The birds of St. Croix had a flock of 20 human friends gathered at the Nature Conservancy, Estate Little Princess Saturday. The humans talked about habitats and the ways their feathered friends could be identified and protected.
The humans were presented information by St. Croix Environmental Association (SEA) Program Director Carol Cramer-Burke and Jennifer Valiulis, wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife.
A slide show called "Resident and Migrant Birds in St Croix" included a photo essay of resident and migratory wetland birds. Claudia Lombard of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Valiulis, and Cramer-Burke captured shots of fuzzy, speckled, little fledglings and ducklings swimming in a row behind mommy ducks or flocks of black necked stilts and more.
Cramer-Burke went over what she called the "geography" of birds. This geography outlines various physical characteristics of birds to aid in identification. She also emphasized that the longer one was able to observe a bird, the better chance one had of correctly identifying it. Cramer-Burke even gave her rendition of the chirping sounds of certain birds.
Besides the physical characteristics of the birds, she said, observation can lead to important details about birds’ feeding and nesting behavior. She told the group how birds distract predators and intruders from nesting sites by faking injury or even defecating on them. An interesting fact brought up was that shore birds like the least tern will wet their chest and belly to keep eggs cool.
Cramer-Burke and Jennifer Valiulis had more on their mind, however, then just providing information and showing fine photographs of birds in St. Croix habitats. After the presentation, they put before the group the idea of forming a bird club.
"We don’t want this to be a nature hike with a leader," Valiulis says. "We want everyone to be able to participate."
The first bird walk is set for Aug. 8 at Southgate Preserve from 7 to 9 a.m. Cramer-Burke will present birding etiquette and identification techniques. The walks will be held regularly through the fall to get prepared for the National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count. Call 773-1989 to register or for more information.
"Birdwatching is a fantastic pastime and it isn’t costly," Cramer- Burke said. "You can even do it in your yard. All you need is a field guide and binoculars."
