Lake Monroe home to bird-watchers

On a still, frigid Sunday morning at Lake Monroe, Scott Evans' breath turned into little clouds as he exhaled. Evans is one of about 50 bird-watchers active in Bloomington, a number estimated by Ross Brittain, a board member of the the local Sassafras Audubon Society. At 8 a.m., Evans bundles up and equips himself with binoculars, telescopes and books. \nThe cold is just one of the things bird-watchers put up with. But they are driven by an abiding love of nature and above all a great interest in birds, Evans said.\nHe described it as a passion of pensioners. \n"My goal before I die is to see how many species I can spot," Evans said.\nAlmost every weekend, people drive to the lake to go bird-watching. In a marshy area of the lake, Evans spotted at least four species of ducks in one morning. From the wooden observation deck by the water's edge, the ducks looked like little black and white specks on the water. But using a special lens, Evans could pick out the markings that separate one species from another. \nMoving a little further down the gravel road, Evans spotted a golden eagle perched in a tree across the water.\nThat was only the second golden eagle he had seen in his five years of bird-watching. He said the eagle is a migratory bird -- he was lucky to have seen it because it was only passing through the area.\nEvans, like other bird-watchers, keeps track of the species he sees. He keeps a log book, meticulously filling out the dates and places where he made his first sighting of a particular species.\nBird-watching is hard work, Evans said. Occasionally a bird will be seen swooping out of nowhere onto a tree branch. To catch them, bird-watchers wait patiently.\n"I don't know that a lot of people in this video game culture have the attention span to seek out birds," Evans said. \nDespite the frustrating moments, bird-watchers are sometimes rewarded with a feast for the eyes.\n"Different species go out to different habitats, and you get to see things that you don't usually get to see," said Brittain, who owns Wild Birds Unlimited, 1101 N. College Ave.\nBird-watching goes hand in hand with an appreciation of nature, Brittain said.\n"Birds are fascinating. They're beautiful animals," Brittain said. "Most of them sing very lovely songs." \nBut it's also a social affair. Brittain said the bird-watching community in Bloomington is a close-knit bunch.\n"We tend to run into each other out in the same areas," Brittain said. \nHe said sometimes when he goes to his favorite bird-watching area, he can tell if there's something exciting going on by looking at the number of cars parked alongside. There is also an e-mail list for bird-watchers called the Bloomington Birds listserv. \nThe mailing list helps turn bird-watching into something of a contest. Subscribers make it a habit to post the number of species they see on a given expedition. The messages sometimes contain directions to prime sites and little anecdotes about how someone spotted a certain bird. \n"It's fascinating how many species there are," Brittain said, adding that during migration season, he can sometimes spot up to 150 species.\nSome of the best places to observe birds in action are Lake Monroe and Lake Lemon, he said. But bird-watching doesn't always have to be done in the wild. Evans said he once spotted the Cape May Warbler, a little bird with yellow feathers on its head and red under its eyes, in his own backyard. That was the rarest bird he's ever seen.\nFor the novice, the Sassafras Audubon Society periodically sponsors day trips.\n"The best way to do it is to go out with experienced people and let them teach you how to identify birds and their calls," Brittain said. \nMonroe County Parks and Recreation will also sponsor the Bird-a-Thon May 5. Bird-watchers can compete in teams to see who spots the most species, said Cathy Meyer, a naturalist for Monroe County Parks and Recreation. The competition will help raise funds for causes of teams' choosing. April 15 is the last day to register.\n"We'd like to encourage anybody who wants to participate," Meyer said.