January 2026 - Saint Paul Bird Alliance

Tammah Watts – Program – Recording Available

** Co-Sponsored with Land of Lakes Bird Alliance **

Birds are beautiful, funny, mystical, and enduring, just like we are. Like them, we come in varying colors, shapes, and sizes and it is our differences and what we have in common that serve as our greatest strengths. -Tammah Watts

Join Tammah Watts as she weaves together personal story and avian life to reveal the marvelous phenomenon shared among us. This interactive presentation invites the audience to become acquainted, or perhaps re-acquainted, with the many benefits one experiences connecting with our feathered friends at home, in the community, and beyond.

Learn about and explore:

the many benefits of spending time in nature, and in particular with birds, for one’s physical and mental health, and overall well-being
how spending time with birds in a mindful way can deepen one’s appreciation for our feathered friends as well as enhance our connection to the natural world, and to ourselves
ways to develop heightened awareness and acceptance for birding in various settings and capacities from at home to far distant lands and,
how one’s story about life and birds can foster a sense of community that honors what we have in common as well as celebrates our differences

Experience birds in a whole new way wherever you are and whenever you wish- all you have to do is look up, take notice, and open your heart and mind.

Tammah Watts (she/her), is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, California Naturalist, birder, and advocate for equitable access to nature, health, and mental wellbeing.

KEEP LOOKING UP: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching, (Hay House), is her first book–a narrative memoir and guidebook with contemplative exercises– that chronicles her journey towards healing by meaningfully connecting with birds.

Tammah serves on regional and national boards dedicated to conservation and environmental stewardship including Audubon CA, San Diego Bird Alliance and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project FeederWatch + DISES Dayer Lab Project.

She is an Associate Licensed Mental Health Counselor at a local college where she supports student mental health and personal development across the lifespan and integrates mindfulness and nature therapy.

Tammah is passionate about collaborating with diverse groups and organizations to advance environmental, social and intergenerational justice, amplify community belonging, and foster healing connections between people and the natural world.

Her work and perspective have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The New York Times, Therapy for Black Girls, Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds, Washington Post, The Bird Joy Podcast, and Psychology Today and has included being a speaker for Biggest Week In American Birding, Birdability Week, San Diego Bird Festival, Black Birders Week and Wild Bird Feeding Institute, among other venues.

She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband, Harrison, and their little dog Sophie Cat, all the while trying to combat empty-nest syndrome by visiting (and birding) with their children and grandchildren whenever possible.

Books: Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching

Winter Bird Count Draws a Record 132 Participants

Saturday, December 20, started out at 27 degrees F. By 5 pm, the temperature had dropped to 12 degrees. Molly Jo Miller, Team Leader for Area 15 Pig’s Eye, said, “We could all feel the biting wind get colder and colder as the day went on.” She thanked her bird counters for their perseverance.

Kiki Sonnen & Greg Burnes – Saint Paul Bird Alliance volunteers, conducted this year’s Winter Bird Count, also known as the Christmas Bird Count, on Saturday, December 20, 2025. Our Count Circle is centered at County Road B and Dale Street and radiates 7.5 miles out in all directions. We have our Count Circle divided into 15 areas. Teams of volunteers search their assigned area, tabulating all birds seen or heard.

132 birders found a total of 54 species of birds in this year’s Count. A total of 14,392 individual birds were reported. Mallards won the count by a long shot with 7,306 (Thanks to those who took the time to carefully count thousands of Mallards). Rock Pigeons came in a distant second with 1,104, followed by Robins at 905 and House Sparrows at 897.

Several area teams found Great Horned Owls on this year’s Count. Jim Rogers said, “Spent a (very cold) morning with the delightful people of Saint Paul Bird Alliance, taking part in my first Christmas Bird Count…The best spotting was a pair of Great Horned Owls at Hidden Falls Park.” Another team in Roseville, led by Greg Burnes, saw a Great Horned Owl fly overhead while an 11-year-old girl and her mom were present. Even though they are regular visitors to the Raptor Center, they were so excited to see their first owl in the wild!

John Zakelj and Kathy Janis headed up the Area 10 team, finding 22 species, including Trumpeter Swans, ducks, Mourning Doves, and woodpeckers. Above is a picture of a Tree Sparrow John took.

