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2002 DULUTH CONVENTION REPORT

10-16 June 2002

More than 600 ABA members traveled to Duluth to attend the ABA's eighteenth Convention. The meeting was held in Duluth's Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) which is located at the Duluth/Superior twin ports entrance to Lake Superior. Participants enjoyed great views of the harbor right outside the DECC's many windows -- and the opportunity to watch the unique "aerial lift bridge" raise straight up to allow 1000 foot long ore and grain boats to enter or depart the harbor provided an interesting diversion. Some of the artists began keeping a "window" bird list from their display areas in the DECC and they recorded 17 species including Common Loon, Snow Goose, and Merlin!

Field trips are always the highlight of any Convention and we enjoyed some great birding in the Duluth area, with a total of 182 species recorded on Convention field trips! Virtually all of these species nest in the Duluth area with only a few late migrants being seen. Kim Eckert superbly organized the Convention field trips - special thanks to him and to all of the volunteer field trip leaders for a job well done! The highlights were many, but the area is probably best known for its boreal species and breeding warblers. Most of the expected northern species were found, and an impressive total of 24 species of warblers were recorded during our three and a half days of field trips. The weather was sometimes variable with one trip reporting dense fog, bright sunshine, dazzling lightning strikes, and an intense hail storm -- all before noon! Fortunately, these periods of wacky weather were generally brief and we were able to get in the birding we had planned each day.

Great Gray Owl was certainly one of the most sought after species and fortunately there were several present in the Sax-Zim Bog area this year. Most of the participants on trips there were treated to great views of this magnificent bird. Our "logo" bird for the meeting was the Black-backed Woodpecker. An active nest had been located during pre-Convention scouting and birders on trips to the Superior National Forest enjoyed good looks at this sometimes elusive species (from an appropriate distance, of course). Boreal Chickadees were also well observed at a nest site in another section of this forest. Connecticut Warbler was high on many "most wanted" lists, and they were seen on most of our trips to suitable habitat. Other high-lights in the warbler family included Golden-winged, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Connecticut, Mourning, and Canada. An active Sharp-tailed Grouse lek provided excellent scope views of this species engaged in mating displays. Yellow Rails and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows were among the very few target species that were missed. We had hoped to at least hear them at the McGregor marsh or Crex Meadows, but unfortunately they didn't cooperate this year and went unrecorded on Convention trips. Many other spectacular birds were seen however, and these included: Red-necked Grebe, Trumpeter Swan, Northern Goshawk, Ruffed Grouse, Sandhill Crane, White-rumped Sandpiper, American Woodcock, Black-billed Cuckoo, Olive-sided, Yellow-bellied, and Alder Flycatchers, Philadelphia Vireo, Gray Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Winter and Sedge Wrens, Clay-colored, Le Conte's and Lincoln's Sparrows, Bobolink, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, and Evening Grosbeak.

Sightings of unusual mammals, various other creatures, and interesting plants are always a nice bonus while birding. A Black Bear and a few Moose were seen by lucky participants and some of the Convention staff were fortunate enough to see a large Gray Wolf while birding on their own one morning. A federally endangered sub-species, Karner Blue Butterfly, was observed along with many other interesting butterflies and dragonflies. Some of the meadows and hay fields were literally covered with thousands of wild flowers of almost every description -- a delightful complement to the colorful birds and butterflies being seen in these same areas.

When not birding, attendees were treated to many other interesting and educational activities. Entertaining evening programs were given by Dave Benson, Laura Erickson, Tom Powers, and John Kricher. Members learned at workshops presented by Wayne Petersen, Tom Schultz, Paul Lehman, Laura Erickson, and Dick Walton -- and Dave Grossheusch, Jim Corven, Mary Harkness, and Ron Nargang provided special programs on Friday afternoon. Exhibitors, bird artists, and a well-stocked ABA Sales operation treated the attendees to information and for sale items related to optics, tours, books, art, and many other bird related products and services. Participants had the opportunity to have their books signed by the authors at our book signing, and there were bird photo and bird sound quizzes to challenge and educate. Century Club members enjoyed a field trip and a Leica sponsored social on Wednesday afternoon.

Many corporate sponsors helped make the Convention a success by supporting various activities. Many exhibitors and artists were present, and eight of these contributed significantly toward Convention activities. Pentax Corporation was the lead sponsor -- other major contributors included Leica Sport Optics, Brunton, Zeiss Sport Optics, Kowa Sporting Optics, Bushnell / Bausch & Lomb, Swarovski Optik N.A., Swift Instruments, the Duluth Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Motorola Corporation. Our sponsors add greatly to our Convention and support ABA in its efforts to better serve our members -- we appreciate their involvement.

The ABA gave special recognition to one individual and again presented a number of awards at the Convention. Janet Ruff received a specially commissioned John Sill painting of a Ruff in appreciation of her generous contribution of $100,000 to Birders' Exchange. Full details can be found in the September issue of Winging It. David Sibley received the 2002 ABA Roger Tory Peterson Award for a lifetime of achievement in Promoting the Cause of Birding (sponsored by Swarovski Optik N.A.), Harold Mayfield was awarded the 2002 ABA Robert Ridgway Award for Publications in Field Ornithology (sponsored by Brunton), Charles Duncan received the 2002 ABA Chandler Robbins Award for significant contributions to Birder Education and Bird Conservation (sponsored by Leica Sport Optics), and Rich Stallcup received the 2002 ABA Ludlow Griscom Award for significant contributions to Regional Ornithology (sponsored by Bushnell / Bausch & Lomb). Full citations and photographs can be found in the October issue of Birding. Each sponsor donates $1000 to ABA's Education Fund and provides each winner with their top of the line binocular.

As usual, ABA held its annual Members' Meeting at the Convention. Members voted to elect Paul Bristow of Scottsdale, Arizona, William Stott Jr of Alexandria, Virginia, Debra Shearwater of Hollister, California, and Anthony White of Bethesda, Maryland, as new members of the ABA Board of Directors.

Convention attendees and our corporate partners always contribute generously to local conservation initiatives during the Convention and this year was no exception. Through these contributions, ABA shows its appreciation to the community that hosts us for the Convention, and it ensures that we assist in the long-term management and conservation of local bird populations. It also exemplifies birding economics in action, highlighting the contributions traveling birders make to local economies. This year, the ABA grant went to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and their efforts to protect the unique ecological attributes and exceptional bio-diversity of the Saint Louis River Estuary. Further details about the project are on this web site and in the May 2002 issue of  Winging It. ABA assisted by donating $10 of each Convention attendee's registration fee toward the project and additional donations have been made by ABA members, Leica Sport Optics, Pentax Corporation, Swarovski Optik N.A., and Zeiss Sport Optics. If you wish to make a contribution to the Saint Louis Estuary Project, please send a check payable to ABA- Saint Louis Estuary Project: ABA, 4945 N 30th St, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

The ABA's 2003 meeting schedule kicks off with a Regional Conference 12 -16 January at the Salton Sea in California and the next Annual Convention will be in Eugene, Oregon from 2-8 June.

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