field trip
birds are
all around us! by MaryRose Lovgren
Here’s your assignment:
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In the next ten minutes, you must find a bird. Any bird. A crow, a dove, a funny quail. I’ll bet you can do it (unless, perhaps, you are in some vast underground chamber). Why? Because birds are all around us! Because of their ubiquitious nature in our lives, they can sometimes merely serve as background music. But if you tune your internal antennae to the all-bird station, you will realize that we are, in a word, surrounded. Start paying attention to the birds in your life, and you’ll start to see them everywhere. You’ll see snowy egrets making their way log out foron entries through a rice field; a hawk or kestrel hanging a telephone pole as you cruise down HWY 99; or a nest of baby birds being fed by their mother (see picture). We are so lucky to live here in Butte County, as there are many great places to see migrating birds of all colors and sizes. Bird-watching is so easy and accessible, it makes a great hobby for parents to enjoy with their kids. Ways to birdwatch I met with Dr. Sarah Blackstone, birdwatcher and photographer and former professor at Chico State to get an expert’s insights into how best to get started.
• Your backyard: Lure them to you with a source of clean water and some cover. Practice using your binoculars at home so their easier to use in the field. • Bidwell Park or other natural areas near water: Be quiet and patient, and soon you be aware of many different bird calls. • A viewing station: There are several in our area (see list under “Places to Go”). Make sure to wear sunscreen, a hat, and some water. Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens are a plus, too!
growing up chico magazine
with young kids:
• Make a game of identifying bird sounds. How many different birds do you hear? Where are the birds making the sounds? • Cut our pictures of local birds or carry along a book What you might need: or field guide. Keep a tally of which ones you see. • Binoculars: Get a pair for around $25 (don’t drop them!) and • Visit a dedicated wildlife area (see Places to go bepractice at home first. For extra fun, Discovery Toys makes a pair low) and bring along a camera. that also focuses sounds to a set of headphones. • Set up a backyard sanctuary. • The Golden Book of Birds: This is a terrific resource for help iden- • When in the car, have your kids check every light tifying birds. and telephone pole for hawks and kestrels.
Where to find birds
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A family of birds has made a nest on a light pole in a north Chico neighborhood. Photo courtesy Robert R. Hawkins.
Kenny Lovgren enjoys birdwatching at the LLano Seco viewing station in Durham.
Online resources:
The Cornell Lab of Bird Ornithology has an excellent website packed with cool bird resources. Learn about how to identify birds, hear their sounds, and even view “nest cams” all on this site! www.birds. cornell.edu
Places to go
• Annual Snow Goose Festival: Enjoy over 60 field trips, workshops and/or free activities at this annual event held in various locations throughout Butte County. January 25-27, 2008. www.snowgoosefestival.org • Sacramento Wildlife Refuge, Llano Seco Viewing Platforms: From Chico, take Dayton Rd south around 5 miles, turn west onto Ord Ferry Road. Continue west around 3 miles, turn south onto Sevenmile Lane. Travel 2 miles to the Unit entrance. Call (530) 934-2801 for more info. • Gary Lodge Wildlife Area, 3207 Rutherford Rd, Gridley. (530) 846-7500 • Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, 752 County Road 99W, Willows. (530) 934-2801