Duluth Audubon Society – Bird Watching 101

Bird watching is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the U.S. Join Clinton Nienhaus, local educator, naturalist, and birder, for this foray into identifying birds for beginning bird watchers. The workshop will include tips on finding birds, tips on habitat, behavior, and tricks for identification. Each week will focus on a different topic: ethics, habitat, & equipment, sparrows, warblers, waterfowl, and shorebirds.

When: Five weeks, Mondays, April 2- April 30, 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Where: Duluth Folk School, 1917 W Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55806

Registration (limited to 25 people):

General Attendance (includes 1 yr membership to DAS) $50
Current Member (Duluth Audubon Society) $35
Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer $35
Student $25

To register, please contact Chris Edwardson (Duluth Audubon Society Treasurer) at chris.edwardson@gmail.com. Indicate which class you would wish to attend (Bird ID 101 or 201) and if you are registering as a current member of DAS, MN Master Naturalists, or as a student.

You DO NOT need to have taken Bird ID 101 to take 201 and you may take both classes at the same time!

Payment for the workshop will be handled at the first class period.

Questions? With any questions about the content of the workshop, please contact Clinton Nienhaus (instructor) at xanthomn@gmail.com.

Weekly Session Descriptions

April 2, Introduction to Birding: Ethics, Equipment, and Habitat

The first week of Bird Watching Workshop 101 is all about the pastime of birding. Come and learn about important equipment and gear you may need to help you ID birds, as well as information on field guides. Also, we will look at where to find birds, because some places are better than others when it comes to looking for birds. All of this information will be helpful moving forward to the following weeks!

April 9, Sparrows

Most people I know think there really is only one species of “LBB” (Little Brown Birds), but sparrows are one of the most fun groups of birds, and a group that is easier than it seems to identify! Come learn about this family of birds, their diversity, and some ID tips to help you feel comfortable with this group of birds!

April 16, Waterfowl

Very often waterfowl do not offer us close looks, and more often than not, we are forced to rely on scope views for proper ID. This week provides an introduction to waterfowl biology, as well as ID, especially at a distance!

April 23, Warblers

The most colorful and vocal of our birds here in northern Minnesota, but also one of the trickiest groups to identify! This week of the workshop will have us investigating and learning about warblers! Particularly ID tips, as there are some shortcuts when it comes to warbler ID.

April 30, Shorebirds

This week we end our workshop series with another group of birds that can be hard to identify – shorebirds. However, there are some shortcuts that can help with the ID! Join us to discover the diversity of feeding styles, habitat use, and variation of shorebirds!

Saturday, May 5, (Optional) Field Trip!

If you participated in at least one of our sessions, you are eligible to come along on the ID Workshop field trip! This will be a great time to use all of the little tricks and tips you learned through the previous weeks, and really put them in to practice! It will be a local Duluth area trip. Stay tuned for location and trip details!