Adventures At Fort Snelling State Park – A Quest For Wintering Birds
By Deborah Locke, DNR Information Officer
A pretty interesting thing about birds is this. They are everywhere, in the city, suburbs, small towns, countryside. Whether you see them at your bird feeder in the back yard, on an office building windowsill, or whether you visit a state park or trail with your kids, you are highly likely to see and hear birds.
Maybe you want to do more than just see and hear them –you’d like to know and better understand them. Kao Thao, an interpretive naturalist at Fort Snelling State Park, teaches beginning birding programs. On a cold January day, we sat before a crackling fire at the park visitor center where he explained the equipment a beginning bird watcher needs (binocular and a field guide), and how to start this popular sport.
Why would anyone start?
“It’s relaxing and good exercise and because people are outdoors in nature, it helps stimulate good health,” Kao said. “Some people are avid bird watchers and grow to love it. They recognize the bird calls, the variety of colors, and even the interaction between birds and other species.”
That different bird species communicate makes sense, but I did not know that other animals could interpret a few of each other’s sounds and behavior. It turns out that some animals hang around together as a form of protection, like wild turkey and deer. “The more eyes that are watching for predators, the better,” Kao said.
Humans recognize the meaning of another species’ calls, signals, and behavior, also. For example, when your dog barks a certain way, you know that it’s upset. Highly experienced birders can tell from a distant birdcall whether the bird is distressed and signaling danger, or if it is seeking a mate, or if it is just signaling that it is there.
Experts at that level glean their knowledge through years of practice. It is easy to spot these bird aficionados: they carry a bird field guide, wear binoculars around their neck and often use a camera for photos, rather than a cell phone. Kao said that many will travel a long distance to see a particular bird species, and after seeing it, check it off their bird list.
So how does a person start to gain mastery of this sport? Look no further than your own household and your own children. Field guides for children are available in libraries and for purchase online. Let the kids see bird photos from a book or website so they know what to look for outdoors.
Many state parks throughout Minnesota have bird kits that you can borrow free of charge. The kits contain binoculars, a field guide, and a bird list of the bird species at that park. For information on parks with bird kits and much more, go to mndnr.gov/park-birding. If you start bird watching now, be sure to wear appropriately warm clothing, and cleats on your boots. Kao added that it is important to keep a close eye on the trail in the winter, so you don’t slip on ice or snow. It is easy to focus only on treetops when bird watching, rather than the path before you.
You could venture into the fascinating world of birding now with winter bird sightings, as a practice for spring when migrating birds return. When temperatures are extremely cold, however, birds are mostly inactive. On that brisk January morning following warmth from the fire, we set out for the park with our eyes trained on the trees and sky while decked out with binoculars and note pads and expectation. A woman walked toward us from the river and said she just saw an eagle.
We pressed onward, and heard chickadee chirps, a trill, and a faint squawk. Soon it became clear. The birds that overwinter at Fort Snelling State Park near the MSP airport remained elusive. Kao was dumfounded. He said that he had never walked down to the river at Fort Snelling State Park without seeing at least one bird.
Still, the quest itself was good. The cold air wakened every cell, the search turned into a kind of game, and I learned enough to know I want to learn more. Kao said that bird watching is an excellent introduction to nature for whole families. You can start now and get accustomed to the equipment and process or wait until spring when the migrating birds return. Meanwhile, learn to identify birds from a field guide or website. There’s much to be gained from a walk at a state park or trail. Even when the birds play hide and seek.
Images courtesy Minnesota DNR.
For a listing of state park and trail programs led by interpretive naturalists, go to mndnr.gov/ptcalendar. Sometimes registration is required to attend but many programs are free. You will need a $7 vehicle day pass on your vehicle dashboard that can be bought online or at the park ranger station as you enter.
