Dear Curiosity Journal,
Eleven bird enthusiasts gathered for the Driftless Curiosity Bird Lovers Program on Saturday, led by local expert Barbara Duerksen. Right before Barb drove in, I spotted a Scarlet Tanager in the tree above where she parked, as if announcing her arrival. Visitors listened to a choir of voices while sitting in the shade and sharing how they fell in love with birds. The storylines were woven with the common threads of awe, wonder, and joy felt within people’s connections to their feathered friends. We practiced identification through sight and sound, learned how to practice citizen science using eBird, and discussed a variety of creative ways to implement bird-centered conservation. Although our bird walk was a hot one, we saw some incredible species including; Eastern Meadowlarks, Bobolinks, Dickcissels, and Red-Headed Woodpeckers, who are all Conservation Priority Birds in Wisconsin with full protection status. We also saw/heard Indigo Buntings, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, King Birds, Chimney Swifts, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Common Yellow Throated Warblers, Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Barn Swallows, Cowbirds, Grackles, Red-Winged Black Birds, Robins, House Sparrows, Goldfinches, House Finches, Turkey Vultures and probably some others that I am forgetting, but I was pulling my binoculars up non-stop and loving it. It is a joyful gift to connect with kindred spirits who get jazzed when they see a new bird and share my passion for environmental protection. Bird Nerds Forever Oh, I took zero photos during the workshop because I was in “Birder Mode” and all the good looks were through the binoculars anyways. Instead, I’m sharing a photo of something the birds love, their go-to roost – the Mock Orange in bloom. When she flowers, she is the darling of the homestead, wafting her divine aroma through the gardens, stopping us in our tracks for a sniff. I envision the songbirds perfuming themselves for courtship and building nests within their floral abode and swoon just a little, possibly from the heat, but also from the pure loveliness of it all.
~Joy
