Think you have a good idea of what it takes to be an atlaser? You may be surprised. With more than 1,800 participants to date, the truth is that there is no single “type” of person who gets involved. Every atlaser brings a distinct set of talents to the project, and our volunteer team is truly as varied as the bird species they observe. You can be any age, live anywhere, and need only an interest in birds to participate.
This month’s spotlight features the woman who may be our most prolific atlaser, with 3,290 complete atlas checklists logged to date. Within those checklists she’s confirmed 147 species, placing her within the ranks of the Top 10 atlasers by confirmed species. This month, meet Kay Kavanagh of Florence County!
NAME:
Kay Kavanagh
HOME COUNTY:
Originally from Middleton, WI, now living in Niagara, WI in Florence County.
AGE:
late 70s
Kay credits the Blackburnian Warbler—which she first spotted when she was about 40—as being the special bird that jump-started her quest to see more species.
FAVORITE BIRDS:
My favorite bird song is the Winter Wren, followed as a close second by the Western Meadowlark. I have too many favorites to choose just one, but I credit the Blackburnian Warbler as being the special bird that began my intense quest to see more species. I’d lived more than 40 years without seeing one, and was amazed to see and identify this brilliant tiny bird among many other small colorful warblers that I hadn’t even known existed!
OTHER CITIZEN SCIENCE EXPERIENCE:
I’ve been birding seriously for 40 years. I’ve also been involved in the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, led beginning bird walks, and participated in the first Atlas project 20 years ago in Dane, Florence, Iowa, and Marinette Counties.
The bicycle is Kay’s preferred mode of travel while birding.
I participated in 25 years of United States Geological Survey Breeding Bird Survey routes (this year completing four routes), and 22 years of Christmas Bird Counts, including compiling two this year and helping with eight. I’ve participated in Project Feeder Watch; Great Backyard Bird Counts; owl, whip-poor-will, and Red-shouldered Hawk surveys; and Nicolet National Forest point counts. I’ve also participated in the Nature Conservancy survey of Wild Rivers in Florence and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources surveys of Dunbar Barrens and Spread Eagle Barrens, and Pine and Popple River Surveys in Florence County.
WHERE DO YOU ATLAS:
Noel Cutright convinced me to atlas mainly in Iowa and Florence Counties during the first atlas because there wasn’t much coverage in those areas. For the second atlas, I tried very hard to cover most of Florence County, as well as parts of Forest, Marinette, Langlade, Taylor, and Price Counties. This year I will do four blocks in Door County. I’ve completed many blocks.
Evening Grosbeak has been confirmed multiple times on Kay’s watch during Atlas II.
MOST INTERESTING ATLASING EXPERIENCE:
There have been so many interesting finds. But to choose a couple would be the Northern Goshawk, Evening Grosbeak, and Red Crossbill in Florence and Forest Counties.
ADVICE FOR SOMEONE “ON THE FENCE” ABOUT PARTICIPATING:
Since birding has basically rescued my life, I feel an obligation to help discover and answer questions of the birding world in Wisconsin. I particularly want to represent Florence County, where I have spent most days of the last 22 years of my life birding.