By Kathryn True

How old is the bald eagle when his or her head turns white? Which bird will distract you from its eggs (laid on the ground) by pretending it has a broken wing? Which one has been called the “cowboy of the sea?” Which bird hovers like a helicopter before diving for its underwater prey? What two sea birds are named for the color of their eyes?*

During the Vashon-Maury Audubon sponsored beginning birding program, every Chautauqua fourth grader has a chance to learn the answers to these questions and hold local birds, quite literally, in their hands.

The program consists of five teaching sessions culminating in a field trip to KVI Beach where children get to see birds “up close” through scopes and binoculars, and learn about the animals and plants that live in the estuary and along the shoreline. After participating in the series, students have learned the common Vashon birds, how to use binoculars and field guides, and have gained confidence in their bird identification skills.

“The program opens their eyes to the natural world and the diversity of life. One thing these students learn is that a bird isn't just a bird, but it’s an American Robin, a Spotted Towhee, a Dark-eyed Junco, a Surf Scoter or a Bufflehead,” said Audubon member Gary Shugart, volunteer with the fourth grade program and collections manager at the Slater Museum of Natural History in Tacoma. “Even if they don't get the identification right every time, they become aware that there is an amazing diversity of birds on Vashon.”

During one of the popular classroom sessions, Shugart brings in dozens of “bird skins” to share with the students. These are the prepared remains of birds killed unintentionally by humans—they flew into cars or windows, or were mauled by domestic and feral cats (resulting bird fatalities top three million annually in North America). After being cleaned and stuffed with cotton, the birds take on a second life as teaching tools—their feathers as brilliant in shape and color as the day that they died.

For its striking size and elegant feathers, of the most admired birds in the collection is the Great Blue Heron—but equally remarkable are the tiny warblers (their bright yellows so often hidden from human view in leafy treetops); the Double-crested Cormorant, with a serrated beak for catching fish at depths exceeding 90 feet; the Northern Saw-whet Owl—whose chest is covered in down so soft your fingertips almost can’t feel it; and the Cedar Waxwing, so named because its feather tips look like they were dipped in red wax.

“The skins allow the hands-on approach to birding,” said Shugart. “Up close, kids and adults can see and appreciate the differences in head shape, feathers, bills and feet. Every feature on a bird provides a jumping off point for a natural history discussion.”
With Shugart as guide, students examine individual bird characteristics, looking for clues to how each species has adapted to their preferred habitat. They learn that on our home islands, this could be marsh, forest, open field or shoreline, and that these varied habitats are why people from all over the world come here to go birding. The fourth graders begin to notice how each animal’s body has developed to make it expert at gathering seeds, sucking up nectar, slurping carpenter ants, hunting rodents or catching insects on the wing.

“It’s really great when the kids come to school after the birding classes and with excitement tell me they’ve seen a bird they learned about through the Audubon program,” said Georgia Hartness, fourth grade teacher. “They are really empowered to know that there are so many birds around Vashon and they comment happily that they’re teaching their parents about birds.” Hartness is impressed by the fact that students come back to her years after the program to tell her they remember the birding field trip and that birds have continued to be of interest in their lives.

After the introductory slideshow, one student returned to school thrilled by the fact that she’d seen “those birds with the white crescent on their faces!” on the water near her grandmother’s house. Comments on evaluations from last year’s program echo this enthusiasm: “I never thought I’d see a Mallard, a Surf Scoter or a Green-winged Teal, but you made it possible! Because I’m near-sighted the binoculars helped some, but the scope was amazing. Thanks sooooo very much!”, “It was awesome!”, “Please keep doing this with fourth graders.”

The birding program began more than 15 years ago, when then fourth-grade teacher and Audubon member Carol Ferch used a Partners in Education grant to link art and science. A watercolor artist worked with students to paint the local bird of their choice, and Audubon members came into the classroom to introduce the kids to the birds of Vashon-Maury. The program is now a regular part of science programming for fourth graders.

“My goal is to bring nature into the classroom and school yard by introducing the kids to the common birds of Vashon and Maury and their habitat needs,” said Sue Trevathan, an environmental scientist and Audubon board member who manages the fourth grade birding program. “My long-term goal is for these kids to develop an appreciation for the roles birds play in the natural world, the importance of habitat in sustaining their populations, and the inevitable connections between people and nature.”

Making these connections is also a goal of Vashon-Maury Audubon, where monthly bird walks, frequent field trips and an upcoming series of Ebb Tide Ecology walks help islanders meet their wild neighbors. For more information, visit www.vashonaudubon.org.

*Answers: Five years old, the Killdeer, the Red-breasted Merganser, the Kingfisher, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

Kathryn True helps facilitate the fourth grade birding program and is a writer and naturalist. To view her recent work, visit www.kathryntrue.com.