The distant call of a red-shouldered hawk pierced the crisp morning air Saturday at the Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve. Hearing the screech, Nancy Martin clutched her binoculars to her face, scanning the barren tree line before finally spotting the elusive raptor darting from tree to tree. \nMartin, a local middle school teacher, and several members of Bloomington’s sizeable bird-watching community braved the cold Saturday, counting and identifying birds as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual event during which thousands across the U.S. and Canada gather data about their local bird populations. \nThe four-day event, along with the eighth annual Eagle Watch Weekend held Feb. 8-10 at Lake Monroe, are two of many occasions during which local die-hard bird enthusiasts join with amateur nature lovers to enjoy the ample and diverse bird species that make Bloomington their home.\nThe birders Saturday morning were not only out to enjoy a morning of leisurely bird watching, but also to help compile a nationwide database of how many birds there are the U.S. and Canada and where they live. \nHeld Friday through Monday, the Great Backyard Bird Count encouraged anyone to participate in tallying the number of bird species found in their area. After they’re recorded, the number and species of birds are sent to scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to be analyzed. A total of 80,000 reports, documenting 11 million birds and 616 species, were submitted online during last year’s event, according to the organization’s Web site.\nSaturday’s local bird count netted 21 identified species this year. \n“Counting all these birds provides a huge amount of valuable information,” said Sycamore Land Trust stewardship coordinator John Lawrence, the leader of Saturday’s local bird count. “Also, it just gives people a good excuse to get out and experience \nnature.”
Location, location, \nlocation\nAnother reason Bloomington is such a hotbed for birders is the number of locations that are suitable for bird watching, Lawrence said.\n“With Lake Monroe and Lake Lemon, you see a lot more variety of species than you might in other places,” he said. “While the high points are in the spring and fall, a lot of species migrate through the area, and quite a few choose to come here to breed.”\nNature preserves, such as one owned by the Sycamore Land Trust, the site of the bird count, also provide an outlet for birdwatchers. The square mile of land, located on Bloomington’s north side, features boarded pathways and elevated platforms at key sites. \nLawrence said some of his favorite species that frequent the area include great blue herons, Carolina chickadees, red-headed woodpeckers and blue jays. A sizable eagle population, including bald eagles, tends to attract many birdwatchers as well, he said.
Birders of many \ndifferent breeds\nMartin began birding about eight years ago, fueled by a passion for a nature and a desire to encourage her science students to get outdoors and explore the environment.\n“A lot of kids don’t get outside anymore,” she said. “So I started to offer my seventh graders extra credit if they go out and record information about the birds they see every month.”\nHer involvement has grown so much that now she can identify many bird species not only by visual recognition, but also by their call and their flight movements. Showing devotion to her hobby, she arrived Saturday prepared with binoculars, a high powered camera and an iPod loaded with various bird calls that she played over portable speakers to lure birds out of hiding. \nBut not all birders are so committed to the sport. Lawrence said he sees birders come from a variety professions and levels of devotion. \nOne of the five members on the bird-count team Saturday, Mike Lahti, a brewer at Upland Brewing Company who has a degree in wildlife biology, described bird watching as “just a loose hobby.”\n“While growing up, my parents had bird feeders, and I have them at my house still,” he said. “But, basically, I just like being outdoors and nature in general.”\nDespite the diverse bird watchers, Bloomington in particular has a highly active bird-watching community, Lawrence said. \n“Because of IU, you’ll see a lot of scientists and biologists from the college who’ll come out here,” he said. “But really you’ll still see people from all walks of life.”
