All Photos posted on this blog unless otherwise noted were taken by me with my Canon Rebel XTI using a 300 mm zoom lens

Friday, March 4, 2011

Awesome Cub Scouts

Watching Bald Eagles circling 
Today I held a Cub Scout "World Conservation Award" workshop for a Cub Scout Pack from Draper Utah. I have been doing these classes for 10 years and I love doing them. It is so rewarding to introduce these young men to nature and the Great Salt Lake Wetlands. Over the years I have had some tremendous Cub Scout groups come out and the one today was one of the best. They all came prepared with their pad of paper and pens ready to take notes and list the birds they saw. Thank you to the great cubs and their dedicated leaders for a successful workshop.


I am always happy when sisters of the cubs come along. We get far too few girls out to see the Nature Center and the birds

Looking at the tank that displays the Great Salt Lake ecosystem
There is live algae , Brine Shrimp and Brine Fly Larva 
Checking out some animal skeletons and skulls from the wetlands, including skunk, deer, beaver, muskrat, and an owl pellet with at vole skeleton. the vials hold samples of macro-invertabrates collected from the ponds at Farmington Bay. The macro-invertabrates are an important food source for birds
These boys are looking at feathers and nests that have been gathered from the wetlands
Parking lot with Great Blue Heron rookery in the background
The boys learned how to identify birds by location, habitat and field marks, the taxidermy at the nature center helps teach people how to identify birds by their field marks.
What are the identifying field marks of this Tundra Swan
These two Snow Geese are different colors but they have similar field marks that help us identify them both as snow geese. Can you see the field marks that they both have that identify them as Snow Geese?
What field marks identify this as a Canada Goose?
Juvenile Bald Eagle circling over Farmington Bay
Adult Bald Eagle we saw circling
Northern Harrier Hawk
Great Blue heron in the pond next to the Nature Center
Great Blue Herons working on their nests on the rookery
I had a great time and hope you all will return many times to Farmington Bay.

1 comment:

Katie! said...

Thanks so much for having us! The boys loved it and it was so great that you worked with them on the specific badge requirements. Everyone wanted to return and stay for longer!