Hello Tweeterdom!
I, like many of you, have missed out on something recently due to the current world situation. One of the things that I look forward to every year is March Madness. I know absolutely nothing about basketball and yet the idea of a massive bracket, universities from across the country, and one winner, in the end, all give me such an adrenaline rush. To cope with this loss, and to keep myself from going stark raving mad from boredom, I have created a Washington themed Birding version of the March Madness tournament that many of us enjoy. 
Attached is a link to a bracket I created. Please fill it out and email me that you are playing. The 16 species that will be competing in our tournament have yet to be seen in Washington this Spring but that will soon change. To advance, the species has to be recorded (on eBird) prior to its opponent. For example, if House Wren is seen before Cassin's Vireo the House Wren is the winner and moves on to go against the winner of Lazuli Bunting and Pacific-Slope Flycatcher. The process repeats until only one species remains! It's safe to say that this bird will definitely be getting the worm. 
In the event of a tie (both are seen on the same checklist) the species with the larger number of individuals recorded will win but this seems unlikely to occur. If the number of individuals is also the same then the winner will be declared based on taxonomic order but once again this is unlikely. 
In keeping with social distancing and those with limited access to the outdoors I tried my best to choose species present on both sides of the state and can be seen from people's yards. Unfortunately, several species did not make the final cut which means that their first sightings in Washington will likely go by just as unceremoniously as usual but for the lucky 16 participants we are greatly anticipating their arrival!
Here is the link!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/N2f2VjT8927bBJ2C9


Please email me your Name, County of residence, and the species you think will win the whole shebang!
Good Luck and Good Birding!
Dalton Spencerhttp://www.247birder.com




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