$5,287

Raised of $10,000

Jake Watching Birds

286 total bird species

Team participating in San Diego Birdathon 2026

Takes place Apr 10 - May 10, 2026

Captained by Jacob Condon

JWB San Diego Birdathon

We're excited to take part in the San Diego Birdathon, a birding challenge supporting San Diego Bird Alliance’s local conservation, education, and advocacy efforts that benefit birds, other wildlife, and all who enjoy them.

Here's what we're doing:

  • Similar to a walkathon where you count steps and raise money, the Birdathon is an opportunity to raise funds for San Diego Bird Alliance as teams count bird species. We are one of several teams participating. You can learn more about the overall Birdathon fundraiser by clicking the logo at the top-left of this page.

  • Each team's bird count must take place within a 24 hour period between April 10 and May 10.

  • We're going to bird for 24 hours straight. Yes, even at night. Owls and nightjars are active at night, so we'll target those and anything else looking for a midnight snack before the sun rises and after it sets.

  • Along with birding, Jake will be attempting his first marathon before the sun rises, covering the 26.2 miles while listening for the calls of these nocturnal species. He will also be aiming to photograph his 600th species. As of 3/8/26, he is at 583.

  • We are hoping to raise over $10,000 in donations and observe at least 200 bird species on the day of our Birdathon.

  • But our Birdathon doesn't stop there. Our goal for the entirety of the month-long event is 300 total species, and for every 10 we spot, we pledge to collect one bag of trash from San Diego's parks and natural areas.

Please consider supporting our efforts by giving to our page. You can leave a flat donation to our team or make a pledge per species when donating to a team member (both are tax-deductible). Every dollar helps our feathered friends!

We're so grateful for your support on behalf of the birds we love. You can find more information about the San Diego Bird Alliance, their mission, and current conservation initiatives here at their website.

About the Event

Apr 10 - May 10, 2026

Team Members 5

Jacob Condon

3 wk. ago

128

bird species

$27.76

Per bird species

$3,553.28

Earned

Not Quite

On the Big Day itself, I saw 63 species of our team's 141 total. It was an awesome day, but not quite 200. Over the course of the entire month, I tallied up a whopping 128 out of 300 on my own. Pretty much had it, just missed it by a hair.

I did finish the marathon by sunrise, and I've collected 5 bags of trash out of the pledged 14. I'm counting the bucket full of trash/whole tire as one bag. I'm still working on that project and will share updates as I go.

I may or may not have severely underestimated the work it takes to complete every single one of the goals I set for this Birdathon. Either way, it was still fun, and I feel like a new man.

Read the whole story of our Big Day here: https://www.jakewatchingbirds.com/events/post-birdathon-update

Thanks so much for everyone's support :)

95

bird species

$3.68

Per bird species

$349.60

Earned

Super excited to share that I ended up seeing 95 species for the San Diego Birdathon! Despite a rainy morning, I had a great time searching for owls in Canyonside Park, hiking around Mount Laguna, walking the coast in La Jolla, exploring San Elijo Lagoon, and hitting the loon trifecta in Mission Bay. So glad my buddy Ben could join for the afternoon. Overall, an amazing day in nature getting to see so much wonderful biodiversity!

Final trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/499246

Maddie Carr

1 mo. ago

63

bird species

$10.81

Per bird species

$681.03

Earned

I’m excited to share our team did very well during our birdathon seeing 139 species! Jake and I birded in the desert and into Ramona Hills Grasslands seeing 63 total bird species as well as two snakes, which was a fun treat.

Donations 72