Camp Creek Elementary 2nd & 3rd graders

Wow! What a beautiful and exciting field trip in the wetlands! I had so much fun exploring with these well-behaved students. Taking a walk around the Tsanchiifin loop is a great way to experience the West Eugene Wetlands. These kids are growing up to appreciate the natural world.
Here’s some of what we saw…

Birds: (not to play favorites or anything ;) by listing these first)
Hovering Kestrels
Swallows
Turkey Vultures
Mallards – with ducklings
Grosbeaks – this was a highlight for me because I have only seen them one other time: at the Wings and Wine festival last year -- almost exactly one year ago! What a beautiful song!
Small yellow bodied song-bird that we only got a quick look at as it flew past… perhaps a warbler? A goldfinch? Not sure.
Western meadowlarks
Red-winged blackbirds
Great Blue Heron

Pond Life:
Tadpoles – some of which are very close to the end of metamorphosis!
Boatmen
Water striders
Blood worm?
And lots of shed exoskeletons as those invertebrates grow!

My group got a look at a damselfly I managed to catch --- a Tule Bluet perhaps?
The wild roses are blooming and smell divine. The Camas are still lovely, the Scot’s broom is very bright yellow, and the lupine are blooming as well. Hope to see you again Camp Creek!