While the project’s goal is to count birds, equally important is the connection we build with one another and with the birds we see. After the Count, 15 birders who were up for it came to the Post-Count Party. We talked about the day’s adventures, the sightings, the fun, and the cold.

Mark your calendars – next year’s Winter Bird Count will be Saturday, December 19, 2026.

Bird’s Eye View – January 2026

Hello Friends-

It’s been a rough start to the New Year. I’ve been very shaken up by Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) supervisor Jonathan Ross shooting protestor Renee Nicole Good in the head and killing her on a south Minneapolis neighborhood street on January 7. I know you too are upset at seeing masked gunslingers shoving people around and targeting people of color. It is just all too much!

But once again birds and being together with our birding community gives me hope for the future. I hope you had the chance to hear Tammah Watts’ inspiring presentation on our Bird Alliance Webinair program on January 8. She gave us advice on how to handle and react to the tragedy of the shooting. She had us breathe in and out to center ourselves – not to forget about the tragedy, but to acknowledge we can rise to remain supportive of our community during this critical time.

Tammah told us how birdwatching helps us all calm down and improve our mental health. Now more than ever birding in our parks, green spaces and at backyard feeders helps us see the bigger picture. She had us think about our earliest memory of a bird. And in so doing, we remember family members, earlier times, old neighborhoods, important connections.

Tammah Watts is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide, California Naturalist, birder, and advocate for equitable access to nature, health, and mental wellbeing. Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching, is her first book–a narrative memoir and guidebook with contemplative exercises– that chronicles her journey towards healing by meaningfully connecting with birds.

If you missed her talk or want to see it again, look for it on our YouTube channel.

If you would like to engage in birding adventures check out our events on our Saint Paul Bird Alliance website. We have had a lot of fun recently on our January birding events.

On New Year’s Day we gathered at Kap’osia Landing Park in South Saint Paul to watch scores of Bald Eagles. We saw some Eagles on nests already! Many people, new to our group, joined in the fun. One young woman using our loaner binoculars watched a Common Goldeneye on the Mississippi . Suddenly she shouted, “I just saw a Duck eat a Fish!” The joy was contagious.

A few days later we were at the Visitor Center at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington to celebrate National Bird Day. A mom and her young son Liam sat with us watching the Center’s expansive feeder system. Liam drew a marvelous side silhouette of one of the Tom Turkeys at the feeders. He has begun his Big Year tabulating species after watching the movie of the same name.

We’re looking forward to making new connections at upcoming birding events including Owl Prowls in Arden Hills, Winter Birding at Silverwood Park in Saint Anthony, Birding and Wildlife Tracks at Pig’s Eye Chôkan Tanka Park, and return trip to the Visitor Center for feeder watching at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington.

Stay positive. Stay connected.

Art: Kiki Sonnen

National Wildlife Refuge – Resounding Success

Kiki Sonnen – The Visitor Center event was a resounding success. We had a young mom with a young boy, Liam, who saw the movie Big Year and is embarking on his own Big Year in 2026. Liam – I think he was maybe about 8 – brought his sketchbook. He drew a fantastic side silhouette of a Wild Turkey. He and his mom learned the difference between Hairy & Downy WP. Sandy & Wally were there, and Carolyn was so happy to sit inside, comfortable, and watch all the birds at the feeder.

Another young man in his 20’s came from the St Cloud area. He’s following the Mississippi to Red Wing, looking for Eagles. Another man was there to see the turkeys. There were 2 Tom Turkeys at the feeders off and on. So he was glad to see them. We also saw staff bring out seeds to replenish the feeders. The two Tom Turkeys rushed to their side like puppies begging for treats.

The Visitor Center’s Head Naturalist, Tanner, gave us a brief overview of the Refuge. He said this National Wildlife Refuge is the most urban-centered in the country. Their primary goal is to protect key habitats and natural areas that are critical to wildlife. He provided us with binoculars and thanked us for coming. He agreed that SPBA was welcome to return on Friday, the 13th of February, for birding and sketching to celebrate the Great Backyard Bird Count. So mark your calendar for more fun ahead!