Duluth Audubon Society – Bird Watching 201

This workshop is for the birder hoping to brush up on their ID skills among certain bird families! Join Clinton Nienhaus, local educator, naturalist, and birder, for this next level introduction to those hard to ID groups of birds. We will be covering ID tips and tricks on some locally common species that give people fits and will hope to build confidence in further bird watching and bird learning. This workshop will investigate what tools exist for bird watchers hoping to learn more than the typical field guide will share, gulls (for two whole days!), raptors, and sparrows and warblers. You DO NOT need to have taken Bird ID 101 to take 201 and you may take both classes at the same time!

When: Five weeks, Tuesdays, April 3 – May 1, 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 3, Birding is Hard!

The first week of Bird Watching Workshop 201 will cover what can make birding so hard: variation in species, molt, weather, and how to be a prepared bird watcher. This class hopes to build upon the way you look at birds and take your ID a step further. Remember, the more we know, the more we don’t know about birds!

April 10, Seagulls or See, Gulls?!

Most people have a relationship with gulls in the Duluth area, but do they really know the diversity among this group of amazing species? This class is an introduction to the following week, which will cover the gulls that visit the Duluth area in the summer and winter seasons, as well as taking in to consideration how to go about IDing gulls.

April 17, Gull ID: Feather Study and Patience

The follow up gull ID class which hopes to take those confusing gulls and understand a few easy ways one can go about learning to ID gulls. The Twin Ports area is one of the most diverse gull communities in the US and most don’t take the time to look further than Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. This class will investigate common and rarer gulls in the area.

April 24, Raptors

Duluth is home to one of the most amazing fall migration raptor migrations in the US! Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is right in town and is a world renowned migratory pathway. Raptors still remain a tricky group even if you have spent time looking at them, over and over again! This class will be a good primer to brush up on Raptor ID and what to look for in the field.

May 1, Sparrows and Warblers

The last week of the Bird Watching Workshop 201 builds upon the Bird Watching Workshop 101 classes on sparrows and warblers. This class, however, will look at vocalizations of these species. Birding by ear can be rewarding, especially when trying to find those hard to see grassland sparrows and tree top loving warblers. A short ID introduction will be done on warblers and sparrows, but much of the time will be spent on vocalizations.

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!