[wisb] Jaegerfest highlighted in newspaper article

From: "Tom Schultz" <trschultz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "WISBIRDN" <wisbirdn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:03:12 -0500
This year at our WSO Jaegerfest event there was a reporter present from the
Superior Telegram newspaper to do a story, which was published last Friday.
I would've provided a direct link to the article online, but it was
necessary to register for some of the articles on this website, so I have
pasted the story below.  The story mentions that there were about 50 birders
present, but there was a better turnout the following day (on Saturday,
Sept. 19th), when I believe our attendance was up around 80.  There were a
few minor inaccuracies in the story, but it is always nice when birders get
coverage from the media!

Tom Schultz
WSO Field Trips co-chair
Green Lake Co.
_____________________________________________________________________________

Published September 25 2009

OUTDOORS: Birds put on show for visitors

Gulls skim low over Lake Superior as waves crash to shore. A strong northern
wind has churned the water off Wisconsin Point to a muddy red color near the
beach, but the sky is clear in the afternoon sun - perfect for scanning the
big lake. "Jaeger on the horizon, just coming up," calls Shaun Putz. In a
flurry of action, other birdwatchers with high powered scopes set up the
watch, swiveling across the skyline to locate the bird.

By: Emily Kram, Superior Telegram

Gulls skim low over Lake Superior as waves crash to shore. A strong northern
wind has churned the water off Wisconsin Point to a muddy red color near the
beach, but the sky is clear in the afternoon sun - perfect for scanning the
big lake.
"Jaeger on the horizon, just coming up," calls Shaun Putz.
In a flurry of action, other birdwatchers with high powered scopes set up
the watch, swiveling across the skyline to locate the bird.
A group of about 40 gulls - typical targets of jaegers looking to steal a
meal - suddenly rises from the water and drifts toward the Minnesota border.
Something has spooked them.
"Bald eagle overhead," another woman calls. But no one takes notice. They're
all watching the approach of the distant jaeger.
"If it was a golden (eagle) I'd take a picture. But it's not, so I won't,"
Robbye Johnson says somewhat bitterly after the jaeger has disappeared. "I
just get mad at them. They push the gulls out farther. And if the gulls are
out there, the jaegers are out there."
Such was the scene on Wisconsin Point Sept. 18-20 during the 11th annual
Jaegerfest, organized by the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. The visiting
birdwatchers could tell you the difference between a Sabine's gull and a
black-headed gull and pick out a jaeger when it is little more than a speck
in a sea of blue.
Johnson, a longtime Superior birder and local contact for the WSO, attends
Jaegerfest every year. With many of the other birdwatchers coming from
Madison, Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin, the weekend in September is one
of the few times Johnson is able to get together with her fellow
enthusiasts.
And for the birders who flock to northwestern Wisconsin, Superior is one of
the few places in the state one is likely to see a jaeger.
"It's something that everybody looks forward to because it's so different
from birding anywhere else in the state," said Tom Schultz, co-chairman of
the Jaegerfest field trip. "When we first started doing this field trip we
were just hopeful for any kind of water birds. But we've had good luck with
the parasitic jaegers every single year. A number of years ago we coined the
term Jaegerfest for this event because that's really what is was becoming
known for.
"It's really the highlight of my birding year to come up here and
participate."
Jaegers are shorebirds that have a tendency to attack weaker birds to force
them to give up their food. On the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Web
site, parasitic jaegers are identified as rare, meaning less then nine
sightings reported each year within the state. Another variety, the
long-tailed jaeger, is categorized as accidental - less than one documented
sighting every five years.
In Douglas County, however, both types of jaeger are spotted more
frequently. During Jaegerfest, parasitic jaegers are not an uncommon sight.
Long-tailed jaegers have also shown up from time to time. In the past
decade, both Johnson and Schultz have documented sightings of a long-tailed
jaeger in Douglas County, Johnson in 2002 and Schultz in 2006.
The visiting birders often look for a few rare gulls, loons and terns during
the weekend in Superior. Over the course of three days, Schultz said
participants can expect to see more than 100 species of bird.
"In a location like this, it's exciting because you never know what you're
going to find," Schultz said. "We've never had a bad year."
About 50 birders showed up for Jaegerfest on the opening day and were
treated to parasitic jaeger sightings. Some participants in this year's
event traveled from as far as Texas.
Putz, a former student at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, came all the
way from Arizona to attend the three-day birding event. In the desert of
Arizona, he works with the endangered California condor. He loves his work
but misses the chance to sit by the shore and catalog birds.
"When I was here at school, I would spend hours," Putz said. "Sometimes you
see something, sometimes you see nothing."
By about 5 p.m. on Friday, half of the Jaegerfest birders had quit for the
day. Many of remaining birders were beginning to discuss dinner plans when
Putz again sounded the alarm.
"We've got a dark jaeger here, flying left," he said, following the bird's
path with his scope. "It's a juvenile. Are you on it Robbye?"
Johnson honed in on the jaeger, and the remaining birders scrambled to do
the same.
The birdwatchers then began calling out details they could pick up. Dark
color, two-toned top - not a parasitic jaeger.
Once the bird had flown out of sight, the birders gathered to share
observations. It took just a few moments of discussion to learn they all
agreed. The bird had been a long-tailed jaeger.
Johnson grinned as she headed back to her scope.
The day was complete.
Catch the fall migration
With the warm weather continuing past summer, the fall bird migration is off
to a leisurely start. A strong northern wind preceding a cold front normally
leads to the best birdwatching opportunities for migrating birds.
Those who hurry can still catch the end of the songbird migration (warblers,
sparrows and thrushes). Ducks, loons and hawks should arrive during the
first weeks of October, and gulls will finish off the migration season when
they come in off the lake in early November.
Wisconsin Point is popular for viewing jaegers and rare gulls, but it is a
good place to spot birds during the entire migration season. When birds
migrating south hit Lake Superior, there is always a chance they will funnel
down and pass over Wisconsin Point. Hawk Ridge in Minnesota is usually known
as a prime site for hawk viewing, but Schultz said there have been years the
migration is actually just as good viewed from the point.

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[wisb] Jaegerfest highlighted in newspaper article

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