More than birds: Northfield Bird Club growing, exploring all aspects of nature 

By EMILEE KLEIN

For the Recorder

Published: 03-25-2023 5:00 PM

In true transcendental spirit, former president and founder of the Northfield Bird Club Nick Fleck starts every club meeting with a poem. At a gathering in February, he pulled out “Natural Sustenance,” a collection of his own poems that emulate Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost, and described the joy of waiting for a single bird call among the snow-covered pines and oaks in Warwick.

Moments before the poetry reading, club organizer Maureen “Rinky” Black shared a photo, courtesy of her daughter, of a falcon’s wing impression in the snow with Fleck and club member Barbara Lemoine. All three members chatted as if this gathering at Dickinson Memorial Library was not just about business but a get-together of friends bonding over a shared fascination.

The Northfield Bird Club, described by Fleck as an informal organization where “a bunch of kooks get together and look at birds,” started in 2017 after Fleck decided he wanted some company while birding. The association grew to offer two nature walks a week throughout spring and fall, and organizing lectures from ecological researchers and educators on various environmental topics.

The club offers both guided and self-guided nature walks on local trails in Warwick, Northfield and Hinsdale, New Hampshire. These strolls spent scouting for wildlife occur on Friday and Saturday mornings, some of which are led by club member and naturalist David Brown.

“There is a Massachusetts book on the best birding places in the state, and there are more in Northfield than any other town.” Fleck said.

During off seasons for walks, the club hosts speakers on various bird-related topics, including avian adaptations for winter survival, hummingbird behavior and bird-friendly gardens. The club collaborates with organizations around Northfield including Dickinson Memorial Library, FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. and Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center.

Not all events involve presentations. Fleck’s daughter and veterinarian Robin Fleck led a dissection of deceased chickens from Diemand Farm in Wendell and starlings from a friend of Lemoine. Robin Fleck broke the club members up into teams and facilitated an intimate experience with the birds.

“That was pretty incredible,” Black said. “We were really able to see the whole chicken; it was fascinating with the oviduct with all the [eggs] lined up ready to go.”

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Despite the name, the Northfield Bird Club admires more than birds. In the fall of 2022, the club expanded its offerings to include all aspects of nature, but the organization invited speakers on bats, bugs and fish long before the official change. Fleck suggested the idea after noticing a decline in bird sightings.

“In some ways, it’s very frustrating going birding because I remember as a kid laying out in either fall or spring and a bush would be filled with warblers, ground sparrows and so on,” Fleck said. “Now, we come back from a walk and maybe we’ve seen one or two black-throated greens. That gets kind of depressing to me.”

Fleck resigned as president of the Northfield Bird Club at the end of 2022. The Northfield Bird Club is not a formal nonprofit with an official board or order of succession. Rather, six members split the leadership and organization based on each person’s connections, time and knowledge.

“People were very generous. You know, I’ll do this, I’ll do that. I’ll lead walks. I’ll check with this person for a program. I already have one planned,” Black said. “It’s my hope that that core group will cooperate and keep programs going through the winter months, and walks going through the spring and maybe fall.”

Fleck, Black and Lemoine all spoke about a core group of six to 10 people who show up at each event and collaborate on club leadership. Brown, a naturalist whose expertise ranges from tracking to birding, leads walks and lectures on various organisms. Ted Thornton runs the Northfield Bird Club website, and his wife Patter Field also works behind the scenes with Lemoine and Black. Before she retired, Northfield Mountain Education Coordinator Kim Noyes also presented programs on early signs of spring and migrating American shad and sea lamprey along the Connecticut River.

While the members who consistently attend events maintain the club, Black hopes to expand attendance to families, children and other nature lovers. She specifically mentioned reaching out to the Northfield Elementary School or an outing club at Pioneer Valley Regional School.

“We get excited when I see more people show up,” Black said. “The core group always shows up, and then we have some other people who join us, but it would be great if more people felt like they could come.”

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