by Janet Gremli

On Sunday, January 4, 2015, the Young Naturalists Club enjoyed a lesson on beaks, mouths, noses and nares. Do you have a nose? Do you have a mouth? What about birds? Where are their nose and mouth? The children listened as Miss Lois lead the discussion using bird carvings as models. The children learned why the beaks were shaped differently and guessed at the types of foods best suited for the various beaks. Using drawings of bird heads without beaks, the children identified and attached the beak belonging to each bird head. The children then drew their own bird and beak pictures. The new word learned today was NARES.

The six children and six adults then joined in a hike along the trails, collecting litter and seeking birds. It didn’t take long before our hike leaders, Elizabeth, Toussaint and Spiro spotted a Great blue heron wading in the shallow waters of Green’s Creek. A beautiful sight to see, the stunning bird gracefully parted ways and flew in the direction of the Great South Bay.