(Nov. 10, 2016) Birders will often go to great lengths to capture an elusive species, and often have, as they scoured the site of the former Tyson Plant in Berlin as a noted hotspot, whether they were technically welcome there or not.
The damages, and statutes of limitations on any potential offenses are probably offset by the fact the Tyson Plant is no longer the Tyson Chicken Plant, it’s now a free — and open to the public — park.
“The site, previously marked online to birders as the Berlin Wastewater Treatment Plant, has always had this sort of magical allure for birders,” Jim Rapp, partner in Conservation Community Consulting, and in charge of managing the park’s presence on social media, said. “We let the birding public know the site was now open and it just kind of exploded. This spot is going to be birded. A lot.”
This weekend, a herd of birders will descend on the park as part of a Rarity Roundup — kind of a impromptu session where birders gather at known hotspots to look for species late to start their migration or early arrivals from their migration.
A website, www.ebird.org, was launched in 2002 by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology to provide data on bird abundance and distribution over geographic areas.
Berlin Falls has tallied 178 species on eBird, marking it as one of the most productive hotspots outside of the coastal bays region of Worcester County.
“There’s a nice variety of ecosystems at play in the park,” Rapp said. “There’s lots of water so there’s lots of waterfowl, and along the edges of the ponds you get wading birds and it’s surrounded by forest. There’s a variety of habitat and it’s all easily accessible to the public.”
So the hobbyists will be there seeking out rare species, and the park is open to the public, so residents and visitors can join in the fun.
“The whole hardcore community will be coming down,” Rapp said.
Rapp himself has logged ten species in the past week at Berlin Falls on eBird.
“Apart from the excellent birding, the coolest thing about this new park is the proximity to great coffee and great beer. Both Urban Nectar Co-op and Burley Oak Brewing Company are within walking distance of Berlin Falls,” he said. “You can bird in the morning with a cup of coffee from Urban Nectar, or bird in the afternoon and compile your eBird checklist with a great craft beer at Burley Oak.”
The damages, and statutes of limitations on any potential offenses are probably offset by the fact the Tyson Plant is no longer the Tyson Chicken Plant, it’s now a free — and open to the public — park.
“The site, previously marked online to birders as the Berlin Wastewater Treatment Plant, has always had this sort of magical allure for birders,” Jim Rapp, partner in Conservation Community Consulting, and in charge of managing the park’s presence on social media, said. “We let the birding public know the site was now open and it just kind of exploded. This spot is going to be birded. A lot.”
This weekend, a herd of birders will descend on the park as part of a Rarity Roundup — kind of a impromptu session where birders gather at known hotspots to look for species late to start their migration or early arrivals from their migration.
A website, www.ebird.org, was launched in 2002 by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology to provide data on bird abundance and distribution over geographic areas.
Berlin Falls has tallied 178 species on eBird, marking it as one of the most productive hotspots outside of the coastal bays region of Worcester County.
“There’s a nice variety of ecosystems at play in the park,” Rapp said. “There’s lots of water so there’s lots of waterfowl, and along the edges of the ponds you get wading birds and it’s surrounded by forest. There’s a variety of habitat and it’s all easily accessible to the public.”
So the hobbyists will be there seeking out rare species, and the park is open to the public, so residents and visitors can join in the fun.
“The whole hardcore community will be coming down,” Rapp said.
Rapp himself has logged ten species in the past week at Berlin Falls on eBird.
“Apart from the excellent birding, the coolest thing about this new park is the proximity to great coffee and great beer. Both Urban Nectar Co-op and Burley Oak Brewing Company are within walking distance of Berlin Falls,” he said. “You can bird in the morning with a cup of coffee from Urban Nectar, or bird in the afternoon and compile your eBird checklist with a great craft beer at Burley Oak.”