By Nancy Nabak, Convention Volunteer
“Great Birding On A Great Lake’ – you ain’t a kidding! And great people! What a fantastic convention in Two Rivers from the beginning to end!
It all started with a fun gathering on Thursday night - Birds & Beers/Bird Trivia at Cool City Brewing Company. Many folks socialized and enjoyed appetizers and bird-themed beverages, including one fittingly called, “American Avocet.” The trivia was fun, although a bit challenging, and we all learned something new about birds that night. Thanks to Explore Two Rivers for the grant to help support the evening.
Bright and early Friday morning, WSO birders could be seen haunting the grounds and trails of Woodland Dunes Nature Center (and the Dunes was happy to have them)! The numerous birders made the 50th Anniversary celebration of Woodland Dunes extra special, as bird banding and bird research is how the Dunes got its start.
Wendy Schultz, Awards Chair, put on an exceptional awards ceremony Friday night. WSO honored those who deserved the recognition afforded them: Bob Welch, Barbara Dembski Schwartz, Bryan Lenz, Shawn Graff, Joel Trick, Brand Smith, Robert Rosenfield, and Friends of the Black River Forest. Congratulations to all!
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our gull expert, Amar Ayyash was not able to present on Saturday afternoon, but he remained dedicated to the conventioneers by offering a virtual presentation Friday night following the awards ceremony. He then joined us on the lakeshore Sunday morning for a live workshop and gull identification assistance. All of us who were looking for more tips and tricks on how to identify gulls were extremely appreciative.
The early bird gets the worm, and our early Saturday morning field trips were no exception. Birders caravanned off in the dark to locations such as Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and High Cliff State Park amongst others. Thanks to Joel Trick for organizing each of the field trips and making sure that birders got opportunities to satisfy their in-field passions. Highlight species found (out of 134 tallied) include: Virginia Rail, Common Gallinule, Black-bellied Plover, Willet, Franklin’s Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Iceland Gull, Black-crowned Night Heron, Red-headed Woodpecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Tufted Titmouse, Brown Creeper, Sedge Wren, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Grasshopper Sparrow, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Golden-winged Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, and Canada Warbler.
After a morning of fantastic field trips, attendees spent the afternoon engaged in exceptional presentations from our speakers: Dr. Paul Schilke, Rebecca Jabs, and Dr. Titus Seilheimer. This powerhouse team addressed aerial insectivore needs, how scientific illustration helps us in our bird understanding, and how invasive species in the Great Lakes has an impact on our bird population.
Dr. Ben Zuckerberg, our keynote speaker, brought the message home with his Saturday evening presentation regarding climate change, how birds are responding, and where we can make a difference through our own actions and citizen science. Zuckerberg illustrated our current situation through the life of a Ruffed Grouse and its need for subnivium, the snow layer. (We could have stayed on that topic all night.) His truthful and researched words were necessary to hear and inspiring for all of the change-agents, “his people,” in the room.
It took four years to get this convention off the ground, but it was well worth the wait. A special thank you to all of the volunteers who heped plan, stuffed goody bags, registered people, led field trips, and filled in wherever needed. Thanks for making this convention one to remember!
Convention Photos: Joel Trick accepting his award: Tom Schultz, Nancy Nabak and Wendy Schultz: Tom Schultz, Chuck Sontag and Rebecca Jabs: Jennifer Lazewski
