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In: accessible birding, beginning birding, Chambers Grove Park, Duluth Parks and Recreation, Embark Support Employment, everyone can bird, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Lake Superior Reserve, The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve

All are invited to attend the first in a series of three free events designed for birders of all skills and abilities. Join “Everyone Can Bird: Spring Migration,” 9:30 – 11:30 a.m., Sunday, May 5, at Chambers Grove Park, Highway 23 and 137th Avenue West, Duluth. 

Birders on Wisconsin Point. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Hear the birds sing as they return to the north for breeding season. With spring migration already here, participants may see the first glimpse of a variety of forest birds such as warblers, sparrows, and swallows, and waterbirds such as grebes, mergansers and more.

Designed with accessibility in mind, the event will provide accessible parking, American Sign Language interpretation and binoculars with a wheelchair mount. A track chair – an all-terrain, electric-powered chair that can be used on hiking trails – is also available for use. Sit or walk along a packed gravel path throughout the park with expert bird guides to lead discussion and aid observation.

Free transportation is available from the Superior Public Library (1530 Tower Avenue) at 8:40 a.m. or at Menards in West Duluth (503 N 50th Avenue West) at 9 a.m.

The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Duluth Parks and Recreation, Embark Supported Employment, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Lake Superior Reserve, Minnesota Land Trust and Wisconsin Sea Grant are hosting this series.

In addition to the May 5 event, “Everyone Can Bird” opportunities will be held Aug. 14 at the Millennium Trail in Superior, and Oct. 12 at Hawk Ridge in Duluth.

Registration is encouraged but not required. Learn more or register at https://bit.ly/43ZGeu7.  These activities are designed with access in mind. People who would like to request additional accommodations should email Luciana.Ranelli@wisc.edu or call Luciana at 715-399-4085 at least 10 days before the event.

The post Everyone Can Bird, First of Three Accessible Birding Events first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/everyone-can-bird-first-of-three-accessible-birding-events-2/

Marie Zhuikov

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In: accessible birding, boy scout landing, everyone can bird

Participants of an accessible birding event spot birds on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wisconsin. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

All are invited to attend the first in a series of three events designed for birders of all skills and abilities. Join “Everyone Can Bird: Spring Arrivals,” 9:30-11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 6, at Boy Scout Landing Public Water Access, 11 Commonwealth Ave., Duluth. 

Designed with accessibility in mind, the event will provide American Sign Language interpretation, stationary birding options, binoculars and spotting scopes for use. Expert birding guides will lead discussion and aid observation. The Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Hawk Ridge, Lake Superior Reserve, Wisconsin Sea Grant, and the Minnesota Land Trust are hosting the “Everyone Can Bird” series.

Spring is a great time to spot waterfowl, tree sparrows and bald eagles along the St. Louis River as some birds arrive or travel through after winter. Come and observe which feathery friends await. Light refreshments will be provided. 

In addition to the May 6 event, “Everyone Can Bird” opportunities will be held Aug. 2 at Barker’s Island in Superior, and Oct. 14 at Hawk Ridge in Duluth. The series builds on a previous accessible birding event hosted by the same partners that took place last September on Barker’s Island. 

Registration is encouraged but not required. Learn more or register at bit.ly/4331le7.These activities are designed with access in mind. People who would like to request additional accommodations should email Luciana.Ranelli@wisc.edu or call Luciana at 715-399-4085 at least 10 days before the event.

Boy Scout Landing Public Water Access is a collaborative project of the city of Duluth and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is one of the public ways to access the St. Louis River freshwater estuary. This “Everyone Can Bird” event occurs the weekend before fishing opener.

 

The post Everyone can bird, first of three accessible birding events first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/everyone-can-bird-first-of-three-accessible-birding-events/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=everyone-can-bird-first-of-three-accessible-birding-events

Marie Zhuikov

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In: accessible birding, Ashland County, Bayfield County, Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Kate McCall, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, Luciana Ranelli, Magaret Menzies, Mick MacKenzie, Pat Collins, University of Wisconsin Extension, Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center

Participants of an accessible birding event spot birds on Barker’s Island in Superior, Wisconsin. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Barker’s Island in the Duluth-Superior Harbor was the site of a free, bird-focused morning recently. People of all ages and ability levels attended an accessible birding outing led by experts from the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory and the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve.

The group met at the Lake Superior Estuarium on the island in Superior. They were welcomed by Luciana Ranelli, education coordinator for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve. She explained the three options for learning about birds. First was inside the Estuarium, where staff from the University of Wisconsin-Extension Upham Woods Learning Center had arranged bird artifacts and learning stations. Second was a spotting scope behind the Estuarium staffed by Pat Collins, a volunteer birding expert with the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve. This was designed for birders with mobility issues or anyone who preferred a more stationary option. The third was a guided tour along the Barker’s Island boardwalk with Margie Menzies, educator director for the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth.

Mick MacKenzie (right) talks birds with Pat Collins. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Superior resident and former city council member Mick MacKenzie recently had hip surgery, so the second station appealed to him. He said he came to the event because he’s “enjoying life. It’s good to be out in nature.”

After discussing the population health of kingfishers in the estuary with Collins, MacKenzie said, “When I was a kid, there was nothing down here on Barker’s Island. We’d come here to explore and play, so all this new development is really something to see: the whaleback and the hotel . . .”

MacKenzie was interrupted by Collins. “There’s a hummingbird right here!” Collins said.

MacKenzie expressed surprise that the birds were still around in September.

“They migrate through starting this time of year,” Collins said. “As long as there are flowers in bloom, they’ll stick around.”

Meanwhile, Menzies’ group got oriented to their binoculars and began their walk on the boardwalk. Sightings of the ubiquitous herring gulls around the island prompted Menzies to discuss a rare bird that steals gulls’ food: the parasitic jaeger. An annual Jaeger Birding Festival is held on nearby Wisconsin Point annually this time of year because it’s a prime time for spotting jaegers during their migration south from the arctic.

Her discussion was interrupted when two pigeons landed on the Estuarium roof. “When you look at birds, particularly from a distance, what do you notice about that bird that helps you think about what it is. What kinds of diagnostic clues can you look at on that bird?” Menzies asked.

Someone mentioned the pigeons’ orange feet.

“Yes, those red-orangey feet are a dead giveaway for pigeons. And a nice chunky body,” Menzies added.

The group moved farther along the boardwalk, following the shoreline of the island to the public beach, which is surrounded by native plants. Along the way, they spotted a turkey vulture, common mergansers, mallards, cormorants and warblers.

Kate McCall (right) and another birder look at cormorants off Barker’s Island. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Kate McCall, a member of the board of directors for the Friends of the Lake Superior Reserve group, said she attended the event because, “This is the stuff I love.” She is interested in making the outdoors more accessible for people of differing abilities and attended an accessibility training session offered by the Reserve previously.

Just one of the things she learned was that cormorants don’t shed water off their backs as easily as other birds after they’ve been diving. “That’s why they’re so clumsy when they fly afterwards,” McCall said. “I always wondered about that. It’s fun to learn more, not just about the habitat of birds, but their patterns of flight, as well. I just really enjoyed it.”

This free event was made possible through the University of Wisconsin–Madison Dean’s Innovation Grant to collaborators from Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center, the Reserve, Wisconsin Sea Grant, University of Wisconsin-Extension, and Bayfield and Ashland counties.

The post Accessible birding event delivers first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/accessible-birding-event-delivers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=accessible-birding-event-delivers

Marie Zhuikov