Imagine 500 huge American White Pelicans with pouched bills and 9-foot wings outstretched, coming over the tree tops so low you can hear the air rushing through their feathers.

That was just one of the highlights that a stalwart bunch of Norman birdwatchers (or "birders" as they call themselves) enjoyed as they participated in Norman's first Big Sit at the North Sentinel camping area on Lake Thunderbird October 11.

A Big Sit is an annual, international, noncompetitive birding event hosted and loosely coordinated by the Bird Watcher's Digest, a national birding magazine. The idea is for people from all over the world to sit in a relatively confined area in a good birding spot and keep track of every bird species seen or heard. The only reasons for leaving the circle are to confirm birds already spotted or heard from within the circle (or use the restroom or replenish the party's food and drinks).

Angie Holt, the Norman Big Sit coordinator and recorder, said, "To put it in terms that a more typical Normanite would understand, the Big Sit is like a tail-gating party for birders. The big difference is that it goes on all day and the game takes place from the tailgate.

"The simplicity of the concept is what makes The Big Sit so appealing. Find a good spot for bird watching -- preferably one with good views of a variety of habitats and lots of birds.

"Next you create a real or imaginary circle 17 feet in diameter and sit inside the circle for 24 hours, or as long as you can stay, and count everything.

"That's it. Find a spot, sit in it, have fun."

This group, varying in size from four to twelve enthusiastic birders and a couple of dogs, spent the entire day from dark-to-dark, sitting inside their small circle on Lake Thunderbird having a great time.

Their goal was to identify and list as many species as they could, counting only birds visible or audible from within the confines of the Sit area.

The Norman Big Sit team, called the Wing Nuts, was varied in age, experience and birding expertise. They ranged from children to retirees, teachers, poetesses, college professors and graduate students. They struggled valiantly to stretch the number of different species identified. This struggle involved a lot of looking and listening, and often, a lot of discussing and sometimes, arguing about the various identifications. For the day, 47 species were counted.

The day started with a Great Horned Owl calling and ended with the Common Nighthawk. And the most numerous birds were Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Barn Swallows by the hundreds, and Franklin's Gulls by the thousands.

As mentioned before, a direct flyover by at least 500 American White Pelicans was a memorable event.

This year's Wing Nuts included Dick and Libby Gunn, Brian Davis, Jennifer Kidney, Ben, Carmela, Amelie and Fran Holt, David and Marilyn Saunders, Pat Scott and Rob Rodgers.