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Minnetonka's binocular bunch

Laurie Blake, Star Tribune

Anne Hanley and George Skinner of Minnetonka teach classes on beginning bird-watching in Minnetonka, Hopkins and Bloomington.

A pair of Minnetonka bird-watchers share their know-how with beginners, helping to fuel the brisk growth of the pastime.

By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune

Last update: April 15, 2008 - 7:05 PM

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For information on how to get involved in bird-watching, go to the websites of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter at www.mrvac.org and the Minnesota Ornithologists Union at www.moumn.org.

Standing before a class of fledgling bird-watchers, George Skinner and Anne Hanley spell out rule No. 1: The birds come first. ¶ "You want to see birds, you want to learn about them, but we don't want to interfere with their breeding or nesting," Skinner instructs. ¶ So continues the tireless campaign by the Minnetonka husband-and-wife team to turn people on to birds.

On this day, they've donated their Sunday afternoon to give a free tutorial at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington to a troop of Brownies and about 15 other drop-ins.

"We think birds are so cool, and we think it's a good way to get people interested in protecting the environment," Hanley said.

Minnesota's forests, prairies and rivers make it a top national destination for bird-watching, and across the state dedicated volunteers like Skinner and Hanley have built enthusiasm for birds by teaching classes, leading field trips and putting on bird-watching festivals -- so much so that the money spent on birding now tops the money spent on hunting in Minnesota, said Carrol Henderson, non-game wildlife supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources.

They may not be as visible -- bird-watchers "are not wearing blaze orange when they go out to do their thing," as Henderson noted -- "but there are more of them."

Spreading the word

Classes like Skinner and Hanley's build grass-roots political support for protecting the natural habit that will save the birds for future generations, said Mark Martell, director of bird conservation for Audubon Minnesota.

"You can't do conservation without people caring and being involved," Martell said. "People protect the things they love. If you like birds, you will work to protect them."

The state can boast of having the longest-running continuous wildlife survey in the country, Martell says. Every Christmas for more than 100 years, an avian army of volunteers has taken an annual bird count in Minnesota.

Skinner and Hanley first took interest in birds in the 1980s "because they were appealing to look at," Hanley said. They got more serious and began taking classes in the 1990s.

Now they teach beginning bird classes in Minnetonka and Hopkins in addition to sessions at the wildlife refuge. They also lead field trips as members of the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (www.mrvac.org), one of 14 chapters across the state.

"When I meet people on the trail repeatedly who are coming to our walks and have been in the classes, and it's obvious that they have also fallen in love with the wildlife and birds, that's a big payoff," Skinner said.

Getting started

At the class at the wildlife refuge, Hanley runs a slide show of bird photos along with the sound of their calls and songs, while Skinner explains: "If you find a bird, point your nose at it, keep your head still, and reach down and pick up your binoculars."

After walking and gardening, bird-watching is one of the most popular and fastest-growing pastimes, Skinner says.

Information on birds is readily available at the library and on the Web, Skinner says. "You can go birding and not spend a fortune."

Skinner and Hanley recommend that people get a field guide and binoculars with a magnification power of seven -- for a big field of view.

Which bird is that?

A good place to start in identifying a bird is the beak shape, Hanley says. Birds can change the color of their feathers, their feet and even their eyes, but not their beak shape, she said. Start at the head and work down to figure out "who is out there."

Size is very hard to judge out in the field, especially with binoculars, Skinner says.

To identify a bird soaring overhead, he recommends looking at wing shape -- eagles hold their wings out straight; turkey vultures hold their wings in a V-shape; falcons have sharply pointed wings for quick maneuvering.

The best way to start bird-watching is to go out with other birders, Skinner says. And simply enjoy looking.

Laurie Blake • 612-673-1711

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