After breakfast, I headed on over to the bird banding station run by the Avian Research and Education Institute. It was a little cool early, but they had some good birds. Here are a few of the birds from the morning.
Mourning Warbler (HY female)
Blue-headed Vireo
Philadelphia VireoEvent attendants got a behind the scenes tour of the education birds at the Hueston Woods Raptor Center by the park naturalist. The kids got to watch as the naturalist fed the Golden and Bald Eagles as well as the resident bobcat and cougar.
Red-shouldered Hawk
Eastern Screech-OwlDr. Dave Russell gave a very informative talk on sparrow ID in preparation for Sunday morning's trip to Miami Whitewater Wetlands for sparrow banding. (I did not go to the sparrow banding, too much traveling for this eastsider who was already an hour and a half away from home!)
More important than anything else, including the ticking off of life birds for us older birders, is that we take the time to plant the seeds of appreciation & discovery of the natural world in children.
More important than anything else, including the ticking off of life birds for us older birders, is that we take the time to plant the seeds of appreciation & discovery of the natural world in children.
Dr. Jill Russell instructing young birders on how to use field marks to differentiate Great Egrets from Great Blue Herons. Dr. Herman Mays Jr., Curator of Zoology at the Cincinnati Museum Center, gave a talk on what it is like and what it takes education wise to become a professional ornithologist. He presented pics of the many birds he has seen while traveling the world working as an ornithologist. Hopefully, this will inspire the youngins to be interested in science as a career and get as much education as possible.
Dr. Mays and volunteers from the Cincinnati Museum Center came with some dead birds to show how one goes about preparing a study skin specimen for museum collections.
Dr. Herman Mays Jr. showing kids how to skin birds. (bird here is a Rose-breasted Grosbeak)Before taking off, I decided to go back to the campground for the owl walk given by Susan from Raptor, Inc. She was able to call in a gray morph screech-owl that called back and flew over everyone's head, landing in a nearby tree. Everyone got an up close look at the bird.
I've been to Hueston Woods and loved it there. It is where I saw my first Barred Owl, not in a cage. The raptor exhibits are awesome.
ReplyDeleteHi, Donald. I love your header photo. Talk about up close and personal--that must have been a thrilling moment. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteLovely sharp photographs. Agree with Adrienne about the header. Top stuff.
ReplyDeleteSuper images & great to see the 'new generation' getting involved. Cheers FAB.
ReplyDeleteTaken my first look on your blog Donald and will take a look probably daily. Meanwhile thanks for taking an interest in Birds2blog all the way over the pond to the City of Lancaster in the North of England. Please feel free to comment on occasions it relieves the feeling of loneliness and posting to yourself.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Pete.
Great vireo pictures. Philadelphia is one of my all time favourites and whilst I have not seen Blue-headed it reminds me of Solitary, another of my favourites. Wish we had vireos in UK , a great family.
ReplyDeleteAn Interesting blog here Donald, i'll drop by from time to time. thanks for following my blog, ive recipricated.
ReplyDeleteI can't update my blog every day (work), but I try to post as much as possible. Thanks for the comments re the photos, I only have a point and shoot camera (no digital SLR yet).
ReplyDeletePhil: Blue-headed Vireo used to be called Solitary Vireo, it is the same species. The AOU (American Ornithologists Union) had changed the name not all that long ago.
Thanks Donald
ReplyDeleteI must update my old Peterson to something a bit more up to date. I thought that bird looked familiar but it is 15 yrs ago.
Regards
Thanks for joining my blog! Your blog is awesome! I esp love the blue-headed vireo; vireos are such pretty birds, I hope to see one some day.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful up close photos. Enjoying your blog; thanks for stopping by mine.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining my blog. Are you involved with the falconry displays yourself?
ReplyDeleteAlan: No, I am not a falconer. I help assist friends who are licensed bird banders.
ReplyDeletethose are some very cool warblers you have there!
ReplyDeleteI was at abird banding session not too long ago, I'll have to post some pictures from it!
ReplyDeleteYour blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
ReplyDelete