Budding birder

I accompanied my son's preschool class on a snowshoe outing at Hartley Nature Center yesterday.

In addition to strapping on snowshoes and traversing across field, woods and pond to hear and see some birds, one highlight was the guest appearance of a black-capped chickadee in the nature center's classroom.

Their guide amazingly succeeded in getting all of the children to keep still, while she gently removed the captured bird from a white muslin bag. She placed its feet between her fingers and made her way slowly around the room, holding the delicate bird just inches in front of each child's face.

It weighs about as much as two pennies, she told them, as she answered a myriad of unasked questions of the group. Another guide showed how the trap, in which they had caught the bird earlier that morning, worked.

Then everyone stepped outside as their guide released the bird. It flew into some tall trees.

My son excitedly recounted the event to my layoff buddy who stopped by our house later in the day. He couldn't remember the name of the bird. "But wait," he cried and went upstairs.

He returned with "The Big Golden Book of Backyard Birds," paging through his book until he found a picture.