species in and around the Antarctic Peninsula, including a life Snow Petrel, a species found only in Antarctica. Despite it being summer in the southern hemisphere, I still had to dress like I was on the Superbowl in New Hampshire, and it even snowed. I tallied 22 pieces of clothing – more than the day’s species! You can read my full results here.
We still raised funds for New Hampshire Bird Records and NH eBird and you can show your support by making a gift. A special thank you to those who already gave and those who made creative pledges that kept me on the ship’s deck for 12 hours watching for penguins and other life birds.

Photo: Gentoo Penguins on ice in antarctica – one of the 13 species I found (and photographed) during my Superbowl of Birding on January 28.