Watching a busy backyard feeder from your living room window is fun and exciting, but there’s a wider world of birds waiting to be explored! The May spring migration in Ohio is the perfect time to admire both the far-flung fliers and the wildflowers with friends at Stratford. For some, knowing where and how to start birdwatching outside the backyard may seem overwhelming, but at Stratford, all curious minds are welcome, and we never stop learning. Admire the wildflowers and listen to the morning bird concert while walking the trails in small groups led by experienced birders and Ohio’s Young Birders group. After exploring and engaging all your senses on your morning bird walk, blow open the doors to inquiry and learning further by participating in our breakout birding experiences. Enjoy coffee and morning fuel before or after your walk. Open to all experience levels and ages; recommended for ages 6+ 

Breakout Birding Experience: Build a Bluebird Nest Box – As cavity nesters, Bluebirds seek out nesting sites like tree hollows and stumps to build their nests. As humans actively remove these natural nesting sites, naturalists have encouraged people throughout the country to erect bluebird boxes which will help maintain and grow populations of bluebirds for generations to come. Take home your box or donate it to Stratford for ongoing monitoring.

Breakout Birding Experience: Monitoring our Changing World –Explore how and why scientists monitor birds. Learn how to set up your new Bluebird box, how to minatory the activity and how to deter certain species like the House Sparrow from taking it over. Join us is learning how to monitor a Purple Martin box, and most importantly, how you can become citizen-scientist with projects like eBird.