Trailblazers BSES Birding Club, Fall 2025
- Brian Quindlen
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The fall 2025 session of Trailblazers BSES Birding Club was the perfect way to start a school year of birding! With each passing meeting, we were able to watch fall migration happen right before our very eyes. We also had a few birdy surprises along the way!
Our first session started with a review of what to expect this season with Trailblazers! Then, we went for a quick stroll around the meadow loop of the BSES Nature Trail! On our way to the trail, we saw a large kettle of Black and Turkey Vultures over the recess yard (a "kettle" is when birds of prey circle together in the sky on wind thermals in the sky; similar to how a witch might stir a kettle around Halloween time!) As we started to scan the kettle, we spotted something different flying within: an immature type Bald Eagle! This bird ended up breaking away from the pack and soared its way just over the group. We all got great views of this bird, which I believe was a second-year bird based upon the immature type plumage with a messy trailing edge of the wing (immature type Bald Eagles lack the white head and tail you see on adult birds.) What an amazing way to start our fall season together!
Our second day together took us back outside after some fresh rainfall. As a result, we decided to bird "blacktop only" so we didn't get too wet. As we were wandering the area around the Kindergarten playground, we found a deer path going into the woods that I'd never seen before. The group ventured down it to see where it would go! Our adventure dumped us out in the backyard of a nearby neighbor (and former student of mine.) From their yard, we witnessed outstanding bird activity! We first saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler tucked in the brush. Then, we saw tons of Eastern Bluebird and Chipping Sparrows moving along the tree and fence line around the Johnson farm. We ended up with a total of 31 Eastern Bluebirds and 23 Chipping Sparrows, setting a new high count record of both species for BSES!
Session three gave us better weather so we ended up hiking the entire BSES Nature Trail! Along the way, we stopped to learn about VIPs (Very Important Plants!) The bird activity this day was a little slower than usual, but we did have great looks at Northern Cardinal and White-throated Sparrow in the pipeline area of the trail. We also had a pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets at the first tree line by the meadow.
Our fourth session took us to a Trailblazers favorite: Peanut Pond! This pond is located on a piece of nearby private property, and it's named after the notorious Peanut; a goat that used to escape from the farm and show up to our school (it once came to recess!) Before we went out to the farm, we had a Common Raven flyby my classroom window! When we approached the farm, we had beautiful looks of Eastern Bluebird as they flew around the fence line. We also had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and a nice flock of Cedar Waxwings as well.
Our final session of the season was not about birds but instead about habitat! BSES recently received a donation of 8 native tree saplings thanks to Mrs. Cashell of Helping Hands Club. Our last session was spent planting these trees on the trail in order to create some great habitat for birds. We planted pairs of Pin Oak, Flowering Dogwood, Osier Dogwood, and Red Maple all throughout the trail! Not only did we plant the saplings, but we installed tree tubes with covers to protect the saplings from deer and prevent birds from getting stuck inside the tubes. Although this last session of bird club didn't involve birding, it felt great to give back to the birds by planting future food sources for them!
Overall, we ended the fall session with a total of 40 different species of birds! We also successfully completed a habitat project for the trail. I would like to send a special thank you to Ethan and Ryan, our GVHS Guides, who helped us spot birds and show the group around the wonderful habitats of our school grounds (and beyond!). Check out Ethan's awesome birding website: www.bearybirding.com Finally, thank you to Trailblazers families for their support of environmental education here in Garnet Valley!
For more on the birds we observed, check out our eBird Trip Report for the session!
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