WORCESTER, Mass. - On a beautiful Saturday, bird watchers across the state got an early start for Mass Audubon’s annual Bird-a-thon competition.

While birding may not be one of the first hobbies that comes to mind when you think of competition, the Bird-a-thon raises the stakes of this peaceful pastime. Twelve teams are given 24 hours to see or hear as many birds as they can using a pocket checklist.

Alison O’Hare lead a small group on an early morning bird walk at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary in Princeton, one of many hikes held throughout the state.

O’Hare and others followed strict guidelines for the competition, including no use of bird call recordings to identify species.

“Most of us have been out since 6 o’clock last night, and will be out until 6 o’clock this evening trying to just get one more bird,” O’Hare said.

Although the Bird-a-thon is a competition, O’Hare is content with keeping things more relaxed and enjoying time with other enthusiasts.

“I really enjoy the birds myself, but I think, more than that, I enjoy sharing my excitement about birds with other people,” O’Hare said. “That's one of the main reasons that I like to lead bird walks.”

Martha Gach, conservation coordinator and regional education manager for Mass Audubon, said early May is the height of bird migration in our region, which means there are quite a few birds you’ll only see this time of year.

“This morning we had a northern parula, we had a Tennessee warbler, we had a magnolia warbler, we had a Wilson’s warbler,” Gach said. “Those are all birds we will only see within a span of two weeks during the spring, and then maybe a week in the fall.”

Gach also lead a morning hike, leading a larger crowd through the Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Worcester. In addition to seeing how many different birds are out there, she enjoys watching them go about their usual routines.

“This morning we saw a red-shouldered hawk carry a frog to the nest and feed it to the babies, I’ve seen a hawk and an owl mix it up, we’ve seen orioles and catbirds chasing each other,” Gach said. “It’s just fun to watch the birds interact and behave.”

The Bird-a-thon is Mass Audubon’s largest fundraiser, and supports their mission of protecting the nature of Massachusetts for wildlife and people.

Over the years, it’s also brought plenty of new bird watchers into the fold.

“A lot of people who have just gotten started with birding in the past year are wanting to push themselves a little bit further, learn more and get more enjoyment out of paying attention to the birds,” Gach said.

If you’re interested in learning more about local birds or bird watching, visit the Mass Audubon website.