Trailblazers BSES Birding Club for Grades 3-5, Winter 2023
This past winter, Trailblazers BSES Birding Club enjoyed a fantastic session of nature and fun! This after school club is for students in grades 3-5 and centers around the birds of the BSES Nature Trail. Thanks to a mild winter, we were able to spend every session birding out on the nature trail!
While on a walk through the forested section of the BSES Nature Trail, we stumbled upon two Brown Creepers! These birds are winter visitors to our area. They nest in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania as well as in states to the north of us. They act like a woodpecker as they climb up and down trees picking out bugs from the bark with their uniquely curved bills. They are also masters of camouflage! They blend right into the bark of trees!
We were also treated to some of the year-round visitors we have to the BSES Nature Trail! Walking through the forest, we encountered birds like Hairy Woodpecker, House Finch, and Turkey Vulture. We were even able to watch an American Goldfinch feeding on some seeds! In winter, American Goldfinches have a more drab plumage for the season (often called their non-breeding or winter plumage.) This can help them blend in with their surroundings big time!
One day, we ventured over to Peanut Pond; a patch of private property just off the BSES campus! There, we explored the wildlife around the pond, which included a group of White-tailed Deer. The students were most excited however to see infamous Peanut: the goat who has tried to come to school (on more than one occasion!)
Overall, the club identified 26 different species during the winter session! Check out all of our eBird lists from the session on our trip report here:
Special thank you to Ethan Kang, GVHS Trailblazers Guide, who did a fantastic job spotting the awesome birds we saw during this club session! Not only was he an expert spotter, but he even taught a fantastic lesson about the winter birds of the BSES Nature Trail. Check out his awesome website www.bearybirding.com for more!
Birds observed this session:
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