Flocking to Fermi

Just after dawn on a December Sunday, the fields and ponds of Fermilab are anything but quiet.

Thousands of geese, ducks and other birds call the 6,800-acre lab home for the winter and they are making a joyful noise.

They aren't alone.

Peter Kasper stands on a berm between two ponds on the lab's eastern edge scanning the flock with a pair of binoculars and what looks like a small telescope on a tripod.

Kasper, who lives in Batavia, works at the lab as a physicist, but for the past 20 years he has been making the early morning trips to Fermi for the pure pleasure of bird watching.

"I've been interested in birds since I was a child," said Kasper, who grew up in Australia. "It never gets old."

Each Sunday he and other local birders tour several ponds, fields and the interior of the lab's accelerator ring to see which birds are about.

This weekend they'll gather before dawn on Saturday for the annual Christmas bird count.

Thousands of birdwatchers in North and South America will participate in the annual count between Friday and Jan. 5. Fermilab is one of about eight locales in western DuPage and Kane counties where teams will be counting on various days for the next couple weeks. Some of the sites include Pratt's Wayne Woods near Wayne, Herrick Lake in Wheaton and sections of the Fox River.

The public is welcome to participate. Warm clothing, sturdy boots and a good pair of binoculars are the necessary equipment for the Christmas Bird Count, said Jeff Chapman of Woodridge, who will be compiling data from the various sites for the DuPage Birding Club.

A Thermos of hot chocolate might be a good idea too.

"It's not for the faint of heart," Chapman said, noting the chilly temps, ice, snow and mud that are usually part of the day's challenges.

Experience in bird watching is not a requirement. Chapman makes sure each team has an experienced person to identify the birds but those who are starting out can write down the observations and help out in other ways.

Keeping track of the various birds in the area is fun but also important. It not only helps determine the health and habits of different species, but helps monitor the overall environment of habitats, said Joe Suchecki of Naperville, who often accompanies Kasper on the Sunday bird watching sessions.

Kasper said he has noticed several birds migrating later as winters have warmed slightly. Others, including the Canada geese, are no longer heading south but opting to call Fermilab home for the entire winter.

That becomes apparent as Kasper slowly pulls his small station wagon onto the grass next to the lake inside the main accelerator ring. Thousands of geese are noisily gathered as far as the eye can see.

He and the other birdwatchers slowly emerge from their cars and begin scanning the large flock.

Where most would simply see geese and ducks, the group spots Pintails, Gadwalls and Northern Shovelers. The differences are subtle from afar, but through binoculars the distinct markings and unique beak shapes become apparent.

"We've been doing this a long time," said Denis Kania of Naperville when asked how they can so quickly identify a fast flying bird from hundreds of feet away.

After a few minutes, Kasper says quietly that there is a Green Winged Teal amongst the crowd.

"That's a little less common," he said, smiling.

The Green Winged Teal as well as the geese, various ducks and a bright flock of blue birds are all mentioned on Kasper's Web site Birds of Fermilab (www.fnal.gov/pub/about/campus/ecology/wildlife/birds.html). Like any good scientist, Kasper keeps meticulous records of the more than 250 birds he has spotted at Fermilab over the past two decades.

Twenty years ago a very rare Garganey was spotted at Fermi, he said. Other rare birds he has noted in his bird journal include the Red-necked Grebe and the state-endangered Henslow's sparrow.

"There's such a variety," Kasper said.

Anyone interested in assisting in the Christmas Bird Count can call Jeff Chapman at (630) 910-8684. He will assign people to areas where watchers are needed. More information is also available at the DuPage Birding Club's Web site home.xnet.com/~ugeiser/dbc/.