[BCNnet] *Birding bonanza*
Karolyn Beebe
Karolyn Beebe" <keedo@merr.com
Sun, 4 Jan 2004 07:16:34 -0600
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A leg up for birds & habitat for the archives.
Karolyn Beebe - Madison, WI
---
Duluth News Tribune | Duluth, MN | Outdoors | Sun, Jan. 04, 2004
Birding bonanza
The popularity of bird-watching, which was documented in a recent =
national survey, doesn't surprise Duluth's avid birders.
BY SAM COOK
NEWS TRIBUNE OUTDOORS WRITER
http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/sports/outdoors/7621681.h=
tm
They don't gather at the Metrodome on Sundays. They don't venture forth =
by the thousands on "opening day." They don't have to buy licenses or =
complete any kind of safety training to pursue their pastime.
They're bird-watchers, or birders. And like Vikings fans and =
anglers and hunters, they're out there. They're just invisible to most =
of us.
Minnesota and Wisconsin can boast more birders than all but two =
other states in the nation. Birders, both homegrown and those who come =
to visit, contribute more than $412 million annually to Minnesota's =
economy, based on a 2001 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. =
Birding expenditures are close behind the $467 million that hunters =
spent but far behind the $2.5 billion that anglers spent in 2001.
Birding is the most popular form of wildlife-watching in =
Minnesota and has enjoyed steady growth since the early 1990s. More than =
1.4 million birders, including residents and nonresidents, pursued their =
hobby in Minnesota in 2001. The birding figures, released in November, =
are part of a larger survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife =
Service to track outdoor recreation trends.
Birders range from the casual "backyard" birders who keep a few =
feeders to serious birders who will travel widely and often keep =
detailed lists of birds they've observed.
NATURAL APPEAL
The growing appeal of birding is natural, said some Duluth birders.
"As we become more and more urbanized, more and more pulled away =
from the natural world, we still need nature in our lives," said Duluth =
birder Laura Erickson, host of "For the Birds" on public radio stations.
"It gives you an eye on nature," said longtime Duluth birder and =
former National Aubudon Society board member Jan Green. "It takes you =
away from the affairs of the world, or your personal affairs, and opens =
up a world you're not in control of. It's kind of this spiritual, =
God-created-the-universe kind of message."
Birding appeals to people on several levels, Erickson said. The =
collectors among us can keep lists of birds. Backyard lists. County =
lists. Minnesota lists. Lifetime lists. The intellectuals enjoy learning =
birds' habits and natural history. And most of us simply enjoy looking =
at birds and watching them fly.
"They appeal to something deep in the human soul," Erickson said.
It doesn't hurt that they are all around us, that we can watch =
them from inside our homes and that even serious birding requires little =
special equipment. A pair of decent binoculars and a good birding guide =
are the essentials.
Duluth's Koni Sundquist has been birding in her back yard for =
years. She has four feeders out this winter, offering sunflower seeds, =
mixed seed, thistle seed and "walnuts for my chickadees and nuthatches =
and woodpeckers," she said.
"I'm not a lister, and I've never been a lister," Sundquist said. =
"I have friends who will drop everything and get on a plane and go =
halfway across the country."
Sundquist thinks the compulsive behavior associated with listing =
is "silly."
"I just love the birds," said Sundquist, who banded songbirds =
under a federal permit for several years. "They're unique, and they all =
have different personalities. Some are so bold, and some are so shy. =
Some are so funny."
GOOD HABITAT
Duluth, Superior and Northeastern Minnesota are fortunate to have =
excellent birding, Green said. Lake Superior's habitat draws arctic =
gulls and sea ducks in the winter. The boreal forest of the Iron Range =
and beyond holds many owls that birders want to see -- great grays owls, =
hawk owls and boreal owls. And the Duluth harbor has snowy owls most =
winters.
Warblers abound during the northward spring migration, when up to =
25 species can be identified, Green said. In the fall, wayward birds =
called "accidentals" get pushed toward Lake Superior from western =
states. In recent years, Minnesota birders have been able to add such =
unusual visitors as scissortail flycatchers, red-bellied woodpeckers and =
a sage thrasher to their lists.
