Paper Session

 Yesterday a sibling and I attended the Minnesota Ornithological Union annual paper session. This year the focus is on grassland birds. Of all the categories of birds, such as passerines, raptors, duck and water fowl, shore birds, grassland birds are distinct because their decline is much faster than other birds. Something has to change before all grasslands birds are extinct. Grassland birds include Bob whites, dickcissels, grasshopper sparrow, prairie chicken, and meadowlarks. I love hearing meadowlarks sing in the summer as I drive by with the window lowered. When I hear them sing I feel like they sang that just for my benefit. We had an interesting day in the ballroom (complete with disco ball on the ceiling) in the Saint Paul Student Center at the U of M Saint Paul campus. Several hundred people were in attendance including some very famous birders.