I’m in kind of a quandary about what to do with my June. I was not planning on going to the fabulous Potholes and Prairie Bird Festival this year–it’s a great festival, but work was taking me in a different direction in June. Then I heard through the grapevine that some bird bloggers are planning a trek to North Dakota including Hasty Brook, Birding Bev, Kat Doc, and Wrennaisence on top of Julie Zickefoose and Bill Thompson who are normally there too. I thought that maybe I would head out that way for some fun birds and fun people. I love birding in North Dakota–listening to Baird’s sparrows and Sprague’s pipits while you’re surrounded by chestnut-collared longspurs is the BOMB!
Then, someone brought to my attention that Bernd Heinrich is going to be in Grand Marais, MN this June for the Boreal Bird Festival! I LOVE Bernd Heinrich book and not only is he a speaker but you can sign up for a two day course with the author who gave us such works as Mind of the Raven, One Man’s Owl and Ravens in Winter.
So, I’m really torn. You can get good boreal birds in Grand Marais boreal forest so it’s not a matter of birds. I need to decide–Bird Bloggers or Bernd? I don’t have the time and money to do both.
Here are blog entries for the Potholes and Prairies Bird Festival.
The way you put it it sounds as if the ND event would be more about fun and the Bernd event would be more about learning something new from someone whom you admire.
Plus it sounds like Bernd is a sure-fire thing and the blogger’s trek is still a bit tenuous.
Plus I love this sentence:
“I love birding in North Dakota–listening to Baird’s sparrows and Sprague’s pipits while you’re surrounded by chestnut-collared longspurs is the BOMB!”
Both will have great birds, but only one has Bernd. I’d love to see bird blogging friends but it would be awesome to take a class on nesting from that author.
It seems like meeting an author you admire (and then take his class!) would be something that’s almost once-in-a-lifetime.
They all sound like great options, though!
OMG! I’m a huge fan of Bernd Heinrich. Now I’m torn too. Do you have his newest book yet?
I wonder if I could manage both…
Bernd! Bernd! Bernd!!!!!
Hasty already wants to go… maybe the others will also join.
Go see Bernd!
Definately Bernd!! There’s no choice to make at all silly girl!