The changing seasons, good wooded habitat and Lake Superior's =
jutting presence all contribute to excellent birding in Duluth, Green =
said. Many birds don't like flying over large pieces of open water on =
their migrations, so they get funneled around the end of the lake.
During summer months, with hundreds of miles of lightly traveled =
forest roads north of Duluth, birders know they might come upon a =
surprise species at any time.
"It's that sense of discovery that pushes people," Green said.
MAGIC MOMENTS
Most birders can recall a single moment that opened their eyes to the =
world of birding, Erickson said.
"Usually there's a magic moment that sparks it," she said. =
"Somebody will see a bird that is either so beautiful or doing something =
that seems so strange, and it will ignite something."
For Duluth's Green, it happened along the coast of Maine, at a =
lobster dinner the day before she was married to her husband, John =
Green.
"We were at a place where I'd been all my life, and all of a =
sudden he pulls me over to a brushy, wooded patch beside the rocks. He =
said, 'I want you to see this,"' Jan Green said. "He started =
'pishhhing,' (a hissing sound birders use to attract birds), and out =
pops a common yellowthroat. I'd never seen this before. Many people have =
moments like that."
Green calls it a moment of "exquisite discovery." From that =
moment on, many are hooked on birding.
TOURISM POTENTIAL
The state of Minnesota and various tourism organizations are only =
beginning to embrace birders as an audience worth targeting, most =
birders say. Birding festivals are beginning to pop up in various =
communities. Although the Duluth Audubon Society has for decades hosted =
its annual Hawk Weekend in September, Duluth will hold is first Spring =
Birdfest on May 8.
The Duluth Parks and Recreation Department and the Duluth =
Convention and Visitors Bureau agreed in December to grant Duluth =
Audubon nearly $5,000 to print brochures with maps showing good birding =
areas in Duluth and Superior, said Wendy Grethen, Audubon club =
president. The only similar brochure that existed before was one that =
Green created in the early 1970s.
"I think the powers that be in Duluth have no idea how important =
Duluth is in the birding field," Sundquist said.
A couple of other areas around the state have created "birding =
trails," basically a mapped network of roads showing birders where they =
can go on birding trips. Wildlife managers, foresters and birders have =
begun discussions about managing and marketing the Sax-Zim Bog area as a =
birding destination, said Pam Perry, regional nongame wildlife =
specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at =
Brainerd.
"People are flying in from England and Japan and all over the =
world to see the bird of the Sax-Zim Bog," said Carrol Henderson, =
nongame wildlife supervisor for the Minnesota DNR.
Henderson said attracting birders can increase tourism in areas =
that need economic help.
"It helps diversify some of the local economies," Henderson said. =
"It gives you another month of business activity that otherwise wouldn't =
happen. It complements the hunting and fishing.
"The bottom line is, there is a lot more to the Minnesota outdoor =
recreation scene than has been previously recognized or acknowledged."
---
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is =
distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest =
in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.
