The Brodhead Watershed Association is hosting 2 upcoming birding events in Monroe County-- May 11 Birding For Kids and May 18 Walk In Woods That Work For Warblers.

May 11

No, they’re not exactly “flying reptiles,” but birds are closely related to dinosaurs — and one of the greatest ways to connect with nature.

Children can learn the ways of birds — and the strategies of birders May 11 starting at 10:00 a.m. during a walk along the trails at Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Stroudsburg.

From hovering hummingbirds to soaring hawks and eagles, birds capture our imagination like no other group of animals.

On a short walk on a May morning, hikers may see between 30 and 40 kinds of birds. Large herons and wading birds can stand 5 feet tall and fly on elongated wings with their feet trailing behind.

Smaller crows and hawks can be seen on a favorite perch or moving through the air, using the wind to propel them higher and higher above us. Sparrows can fit in the palm of your hand, but are more often seen foraging, moving through the small shrubs.

If you have a bird book or some old binoculars at home, please bring them along.  We will have some field guides to look through and some loaner binoculars to share.  We’ll bring the spotting scope to see some of the perching or soaring birds.

Come along and explore!  The event is free, but registration is required. Call the Association office at 570-839-1120 to register.

This event is part of the Water Wiser Kids Series sponsored by Brodhead Watershed Association, funded by a Dr. Claus Jordan Endowment Grant from Lehigh Valley Health Network Pocono Foundation.

May 18

A cerulean warbler weighs as much as a paperclip. Lately, the tiny yet mighty warblers have been flying more than 4,000 miles from the Andes Mountains, destined for the Pocono forest.

On May 18 starting at 8:00 a.m. Brodhead Watershed Association will host a guided hike to show interested bird lovers where to welcome the springtime arrivals.

In a large Special Management Area in Delaware State Forest, the trees are managed for the benefit of cerulean and other warblers. Dr. Jeff Larkin, an expert on forest bird ecology, will lead a hike through the area and explain why the birds call this place their summer home.

On one side of the trail, the woods are tall and dense with saplings and older trees. Far below, beavers have dammed an unnamed creek to form a gleaming pond. On the other side, the woods are open and sunlit.

There is a scattering of mature trees and a rich new undergrowth of blackberry and shrubby regrowth sprouting from the stumps of felled oaks, against the backdrop of high rock bluff.

The event is free, but registration is required. To register, Call 570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727; or send email to: info@brodheadwatershed.org.

This is part of the Get Outdoors Poconos series of hikes administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Brodhead Watershed Association website.

(Photo: Cerulean warbler.)

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