BIG YEAR APPEAL - NETITISHI POINT FUNDRAISING

There is a little less than a month left in my Ontario Big Year, and, with 349 species under my belt, I’m running out of easy ones to add to the list. This is forcing me to set my sights on crazy expeditions to Ontario’s northern reaches with the hopes of Arctic specialties and rare birds from the Atlantic.

Why Netitishi?:

In the Fall, Netitishi Point on James Bay, east of the mouth of the Moose River, is the premiere spot for special species such as Gyrfalcon, Common Eider, Dovekie, shearwaters, Northern Fulmar and Gannet…the list goes on. Getting there requires driving to Cochrane, taking the Polar Bear Express to Moosonee, and, from there, taking a chopper out to the point where you stay in a hunting cabin. I have gotten in touch with the helicopter company, and they are willing to fly us. Moose Factory local Dave Rickard has offered to put us up in his cabin at the point.

Some friends and I recently returned from a week-long trip there, where we netted six review list rarities and a highly coveted James Bay specialty: Black Guillemot. North winds are ideal for birding there, and we only had two days of norths on that trip.

This upcoming week looks phenomenal there, with strong north systems on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Some keen birders (fellow Big Year birder William Konze is probably coming along too) and I, with your help, hope to go to Netitishi November 10-14. These dates are an ideal time of year for rarities and one of my nemesis birds this year: Gyrfalcon. Birding for several days at one of the province's most dreamed-about hotspots and rarity traps with ideal conditions is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Appeal:

However, as you can imagine, Big Years are costly, cash is very tight, and transportation by wheel, rail, and rotor is not cheap. It’s a big ask, but I am looking for donations to fund the trip. I am happy to provide a cost breakdown if anyone wants, but, all told, the trip would set me back about $1800. If I can't raise enough money and the trip falls through, you will get your money back!

Incentive:

Donors would get a trip report mailed to them detailing the adventure with lots of photos and access to a short documentary I would put together of our adventures (I can finally put my film school background to good use!). For donors part of a birding or nature group, I would love to come to give a talk on the trips to Netitishi or the Big Year (post-2022).

Contact:

Feel free to contact me via this GoFundMe with any questions. Thank you in advance for helping my Big Year be as big as possible!