NMT - No Motorized Transport Big Year

January 1, 2009
Hi all,
This morning I went out for a walk in the wind and sleet, and got started on a new type of big year. One I haven't tried before, but am looking forward to.
It's a "No Motorized Transport Big Year". Like the name says, no motor vehicles of
any kind allowed.
The rules are few and simple.
No cars, no motorcycles, buses, motorboats or airplanes. Your own two feet, a bike, a row boat, canoe or kayak, are all ok.
You can count any bird you see while on foot from your home base. The second you use motorized transport though, you are done counting until you have re-established yourself back home, and on foot. In other words, if you live in Nanoose, you can count every species you see if you walk to Nanaimo and back.
You could also count every species you saw on the way to Nanaimo, but if you
took a bus back home, you couldn't count anything from when you got on the bus,
to when you got back home. Make sense? I'm also going to use a gps to map my
routes and record how far I walk over the next year.
I think it's a good way to keep birding, do a big year of sorts, get more exercise, and most importantly, rely less on cars in general.
Rich and Dr. Brighton have both signed on, although both may have been drinking when they did so. Anybody else?
In my walk today I saw 34 species. The highlight was a large flock of Golden-crowned Kinglets feeding on my driveway, and two immature Trumpeter Swans resting quietly in a front yard near the Nanoose estuary. I think part of doing this type of big year is re-learning to appreciate the small things, over going nuts chasing the big things.
Thanks all, and good birding in 2009
Guy L. Monty
Nanoose Bay, BC
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BCVIBIRDS/message/9108

Link to PQBNews article:
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/parksville_qualicumbeachnews/lifestyles/39332554.html

PHOTOS: top Guy Monty and Nolan Lynch on foot. Bottom Rich Mooney and Nolan Lynch heading out on bikes.