Field Trip: Cornell Lab of Ornithology

We've been talking about going for a while now, but the weather has just not been very cooperative. Every time you think you can go out, it starts to rain again! Thursday we finally made it after having the first part of the trip to have lunch with Dan on campus. The kids also got a bus ride to the Dairy Bar complete with a demo of the wheelchair lift.

Once inside the visitor's center, we had fun watching this great blue heron land. I've never been so close to one. The landing was quite something.

Of course we wanted to take a hike around Sapsucker Woods. We had several choices and they ultimately chose the one they took with my parents last fall.

I'm not sure this section of the trail is always so submerged. We've had a ton of rain this season.

Check out the tadpole. He's a giant! We enjoyed hearing the bullfrogs as we walked around the pond. J4 is particularly taken with them and we've been reading a lot in our Audubon Society field guide on amphibians.

lilypads with flowers...

This bird was fun to see and hear, but we aren't sure what he is.

ants on logs...J4 is all about what's under logs too.

The older kids were having fun reading the map to determine which way to go at every fork in the trail.

Red-winged blackbird...the sounds of spring and summer. This one was not happy with us. His nest must be nearby.

Look in the center at our turtle. This was a bonus find at the end of the walk.

If you are ever nearby, you need to stop in and see the Lab of O. Chances are if your family is into birds at all you have come across something from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. They are right up there with the Audubon Society in terms of birding resources. The kids want to go again soon and take another hike. I'm looking forward to it!