There’s good news and bad news for bird lovers in southern Minnesota, says self-described “bird geek” Al Batt.

Batt belongs to dozens of bird organizations, lectures extensively on birds and leads birding tours from Alaska to Ecuador. All of this makes the guy from a small farm near Hartland an expert on birds.

Now that he is a grandfather, he is more concerned than ever about declining bird populations, he says.

“I want my grandkids to have all the wonderful moments in nature I have had, including birds to watch.”

The bad news is the Audubon Society has recently documented drastic reductions in common bird species in Minnesota. But the good news is many birds once on the endangered species list or whose populations had drastically declined in the past are making a comeback.

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