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<DIV>A leg up for birds & habitat for the archives.</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Karolyn Beebe - Madison, WI</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>---</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>Duluth News Tribune</STRONG> | Duluth, MN | =
Outdoors |=20
Sun, Jan. 04, 2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D5>Birding bonanza</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>The popularity of bird-watching, which was =
documented in a=20
recent national survey, doesn't surprise Duluth's avid =
birders.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG><SPAN class=3Dbyline>BY SAM =
COOK</SPAN><BR><SPAN=20
class=3Dcreditline>NEWS TRIBUNE OUTDOORS =
WRITER</SPAN></STRONG><BR></FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/sports/outdoors/7=
621681.htm"><FONT=20
size=3D2>http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/sports/outdoors/=
7621681.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>They don't gather at the Metrodome on Sundays. They don't venture =
forth by=20
the thousands on "opening day." They don't have to buy licenses or =
complete any=20
kind of safety training to pursue their pastime.</DIV>
<DIV> They're bird-watchers, or =
birders. And=20
like Vikings fans and anglers and hunters, they're out there. They're =
just=20
invisible to most of us.</DIV>
<DIV> Minnesota and Wisconsin can =
boast more=20
birders than all but two other states in the nation. Birders, both =
homegrown and=20
those who come to visit, contribute more than $412 million annually to=20
Minnesota's economy, based on a 2001 survey by the U.S. Fish and =
Wildlife=20
Service. Birding expenditures are close behind the $467 million that =
hunters=20
spent but far behind the $2.5 billion that anglers spent in 2001.</DIV>
<DIV> Birding is the most popular =
form of=20
wildlife-watching in Minnesota and has enjoyed steady growth since the =
early=20
1990s. More than 1.4 million birders, including residents and =
nonresidents,=20
pursued their hobby in Minnesota in 2001. The birding figures, released =
in=20
November, are part of a larger survey conducted by the U.S. Fish and =
Wildlife=20
Service to track outdoor recreation trends.</DIV>
<DIV> Birders range from the casual=20
"backyard" birders who keep a few feeders to serious birders who will =
travel=20
widely and often keep detailed lists of birds they've observed.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>NATURAL APPEAL</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The growing appeal of birding is natural, said some Duluth =
birders.</DIV>
<DIV> "As we become more and more =
urbanized,=20
more and more pulled away from the natural world, we still need nature =
in our=20
lives," said Duluth birder Laura Erickson, host of "For the Birds" on =
public=20
radio stations.</DIV>
<DIV> "It gives you an eye on =
nature," said=20
longtime Duluth birder and former National Aubudon Society board member =
Jan=20
Green. "It takes you away from the affairs of the world, or your =
personal=20
affairs, and opens up a world you're not in control of. It's kind of =
this=20
spiritual, God-created-the-universe kind of message."</DIV>
<DIV> Birding appeals to people on =
several=20
levels, Erickson said. The collectors among us can keep lists of birds. =
Backyard=20
lists. County lists. Minnesota lists. Lifetime lists. The intellectuals =
enjoy=20
learning birds' habits and natural history. And most of us simply enjoy =
looking=20
at birds and watching them fly.</DIV>
<DIV> "They appeal to something deep =
in the=20
human soul," Erickson said.</DIV>
<DIV> It doesn't hurt that they =
are all=20
around us, that we can watch them from inside our homes and that even =
serious=20
birding requires little special equipment. A pair of decent binoculars =
and a=20
good birding guide are the essentials.</DIV>
<DIV> Duluth's Koni Sundquist has =
been=20
birding in her back yard for years. She has four feeders out this =
winter,=20
offering sunflower seeds, mixed seed, thistle seed and "walnuts for my=20
chickadees and nuthatches and woodpeckers," she said.</DIV>
<DIV> "I'm not a lister, and I've =
never been=20
a lister," Sundquist said. "I have friends who will drop everything and =
get on a=20
plane and go halfway across the country."</DIV>
<DIV> Sundquist thinks the =
compulsive=20
behavior associated with listing is "silly."</DIV>
<DIV> "I just love the birds," said=20
Sundquist, who banded songbirds under a federal permit for several =
years.=20
"They're unique, and they all have different personalities. Some are so =
bold,=20
and some are so shy. Some are so funny."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>GOOD HABITAT</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Duluth, Superior and Northeastern Minnesota are fortunate to have =
excellent=20
birding, Green said. Lake Superior's habitat draws arctic gulls and sea =
