Top Gun Birder

I had an interesting day yesterday. Got to meet a "top gun birder" actually. My birding mentor, Mr Science, brought one of Minnesota's birding "uber-gurus" John H. by for a "consultation." Now what would a pro like John be doing being

hitched up with a raw rookie like me?

To begin with Mr. Science was helping

John plan a Fillmore county birding tour

for the Zumbro Valley (Rochester)

Audobon Society. As a side issue, I was

to familarize John with "ebird". Ebird, for

those not attuned, is Cornel Universities

birding website and the home of the Christmas

Bird Count. I had been using it for over a year

as my "listing" repository.

I had just finished that job when I began

demonstrating a few of the birding posts on

this blog. One of them involved a line of

pelicans floating on the calm waters of

Lake Pepin. It had turned out they were

not floating but standing on a sand bar in the

middle of the lake. They had saved my

butt from crashing into the sandbar, when

racing towards it, I realized the birds were

standing, not floating.

John had been intently looking at the various

bird pictures, when suddenly he asked me

to magnify the Pelican picture. "What are

the little ones to the right," he asked.

"Some kind of seagulls," I ventured. "Draw

it up closer," he suggested. I took a stab. "Er

Ringbills?" "Yes, but not those two on the

right. Caspian terns are what they are."

Even Mr. Science was amazed.

According to the Minnesota Ornithological

Societies records John has the most birds

ever listed in Fillmore County. He is also

high on the list in many other counties in

the state. He is also approaching the top

record for the state as a whole. Given the

fact that he is also at least ten years younger

that all those ahead of him on the lifetime

Minnesota list..... well, with his great skill

and a little luck someday...

Yup, yesterday March 2, 2009, I was

fortunate to be in the presence of one of

birdings All-Stars!