MIDDLE TOWNSHIP - Last year was a big one for Tom Reed, a Cape May County birder who shattered a longstanding record for most species spotted in New Jersey.
Reed, of Middle Township, spied 362 kinds of birds in 2011, obliterating a 2002 record of 336 set by Rick Wiltraut, of Saylorsburg, Pa.
In birding circles, this competition is known as a "big year." Birders compete by town, state or even continent to find rarities. The quirky competition was popularized in "The Big Year," a comedy last year starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black.
"It was fun for the most part," Reed said. "You try not to take it too seriously. It is a bird-watching competition, after all. I try to step back and look at it as a regular person might see it as an insane activity."
Birding is the fastest-growing outdoor hobby in America, according to federal surveys. Birding is especially popular in southern New Jersey with its ample state parks and federal refuges.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_af1ca14c-38da-11e1-9ede-001871e3ce6c.html
Reed, of Middle Township, spied 362 kinds of birds in 2011, obliterating a 2002 record of 336 set by Rick Wiltraut, of Saylorsburg, Pa.
In birding circles, this competition is known as a "big year." Birders compete by town, state or even continent to find rarities. The quirky competition was popularized in "The Big Year," a comedy last year starring Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black.
"It was fun for the most part," Reed said. "You try not to take it too seriously. It is a bird-watching competition, after all. I try to step back and look at it as a regular person might see it as an insane activity."
Birding is the fastest-growing outdoor hobby in America, according to federal surveys. Birding is especially popular in southern New Jersey with its ample state parks and federal refuges.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_af1ca14c-38da-11e1-9ede-001871e3ce6c.html
