Birding the Refuge with Naturally Avian recently ADDED!
Naturally Avian Birding Tours and
Erik Bruhnke have graciously donated their time to support the Friends, the Refuge and the Songbird Festival.
The tour leader for this field trip is Erik Bruhnke who is the owner and professional tour leader for Naturally Avian. For this field trip, we’ll travel through a variety of habitats including grasslands, mixed woodlands, and shin oak, including some that is in the restoration process. Some trekking through tall grasses might be encountered, but most of the trail is flat and relatively easy. Birds likely to be encountered include Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black-capped Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat, Field Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Painted Bunting and other grassland and woodland residents as well as migrants.
The field trip will be moderately strenuous, and participants should be able to walk for several hours on hill country terrain. It will be worth the effort!
If you have never been on a tour led by a professional leader, this is your opportunity to experience it for yourself. If you have been on professionally led tours, you know this is a trip not to be missed. A special thanks goes to
Erik and Naturally Avian Birding Tours for their support of the Friends and the Refuge. For more information on Naturally Avian, be sure to visit
http://www.naturallyavian.com, as well as the Naturally Avian Facebook page.
Participants will be picked up at the Refuge Headquarters and be transported to trail heads by vans.
ERIK BRUHNKE
Erik Bruhnke has loved birds since he was a child. Since graduating from Northland College (Ashland, WI) with a Natural Resources degree back in 2008, he has traveled the country conducting a wide variety of bird surveys. His avian field experiences have taken him throughout many of the northern states; including North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, the northern forests of Wisconsin & Minnesota, as well as the Cascade Mountains & coastal regions of Oregon. Over the past six fall seasons, Erik has educated visiting birdwatchers and pointed-out migrating raptors & songbirds at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN.
Outside of field work, Erik has taught field ornithology over various years at Northland College. He is a board member of the Duluth Audubon Society, and has spoken & led field trips throughout many nationally-recognized birding festivals. His wildlife photos have won several national photography contests. Erik resides in Duluth where he offers year-round birding tours and bird identification workshops through his business, Naturally Avian. Although he loves all birds, Erik is a devoted raptor and gull nerd.
Assistant: Robert Hardway
Naturally Avian Birding Tours
http://www.naturallyavian.com
Naturally Avian Mission Statement
To inspire the conservation of natural resources,
and promote the awareness and appreciation of natural beauty;
through guided birdwatching trips, wildlife photography and giving presentations to the public.
