| | Published March 13th, 2013
| This Walk is for the Birds
| | By Cathy Dausman |  | | White-tailed Kite at the Lafayette Reservoir Photo Steve Hobbs (stevehobbsphotography.com) |
Lamorinda residents hiked Briones Regional Park one recent sunny Wednesday morning with their eyes peeled for a variety of birds, including buntings, vireos, warblers, swallows, raptors, and say's phoebes. Members of the Nature Walk and Bird-Watching class accompanied Audubon Society member Bernt "Ben" Pettersson, long-time Lafayette resident, hiker, and bird-watcher.
Pettersson said his bird watching first took wing after his bird-loving neighbors divorced, sold their home and dismantled their backyard bird feeders. When he noticed neighborhood birds "in distress" after the feeder removals, Pettersson brought some into his own back yard.
He now keeps 10 feeders and has a growing passion for the hobby that keeps him walking at least four miles a day, nearly every day. When he's not leading Lafayette Community Center classes, he leads walks for other organizations. No fancy gear is required beyond binoculars and water. And "just regular [clothing]," Pettersson added in his soft Swedish accent.
Pettersson himself hoped to encounter his first warbling vireo on this trip. Six students assembled to carpool from the Lafayette Community Center; the class would meet three others on site.
"I have always loved nature," said Margaret Mitchell, who spent 33 years working at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley; her husband accompanies her on their birding hikes.
"I love the birds," exclaimed Olga Shtemler, explaining why she signed up for this program for a second year. She ticks off a list of birds she's seen, including egret, ducks, an eagle, humming birds and woodpeckers.
The class also presents a great opportunity to meet people, Shtemler said.
Occasionally "Ben can be 'too conscientious,'" Joys Wong confided. If he's seen something exciting, he expects the class to follow him even if it means pushing through brush, she said.
Asked if the class observes silence during their hikes, Pettersson replied "sort of; but you can't stop the women from talking."
"Sometimes we sing," admitted Shtemler happily.
Pettersson fondly tapped his well-thumbed Field Guide to Birds reference book, promising: "We'll stop [hiking only] when I've seen everything in here."
With over 3,000 entries, that will likely take some time.
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 | | Bird Watching classmates gather at Lafayette Community Center before heading out. From left: Jim Mitchell, Ying Wong, Ben Pettersson, Margaret Mitchell, Joys Wong, Olga Shtemler. Photo Cathy Dausman
|  | | Tree Swallow Photos Steve Hobbs
|  | | Spotted Towhee
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More information on the Nature Walk and Bird-Watching class can be found under Senior Services on page 32 of the 2013 Lafayette Community Center Spring Program. Additional online resources include:
Diablo Audubon Society: www.diabloaudubon.com/index.php.
Bird watchers in Contra Costa County can visit East Bay Birds Yahoo Group at groups.yahoo.com/group/EBB_Sightings/.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA