The Wayne County Office of Tourism recently released its free birding guide.
This guide was compiled by author and biologist Susan Peterson Gateley, who has extensive experience locating birds in Wayne County. Laurie Dirkx, a local conservationist photographer, has contributed her favorite bird photographs and Chris Lajewski, director of Montezuma Audubon Center, also assisted with the new Wayne County Birding Guide.
"About 85 million Americans enjoy observing, photographing or feeding wild birds," said Chris Kenyon, outdoor recreational promoter for the Wayne County Office of Tourism. "Birding ranks 15th on a list of the most popular outdoor activities, just below bicycling and beach bumming, according to the most recent National Survey on Recreation and the Environment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service."
About 18 million Americans are serious enough to take trips exclusively to commune with other birders or count birds by sight or sound, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
"Closer to home, the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge reported 172,273 total visitors from Oct. 1, 2015, until Sept. 30, 2016," Kenyon said. "The Refuge counts visits, not individual visitors, so that number is actually higher. We have the birds, so it's our job in the tourism business to make it easier to locate all our exciting avian populations. Hot off the presses and just in time for the busy autumn migration season, the Wayne County Office of Tourism is now offering a comprehensive guide to assist professional and amateur birders find the songsters. The new 18-page guide book easily fits in pockets or camera bags and features 10 'Best Bird Locations' in Wayne County."
For more information, call 800-527-6510.
More at: http://www.waynecountytourism.com
