4.14.14 - Various Points in Chatham - Birding with my Bird Nerd Mentor - Peter Trull

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School - Bird & Nature Club

 

It's not just everyday you get to thank your mentors, but I am forever in debt to my pal Peter Trull  (the Original Bird Nerd, at least to my knowledge) for convincing me that being a Bird Nerd was a very cool thing.  I first heard "Bird Nerd" from him after all & eventually I just didn't want to be anything else.  Getting to share these natural spaces with the feathered friends who inhabit, hang out for several months or visit as a pit stop on their migrating way, is a gift.  When you add a bunch of middle school students who have their own talent & passion of birding at their age, well it makes for quite a special hour.  I was so happy to be a part of this Monday afternoon ritual and found myself wanting to be a club member.  Thanks for having me Trull!  My photos I'm certain will be put to shame by the fancy lenses that some of the students were sporting and using, but here are a few of the species we saw throughout our several stops.

 

Our List:

Snowy Egret

American Crow

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Loon

American Black Duck

Bufflehead

Common Eider

Osprey

American Robin (Black-headed Thrush - as Peter likes to call them!)

European Starling

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Oystercatcher

Common Grackle

Black-crowned Night Heron

Red-breasted Merganser

Black-capped Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

American Wigeon

(double click on photos to enlarge)

 



Snowy Egret

Brown-headed Cowbird (male)

European Starling

American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatcher

Common Grackle

Common Eider (1st spring male)

Black-crowned Night Heron

Red-breasted Merganser (female & male)

 

Thank you again fellow Bird Nerd!  It was an adventure with your students and I'm so appreciative to both you and Mr.Novak for inviting me along for the eventful and wild ride!

Happy Birding!