If you build it they will come—birds that is. Dried-out gourds were repurposed into colorful birdhouses at the Kansas Wetlands Education Center this morning.  The children who participated in the program learned about winter birds, played games, and hiked the nature trail. Together we identified different types of birds, including numerous Red-winged Blackbirds gathered around the feeders and high soaring Red-tailed Hawks. In one of the nest boxes we discovered a small, speckled eggshell that belonged to a House Wren. Perhaps, a House Wren will take up residence in one of the gourd birdhouses this spring.

Did you know that The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening now? If you haven’t submitted a list, there’s still plenty of time. So far, Kansans have reported over 81,000 birds. Ellinwood, KS tops the list with 45,295 birds; more than any other locale in North America.