October 22-24, 2004
A passion for birds has been described as a mild affliction of the central nervous system. Our planet’s spectacular birdlife excites wonder and fascination. Is this because birds are beautiful? Or because they can fly? Or because they migrate thousands of miles across the earth? Or because they make music? Perhaps it’s simply because there are so many different kinds of birds and sorting them out is one of the world’s best outdoor games? These are all true, which explains why birdwatching, (along with gardening, golf, and fishing,) is one of the most popular outdoor pursuits.
A birdwatcher since age nine, Chris Leahy shares his passion for birds through his writing, lecturing, and by taking people into the field and introducing them first hand to the myriad fascinations of birdlife. He has led expeditions in sixty countries on all seven continents.
Through a combination of illustrated lectures and outdoor explorations of various habitats, Chris will introduce all aspects of birds and birding, including an overview of the world’s (and especially New England’s) avifauna ; highlights of behavior such as migration , flight, song, and mating systems (learn of the shocking promiscuity of prairiechickens!); how birds are interconnected with the ecosystem as a whole and relate to other organisms (bird ecology); an overview of present threats to birdlife, and recent strategies in conservation; and, of course, the basics of bird identification.
In the field we’ll be surrounded by many life forms in addition to birds. Chris is also a skilled general naturalist who believes you can best appreciate one aspect of the natural world by learning its connection to the others. So, as we pursue birds in nearby woods, fields, and wetlands, we’ll also look at plants, insects, other organisms, and habitats that make up the birds’ world — and our own. Limited to 18 people.
If birding is indeed an affliction, it has symptoms to fit all tastes. Many people become joyously obsessed, while others experience a sensation similar to forming a new friendship, a pleasant association to return to from time to time, comfortably and with a growing sense of familiarity. Christopher Leahy holds the Gerard A. Bertrand Chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology at the Massachusetts Audubon Society and has been a professional conservationist for more than thirty years, most recently as the Director of Massachusetts Audubon’s Center for Biological Conservation. His natural history books include The Birdwatcher’s Companion to North American Birdlife, The First Guide to Insects, Introduction to New England Birds, and The Nature of Massachusetts. His books are popular because he describes the living world with clarity and wit. Chris is also General Editor of Mass Audubon’s series of authoritative books on the flora and fauna of New England. We are delighted to welcome him on his first visit to Rowe.
Christopher Leahy holds the Gerard A. Bertrand Chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology at the Massachusetts Audubon Society and has been a professional conservationist for more than thirty years, most recently as the Director of Massachusetts Audubon’s Center for Biological Conservation. His natural history books include The Birdwatcher’s Companion to North American Birdlife, The First Guide to Insects, Introduction to New England Birds, and The Nature of Massachusetts. His books are popular because he describes the living world with clarity and wit. Chris is also General Editor of Mass Audubon’s series of authoritative books on the flora and fauna of New England. We are delighted to welcome him on his first visit to Rowe.