Birding for Beginners

This week we were treated to a program by Susan Smith, local Audubon member and birder extraordinaire. She came to the Mount and presented "Birding for Beginners," speaking about the spring and summer birds of our area--their habitats, habits, food choices and voices.

Susan is a local birding celebrity of sorts as she is on the bird rescue team often called when there are birds in distress. A couple of years ago three baby owls were found in a city park and she was one of the people who came and transported them to a nearby nature center/bird hospital.

We were among the many areas in the northern part of the US that benefited this winter from the influx of Snowy White Owls from the tundra of the far north. We had many on and around our Presque Isle State Park and other open spaces. Susan shared many Snowy Owl stories as part of her presentation, one of which involved their going to our airport and catching two owls that were frequenting the runways (a common problem with this type of owl). The rescue crew named them Erie and Millcreek.

I hope even more of our sisters will be alert for birds now that they've heard her. We are in a wonderful birding area with nearby woods, Seven-Mile Creek and a location only 4-5 miles from the eastern end of the peninsula.

Click here for an article on our local Snowy Owls.

Last summer's visitor. Photo by Bernadette Sullivan, OSB