I might have missed this chapter in the “Duh Book of Parenting” but, outside of watching penguins dive and splash at the zoo, bird watching had not seemed to me to be a particularly engaging activity for a 4 year old. Especially when said 4 year old is standing on a dike that happens to be located between two playgrounds.
In the spirit of Mother’s Day weekend, Ellis gave it a good try last Saturday at the May Waterbird Survey at Titlow Lagoon.
Titlow Lagoon is part of Titlow Park, located on an estuary at the southern end of the Tacoma Narrows Passage. A good chunk of the estuary’s original environment has been modified or has even disappeared with surrounding development: the railroads, the community park, etc. Hence, the monthly Waterbird Survey, led by the extremely knowledgeable and friendly South Sound Restoration Ecologist, Christina Donehower.
These surveys are part of a brave and necessary plan for redevelopment of the park’s natural habitat for waterbirds and their dinner, the fish that are currently having a hard time making it into the lagoon and, once in, having a harder time establishing themselves.
Donehower welcomed about six bird-watchers at 9 a.m., handed out binoculars and field guides, told us a bit about the project and gave us an overview of what we would be looking for over the next two hours. She handed Ellis a one-sheet laminated bird guide which held his interest, and once we started the actual count, he paid attention long enough to peek through a pair of binoculars and counted five mallards!
After about twenty-five minutes, the view of the so-close-yet-so-far-away yellow spiral slide overwhelmed Ellis’ interest and he took off in its direction, my husband close behind. I couldn’t help but wish I’d brought along my nieces. At 7 and 10 years old, I know they’d have had a longer attention span and more of an interest and eye for the subtle variations in species of ducks – an important part of the Waterbird Survey process.
The surveys last from 9 until 11 a.m., and take place on the lagoon for the first hour and the waterfront for the second. Two hours is a long time for a kid, but the beauty of the event is that participation can be as involved or as limited as suits the attendee, so wandering off to check out a nearby frog or marvel at the trees that have been virtually pulverized by industrious beavers is okay. With Daddy and Ellis off on their own, I was free to stay, learn about the birds, ooh and ahh at the ducklings, the blue heron we saw, the bald eagle that frightened them all briefly away, and play a small part in the restoration project as part of the process.
All levels of experience (including no experience at all) are welcomed. One of the more savvy attendees, a woman in a fleece with an Audubon Society logo, had tears in her eyes at the sighting of a pair of nesting Purple Martins.
“The Purple Martin is a species of concern,” Donehower explained to me with a smile.
If you choose to go, know that while this truly is a great activity for a family, you might want to bring along an adult who is willing to give up on the birds and retreat with younger kids to the nearby playgrounds. There will be plenty to keep them occupied while you and your older children continue to gaze at and count the birds. It’s a beautiful park, with stunning water views interrupted every so often by the exciting rush of an impossibly close train whizzing by, its rumble and horn echoing off the nearby buildings.
If you have your own binoculars and field guides, do bring them. And dress for the weather. We were out there rain and shine – it did both in the span of two hours.
For more information and a schedule, see https://pugetsound.org/connect/events/ or, to be included on a mailing list of events, email Donehower at cdonehower@pugetsound.org.
