Focus On Diversity Conference, Be There!

If you are within a day trip of the Twin Cities, you should put this on your calendar. If you remotely work to promote the outdoors with the public, you should attend this event!

The Focus on Diversity Conference is coming to the Twin Cities October 13, 2012 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington, MN (right next to the airport).

The objective of this event is to promote effective outreach to more diverse audiences with birding, outdoor recreation and conservation messages.

We all know how homogeneous birders can look on the trail, we need to change this and we have some great thinkers coming together to try and tackle this issue. Enjoying the outdoors shouldn't be just a "thing white people do."

The forum and discussion will include Dudley Edmondson, Flisa Stevenson, Dr. Drew Lanham, Kenn Kaufman and even Duck Washington (if you've been to a Birds and Beers, you've met Duck). Put this on your calendar now, be a voice, learn, engage in this discussion.

There will also be a special Birds and Beers Friday night before the conference at The Corner Bar inside the Embassy Suites in Bloomington near the Refuge.  Birds and Beers starts at 6:30 pm.

Birds & Beers and Photo Contest Reminder

Don't forget you still have time to enter my photo contest.  Rules here.  The winner gets a $250 gift certificate to Eagle Optics!  I need photos of birds all over the world, especially birds at feeding stations, bird nests, birds at windows (ie fighting reflections), birds flying.  The most important thing for submission is that the photos be IN FOCUS.  Contest Details here. And I've set the date for the next Birds and Beers and it's that special time of year when it's time to get our timber doodle on!

Thursday, April 19, 2012 RAIN DATE, Monday, April 23, 2012

This is our annual Woodcock Tailgate Party and we head out to Lebanon Hills Regional Park, have some laughs and then 15 minutes after sunset try to watch the woodcock display. The woodcocks start their display about 15 – 20 minutes after sunset, which means they will start around 8:20pm. Since the display area is next to the visitor center at the park, we’ll meet there starting about 6:30pm and have an old fashioned tailgate party–you can come early to mingle or come closer to magic hour.  Bring your own food and beverages and we’ll laugh until it’s Woodcock Time.  The park closes at 10pm, so this gives us plenty of time to get some great birding done.  Some years we’ve had great horned owls show up and still got great looks at the timberdoodles (aka woodcocks).

Recommended to bring: lawn chair and boots, might be a little muddy, insect spray (ticks could be a possibility).  Dress in layers, it could be warm when the sun is out and gets cool quickly when it’s dark.  Binoculars and a flashlight are a good idea too.

For up to date info, check the Facebook Invite Page.

Birds and Beers in the News!

A big thank you to the Pioneer Press for including Birds and Beers in the article about bar gatherings.  For those visiting from that article, Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun. We have 2 Birds and Beers coming up--one in New York at the Houndstooth Pub on Wednesday, February 29, 2019 from 6pm – 9pm.  For up to date info, check the Facebook Invite Page.  This is also in conjunction with Non Birding Bill's show performing in New York--Man Saved By Condiments.  Hope you can come to Birds and Beers and I hope you can see NBB's show at the New York Frigid Festival!

In March Birds and Beers is at the Wilde Roast Cafe on Monday, March 5, 2012 from 6pm – 9pm.  For up to date info, check the Facebook Invite Page.

Hope you can make it to one and if you have a suggestion for a future location for a Birds and Beers, let me know!  Hope you can make it.  You can always get the latest on Birds and Beers by joining the group page on Facebook.

Birds & Beers @WildRoastCafe January 23

The next Birds and Beers is less than a week away and we trying some place new.  Regulars have asked for a place without a band and plenty of room for our group, so we're going to try the Wilde Roast Cafe.  I've been there to meet with friends and for a play reading last month and thought it might be a good fit.  They have a room just for us (I did have to commit that our group would order at least $100 worth of food and  beverage which for our group isn't a problem).  Wilde Roast has beer, wine, tasty eats and great atmosphere.  No scotch or whiskey, but I think that's more my issue than anyone else.

Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog or your bird tour business–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun.  I'll bring my iPad full of Israel photos and birding apps anyone would like to play with and I know several birders have gone to Sax Zim Bog so if you've never gone and would like to try it, this would be a great place to get the skinny on birding this awesome winter boreal hotspot.

Visit the Facebook Event Page for directions and to get the latest on when I'm hosting one, fan it on Facebook.  Rumor has it that we'll have one in Ohio in May...

Birds and Beers Reminder

I came across this photo from my trip to North Dakota with some birding friends last June and it reminded me--Thursday at 6pm is the next Birds and Beers at Merlin's Rest!

I can neither confirm nor deny that this photo has anything to do with the previous blog entry about my broken camera...

Birds and Beers is a friendly gathering of birders of all abilities to gather, have a beverage and talk some birds.  Looking for volunteers for a birding project? Wanna promote your birding blog or field trip business?  Just want to meet some other birders and maybe find a friend to go birding with?  Have questions about how to attract birds in your yard?  Have you ever noticed a bird at all?  This is the group for you!

Birds & Beers Big Year Edition!! Midnight Showing

Breaking NEWS: We have a special Birds and Beers next week!!

