In 2012, Cleveland Metroparks naturalist Jen Brumfield set a record for the most bird species seen in Cuyahoga County in one year. Now, as 2017 draws to a close, she’s broken her own record and set another high bar for birdwatchers in Northeast Ohio.
Brumfield has seen 271 bird species as of Dec. 20, when she spotted a Northern Gannet.
Northern gannet Credit: Wikimedia
We interviewed Brumfield earlier this year for our 2017 People Issue. “I cannot fathom a greater connection to Earth appreciation than birds,” Brumfield told us on a windy morning at Wendy Park, one of the finest birdwatching sites in the region. “If you look down through history at their flight — they’re powerful, they’re free. They’re unique. They’re beautiful. There’s something about birds that reaches through all emotions, all intelligences, all interests.”
Eric Sandy is an award-winning Cleveland-based journalist. For a while, he was the managing editor of Scene. He now contributes jam band features every now and then.
Beautiful!