ducks in=20
the winter. The boreal forest of the Iron Range and beyond holds many =
owls that=20
birders want to see -- great grays owls, hawk owls and boreal owls. And =
the=20
Duluth harbor has snowy owls most winters.</DIV>
<DIV> Warblers abound during the =
northward=20
spring migration, when up to 25 species can be identified, Green said. =
In the=20
fall, wayward birds called "accidentals" get pushed toward Lake Superior =
from=20
western states. In recent years, Minnesota birders have been able to add =
such=20
unusual visitors as scissortail flycatchers, red-bellied woodpeckers and =
a sage=20
thrasher to their lists.</DIV>
<DIV> The changing seasons, good =
wooded=20
habitat and Lake Superior's jutting presence all contribute to excellent =
birding=20
in Duluth, Green said. Many birds don't like flying over large pieces of =
open=20
water on their migrations, so they get funneled around the end of the=20
lake.</DIV>
<DIV> During summer months, with =
hundreds of=20
miles of lightly traveled forest roads north of Duluth, birders know =
they might=20
come upon a surprise species at any time.</DIV>
<DIV> "It's that sense of discovery that =
pushes=20
people," Green said.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2><STRONG>MAGIC MOMENTS</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Most birders can recall a single moment that opened their eyes to =
the world=20
of birding, Erickson said.</DIV>
<DIV> "Usually there's a magic =
moment that=20
sparks it," she said. "Somebody will see a bird that is either so =
beautiful or=20
doing something that seems so strange, and it will ignite =
something."</DIV>
<DIV> For Duluth's Green, it =
happened along=20
the coast of Maine, at a lobster dinner the day before she was married =
to her=20
husband, John Green.</DIV>
<DIV> "We were at a place where I'd =
been all=20
my life, and all of a sudden he pulls me over to a brushy, wooded patch =
beside=20
the rocks. He said, 'I want you to see this,"' Jan Green said. "He =
started=20
'pishhhing,' (a hissing sound birders use to attract birds), and out =
pops a=20
common yellowthroat. I'd never seen this before. Many people have =
moments like=20
that."</DIV>
<DIV> Green calls it a moment of =
"exquisite=20
discovery." From that moment on, many are hooked on birding.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><FONT size=3D2>TOURISM POTENTIAL</FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The state of Minnesota and various tourism organizations are only =
beginning=20
to embrace birders as an audience worth targeting, most birders say. =
Birding=20
festivals are beginning to pop up in various communities. Although the =
Duluth=20
Audubon Society has for decades hosted its annual Hawk Weekend in =
September,=20
Duluth will hold is first Spring Birdfest on May 8.</DIV>
<DIV> The Duluth Parks and =
Recreation=20
Department and the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau agreed in =
December to=20
grant Duluth Audubon nearly $5,000 to print brochures with maps showing =
good=20
birding areas in Duluth and Superior, said Wendy Grethen, Audubon club=20
president. The only similar brochure that existed before was one that =
Green=20
created in the early 1970s.</DIV>
<DIV> "I think the powers that be in =
Duluth=20
have no idea how important Duluth is in the birding field," Sundquist=20
said.</DIV>
<DIV> A couple of other areas around =
the=20
state have created "birding trails," basically a mapped network of roads =
showing=20
birders where they can go on birding trips. Wildlife managers, foresters =
and=20
birders have begun discussions about managing and marketing the Sax-Zim =
Bog area=20
as a birding destination, said Pam Perry, regional nongame wildlife =
specialist=20
for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources at Brainerd.</DIV>
<DIV> "People are flying in from =
England and=20
Japan and all over the world to see the bird of the Sax-Zim Bog," said =
Carrol=20
Henderson, nongame wildlife supervisor for the Minnesota DNR.</DIV>
<DIV> Henderson said attracting =
birders can=20
increase tourism in areas that need economic help.</DIV>
<DIV> "It helps diversify some of =
the local=20
economies," Henderson said. "It gives you another month of business =
activity=20
that otherwise wouldn't happen. It complements the hunting and =
fishing.</DIV>
<DIV> "The bottom line is, there is =
a lot=20
more to the Minnesota outdoor recreation scene than has been previously=20
recognized or acknowledged."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>---<BR><FONT size=3D2>NOTICE: <EM>In accordance with Title 17 =
U.S.C. Section=20
107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have =
expressed a=20
prior interest in receiving this information for research and =
educational=20
purposes. </EM></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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