The Noel J. Cutright Bird Club, in cooperation with the Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory, will host its 14th annual Big Sit! at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve in Port Washington (see below for address).

The count will begin at 6 a.m. on the Bill Cowart Memorial Hawk Watch Platform at the northeast corner of the preserve. If the simple joy of birding is not enough to attract your participation, those arriving for the early morning shift will find bagels and donuts on hand. BYO on beverages. Not an early bird yourself? Arrive anytime and stay as long as you can. On on-site port-a-potty for your comfort and convenience.

Big Sit! events are held at multiple locations each fall in Wisconsin as part of an annual, international, noncompetitive birding event held during the second weekend in October. The Big Sit! is like a Big Day or a birdathon in that the object is to tally as many species as can be seen or heard within 24 hours. The difference lies in the area limitation from which you may observe.

Some people have called it a “tailgate party for birders.” Find a good spot for bird watching, preferably one with good views of a variety of habitats. Next, create a real or imaginary circle 17 feet in diameter and sit inside the circle for as long as 24 hours, counting all the bird species you see or hear and recording them via eBird.