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The Squam Lake Science Center


Yesterday, at 7:20 am, it was time to get up, to get ready to go to up north to the Squam Lake Science Center to learn some new things about birds.
We were up, (except for Logan) and eating breakfast, brushing teeth, getting dressed, and packing backpacks.  At about 8:15, we were all ready to go.  We were driving up north to Holderness.
An hour and a half later, at 9:45, we arrived there.  We walked over to the check-in booth, and my mom, signed us in.  The man who was working at the check-in booth showed us the trail that we needed to walk on, to get to the class building.
We walked quickly on the trail to the building in the very cold air.  When we got to the building, we rushed in, used the restroom, put our backpacks down, and some of us took our coat off.
Before class started, we got to touch bird bones, bird feathers, and look at bird skulls and stuffed birds.  We saw a stuffed Goldfinch, a Tree Swallow, and tree small stuffed Owls.  We also got to watch some (real) fish in a fish tank.  At 10:00 the class started.
The class teacher, Mr. Dave, lead us into the room.  He told us, the basics about birds.  He told us that birds are warm-blooded, have feathers, have beaks, and lay eggs, and that the study of birds is called, Ornithology.  After that, he led us outside to see some bird traps.  In one of the traps, a Chickadee was hopping around, trying to get out.  Of course, the cage door was closed, so it couldn’t get out.  Mr. Dave brought his cotton sack that he put the Chickadee in to bring it into the room.  He asked one of the kids to carry the sack in for him.
When we were back in, Mr. Dave took the sack away, and reached his hand in.  He took the Chickadee out and held it out, for everyone  to see.  He told us that, people band birds to keep track of where they are, and where they have been.  He showed us what a band was.  It was a tiny ring with numbers on it.
Mr. Dave checked if the Chickadee had a band, but he did not.  So, he showed us the band that would be put on him and put it into some pliers.  He picked a kid to put the band on.  That kid, was me!  I felt kind of scared as I took the pliers from Mr. Dave’s hand.  He held the little Chickadee closer to me, to put the band on it’s leg.  He told me to squeeze the pliers, so I did.  And then, I released on the pliers, and the little Chickadee, was banded.
Mr. Dave told us that 1,000,000 (one million) birds get banded a year!  Then, he weighed, and measured the bird.  He asked another kid, to write down, the information about the bird.  Then, Mr. Dave asked another kid to release the bird.  The boy stepped outside, and we all counted to three, and on three, the boy let go, and the Chickadee flew away.
We found two more Chickadees.  One with a band, and one without.  We banded the one without, wrote down the information about them, and let them go.  Cam got to release one of them.
After that, we found a female Downey Woodpecker trapped in one of the cages.  Mr. Dave put her in the the sack, and brought her into the classroom.  Logan banded this one.  After the info was written down, we were getting ready to release her.  Mr. Dave picked a girl to let this one go.  However, that didn’t go so well.  When we were still in the building, she let go by accident.  The bird flew down the hall.  Mom told us to stay, while Mr. Dave and all of the other kids went chasing after it.  Finally, after Mr. Dave caught the bird, he gave it to the girl, and she let it go outside.
Mr. Dave led us back into the classroom, and showed us, the Squam Lake Science Center’s Peregrine Falcon.  He brought it out.  It was standing on Mr. Dave’s gloved hand.  He told us about the falcon.  He told us that is was the fastest kind of bird in the world!  Actually, it’s the fastest animal in the world!
Birds of prey get banded too.  Mr. Dave told us to call or go online if we ever see a banded bird in the future.
Class had ended and we ran back down the path to the van, said bye to the man who worked at the check-in, and got into the van.
I had a great time at the Squam Lake Science Center, and I can’t wait to go back!