Birders

More Information On Birders

GHOing for the GHOld

Presidents Day was off to a great start early this morning. I asked my daughter if she wanted to go look at a Great Horned Owl nest. To my delight, she eagerly pounced on the opportunity, Yeah! Lets do it!! Before long, this impromptu trip grew exponentially into a full family birding excursion. Everyone jumped into the van [...]

Bird “Blogalogue”

I have recently started writing a birding blog for the Courier Post, a South Jersey newspaper.  The Winged Wonders blog is a manifestation of the Fledging BIrders philosophy. My goal is to help the readers start to recognize the wide variety of birds in their own communities. A coworker visited the blog last night for the purpose of some [...]

Lifer to Party

This has been an exciting birding week in New Jersey. Western Tanagers, Band-tailed Pigeon, and Long-billed Murrelet are just some of the highlights. With so much around, I was fortunate to get a nice life bird on Sunday. As always, I brought in treats for my students to share the excitement of my new bird.  Many of [...]

The Big Game

There are times when you have the perfect opportunity to spark a birding interest in kids by connecting something they enjoy to our feathered friends. Yesterdays bald eagle trip with some students was one such occasion. Given the likelihood that both eagles and falcons would be found, I turned it into a  prediction day for Sundays big game [...]

Purveyor of Pellets

Savannah Sparrows at Supawna Meadows. Tundra Swans on Mannington Marsh. Bald Eagles from Sunset Bridge. Non-stop flocks of Snow Geese passing overhead. Saturdays cruise through Salem County did hold some nice, though not surprising, sights. I was perhaps more pleased to find some authentic educational aids. We stumbled across an old abandoned pole barn during our journey. Being in [...]

Dressing for the Birds

Birding shirts and ties are a staple in my work wardrobe. This avian based attire usually provokes a few passing comments from a students throughout the day. For some reason, my loon tie generated many questions and extended conversations today. Even though I have worn this eye-catching blue and green accessory many times this year, it has never captivated so many people. The timing [...]

Missing Merlins!

I am often reminded of non-birders deprived lives. For some strange reason, this point has been illustrated at the wings of merlins several times in the past few months. The first was perched on top of a telephone pole next a very busy thorofare. Hundreds of rush hours vehicles passed right by this beaufitul bird totally [...]

Extra-credit Migrants

Whether its highlights from a recent outing, some pishing to get their attention, or an end of class discussion on why birding?, birds are brought up in my class quite frequently. During a recent review, the kids were glad to hear there would be extra credit on their upcoming test. I explained that the extra credit could include ANYTHING [...]

Migration Mini-Lesson

Last week, our school had its annual 6th grade camp program in Medford, NJ.  I was in charge of the 45 minute Pine Barrens activity session for the 6th year in a row.  Were supposed to focus on the plants and history for that time. I always include fire ecology, streams/aquifers, and overall biodiversity as well. While most of the [...]

“No Big Deal” Vol. 2

As a father, my birding opportunities are limited. During nap time on weekends, I occasionally run out for a quick fix. One frigid Saturday, I told my wife I was heading out for a few minutes of winter waterfowling. En route to my birding quickie at the convergence of Big Timber Creek into the Delaware River, [...]