Bird Watching Basics:
A 3-Part Introduction
Embark on an exciting journey into the world of bird watching with our engaging three-part class designed for beginning and intermediate birders. Whether you're a nature enthusiast or simply curious about the feathered friends in your backyard, this series will equip you with the essential skills and knowledge to start your bird-watching adventure.
Part 1: Getting Started with Bird Watching
In our first session, we'll cover the fundamentals of bird watching. Learn about tools such as binoculars, field guides and apps, and how to use them effectively. We'll also discuss the basics of how to find birds and how to identify common birds by their size, shape, color, and behavior. We’ll practice these skills with a walk at the Four Mills Nature Reserve.
Part 2: Identifying Birds by Sight and Sound
Building on the basics, our second class delves into more advanced identification techniques. We’ll dig deeper into using field marks and voice for separating species, as well as looking at how to deal with challenging identification groups like warblers and hawks. Finally, we’ll take a walk at Willow Lake Farm to continue to build your identification skills in the field.
Part 3: Bird Migration and Conservation
In our final session, we’ll focus on migration and the importance of conservation. We'll also discuss the impact of environmental challenges on bird populations and what you can do to help. This session will wrap up with a field session at two local birding hotspots, The Wissahickon Waterfowl Preserve and the Milita Hill Hawk Watch to give us an opportunity to explore additional local habitats.
Dates and Times:
Part 1: Sunday, September 22
Part 2: Sunday, October 6
Part 3: Sunday October 20
All sessions will be held from 9:00AM – 11:00AM and will begin at the
Four Mills Barn (directions to additional birding locations will be
provided during the sessions).
Binoculars are not required; we will have loaners available for you to use.
Bird walks will be held in locations with natural trails and may cover a slow-paced distance of up to 1.5 miles. The Four Mills location requires crossing two bridges with multiple steps and a short two stepping stone water crossing.
This program is geared toward older teenagers and adults.
