Who are our incredible volunteers? With more than 1,100 Atlasers, it’s no surprise that once you get past the binoculars our volunteers are as varied as the bird species they observe. This series turns the spotlight on a few of the many dedicated men and women who are helping the Atlas achieve such tremendous success as we work our way through our second year.
This month, meet Daryl Christensen of Marquette County!
Name:
Daryl Christensen
Hometown:
Montello, WI
Number of years birdwatching:
62 years: My father and grandfather got me interested in birds when I was a child. It was my job to fill the feeders and I would sit and watch the birds for hours on end. In those days, the DNR would drop off sacks of feed and we would feed pheasants and quail in the field below our house all winter.
Other citizen science experience:
I’ve been involved in so many citizen science projects over the years: the old checklist project, Bluebird trail monitoring, Christmas Bird Count, Great Backyard Bird Count, Swift Night Out, Kirtland’s Warbler monitoring, Whooping Crane Project, Black, Forster’s and Common Tern nest monitoring, and on and on. Working with endangered species recovery programs has been especially rewarding.
Favorite bird:
My favorite bird has always been the Mourning Dove. Their seemingly sad song always made me feel that they were lamenting the loss of their cousins, the Passenger Pigeons.
Motivation to Atlas:
Dr. Bill Brooks enlisted my help for the first Atlas in Marquette, Green Lake and Waushara Counties. He was a great mentor as was avian ecologist, Sumner Matteson. I enjoyed the challenge so much the first time, that I couldn’t wait to do Atlas II.
Primary atlasing location:
Since I’m still doing Black Tern surveys all over the state, I guess you could say that I am atlasing all over the state! But primarily I atlas in Marquette County in several priority and regular blocks.
Atlaser Daryl Christensen has been lucky enough to have a Kirtland’s Warbler land on his hat with a bug in its mouth. Photo by Nick Anich.
Most interesting or memorable Atlas find:
That’s a tough one. Watching Kirtland’s Warbler fledglings leave the nest is pretty special; but I would have to say finding a Horned Grebe with two chicks while monitoring Black Terns in Burnett County this year with my long-time friend and mentor, Sumner Matteson, has to be at the top of the list—at least so far!
Most rewarding part of atlasing:
The challenge of confirming a nesting species is the most fun for me. Sometimes it takes 5 seconds and other times 5 hours during repeated visits. The latter can be quite frustrating but is often the case for hard-to-confirm species. Everyone has their nemesis Atlas bird.
The fun is when a Woodcock family walks in front of you or a Kirtland’s Warbler lands on your hat with a bug in its mouth. Atlasing has changed the way I bird because it seems that from February through September I am always looking to see if a bird is carrying a stick or food, or if it is an adult or fledgling, or why it might be exhibiting strange behavior. I have found that I spend much more time actually studying birds instead of just looking at them.
Advice for someone interested in atlasing:
I would say they should at least give it a try. Don’t expect to be an expert right away. All of us are always learning and the birds are great teachers. Go along with another Atlaser to learn the skill of what to look for. Start with the easy-to-find birds to build confidence. Often the scariest part of atlasing is submitting the data (ok, and sometimes bears 15 feet away). But it is actually quite easy. And Atlas administrators are always there to help and guide anyone through the process. When I did the first Atlas, I thought “this is impossible!” but it gets easier and easier with each trip to the field.