The next Birds and Beers is a special screening of The Big Year Movie opening! Showplace Icon is going to offer a special midnight screen Friday morning at MIDNIGHT (so you'll need to plan to stay up late Thursday, October 13! 

Tickets will go on sale Monday, October 10 and we may even have a few surprises to give away at the screening.  I'll be there at about 10:30pm to have a drink and socialize--there's a bar in the Icon below the theater and then carry on the fun above.

Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun.

To get updates on when the next Birds and Beers will be, become a fan of Birds and Beers on Facebook and when a new event it planned, you’ll get a notification.  Or check back here.

Birds and Beers Excitement! #birding

Holy cow!  Amidst all of my travel in May and June, a Birds and Beers opportunity has come together and I'm really excited about it! The next Birds and Beers is June 29, 2011 (next Wednesday).  This time we’ve been invited to Lift Bridge Beer Company in Stillwater–we can sample some local beers!  Take the afternoon off, do some birding along the St. Croix or just come for the birding company after work.  Make connections, see old friends and welcome new ones!  But wait, there's more!

This brewery is really excited about the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas Project.  If you come and enter in data to the database, you can enter your name for a free growler of beer to take home.  This is notes on any bird you know of breeding in Minnesota.  Know of a coot nest (like the bird above)?  How about a cardinal nesting in your back yard?  Or an owl nest in a nearby park.  Anything, this is important info that MN Audubon needs for the project.  You can help birds and maybe win some beer.  Everybody wins!

Thanks to Lift Bridge Beer Company in Stillwater for coordinating this event for birders and birds!

To get the latest updates on Birds and Beers, "Like" it on Facebook.  Here's the official Facebook Event.  I can't be in every state drinking every day and if you would like to host your own Birds and Beers in your community, that is okay by me.  Here's how.

Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun.

Birds and Beers Woodcock Tailgate Party

Just a reminder that next Tuesday night is the Birds and Beers Woodcock Tailgate Party! We head out to Lebanon Hills Regional Park, have some laughs and then 15 minutes after sunset try to watch the woodcock display. The woodcocks start their display about 15 – 20 minutes after sunset, which means they will start around 8:30pm. Since the display area is next to the visitor center at the park, we’ll meet there starting about 6:30pm and have an old fashioned tailgate party–you can come early to mingle or come closer to magic hour.  Bring your own food and beverages and we’ll laugh until it’s Woodcock Time.  The park closes at 10pm, so this gives us plenty of time to get some great birding done.  Last year we had a great horned owl show up and still got great looks at the timberdoodles (aka woodcocks).

Recommended to bring: lawn chair and boots, might be a little muddy.  Dress in layers, it could be warm when the sun is out and gets cool quickly when it's dark.  Binoculars and a flashlight are a good idea too.

If it rains on Tuesday, April 19, our make up date will be the following Tuesday, April 26, 2011–same bat time, same bat channel.

Stupid Hipster Crows

Non Birding Bill and I drove by Loring Park tonight and expected to find this:

But when we arrived there, the crow roost was bare!  The roost has moved.  As I let loose a stream of profanity as to how this affects Birds and Beers, NBB said, "You know what happened, they arrived around Thanksgiving and said, 'Oh, we were here last year, this place is all played out,' and then another crow said, 'I know this other little spot that's much quieter that no one knows about and is so cool.' See your problem is that you have hipster crows."

Indeed, the roost has officially moved to Elliot Park, not too far away, but we will not get the same view we had at last year's Birds and Beers.  We should still see crows fly in but they will most likely not stay at Loring outside of Joe's Garage.  Perhaps after it gets dark, we can caravan over to Elliot Park to see the sleeping crows?  So Birds and Beers is still on at Joe's Garage for Saturday at 4:30pm.  Sounds like we'll have more beer than birds.

January Birds and Beers at the Loring Crow Roost!

The next Birds and Beers is on January 22, 2011 at 4:30pm at Joe’s Garage.  This is the one where we watch the millions of crows fly into Loring Park!

I'm looking forward to this one, the crows at Loring Park are a spectacular sight and last year's gathering was the biggest Birds and Beers we've ever had!  The only downside is that we have to pay for parking for this event but we get a spectacular show in exchange. Birds and Beers is an informal gathering of birders of all abilities–if you’re interested in birds, you’re invited. You can meet other birders–maybe find a carpool buddy, ask about where to find target birds, share cool research projects you might be working on, ask a bird feeding question, share life lists, share some digiscoping tips, promote your blog–the sky is the limit. It’s low key and it’s fun.

Non Birding Bill and I stopped by Joe's Garage the day after Thanksgiving to check out the crow roost and even took a moment to walk beneath the crows in the dark.  Loring is a busy city park, these birds are used to a bit of pedestrian traffic.  As we walked through, one of the flocks abandon their tree.  For a second I was worried that we startled them but then NBB said, "That doesn't look like a crow..."

Sure enough, it was a great horned owl passing through the roost, no doubt looking for a vulnerable crow for a meal.  Hope you can make it and again this is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon and meet some new birding friends, promote your bird club or group.