Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor
Every week, a dozen or so students get up at the crack of dawn and haul themselves into vans for a sleepy drive to beyond campus boundaries.
The students are taking VCU’s avian ecology and conservation course, or as most of them put it — “birding class.”
In the class — and the corresponding VCU Avian Ecology Lab — students open their eyes and ears in order to spot and study the winged wonders of Virginia. Through their tranquil expeditions they learn quite a bit about birds, and perhaps a little bit about themselves.
Beyond campus boundaries
On a Friday in early March, the birding class drove far from campus to the Harrison Lake National Fish Hatchery — a prime spot with clear views and tall trees, inviting their subjects of study.
Riding in their vans — promptly named Vanessa, Van-Halen or Vincent Van Gogh by students — they chirped about all of the modern fixings young people use to share their bird passion. There is eBird, the definitive app for recording and sharing one’s sightings — as well as Birdle, a daily guessing game akin to Wordle.
Unloading at the hatchery, associate professor Lesley Bulluck could hardly get a word in before a student pointed out a juvenile bald eagle far off in the distance.
“Where!?” Bulluck whisper-shouted, turning and spreading her arms with the enthusiasm of a true, Ph.D holding bird nerd.
Bulluck knows her students want to get jobs in environmental conservation. She started teaching avian ecology so they could learn how to collect data that will go toward protecting declining populations.
“Students want to get involved in any kind of field research they can, they’re eager for it,” Bulluck said.
Between the research and data analysis, students cannot help but use the time away from their nests to get excited about every little thing they see.
“Look at the hooded mergansers! Do you guys see the hooded mergansers?” one student said. “Look you guys, the robins are taking a bath in the puddle!” another said.
Some students were attracted to the other critters at the hatchery. Frog croaks underscored the natural orchestra. Fish swam within their ponds — tempting the group
“This is not the fish class,” Bulluck lightheartedly clarified, prompting students to get back on assignment.
The class sees up to 80-90 different species of birds throughout any given semester — 100 if they take an extra trip to the coast. That single Friday they saw 40, a record for the year.
Bulluck’s idea of a quiz grade is asking students to listen to bird calls and, with no other information, jot down the species names on their notepads.
Plenty of birds have catchy calls to remember them by. For example, the common Killdeer are creatively named after their call that sounds like “kill deer! Kill deer!”
Halfway through the quiz, Bulluck waited for another call to appear — gracing students with an “extra credit bird,” and a high five if they got it right.
That is the science — or arguably art — of birding. Students venture out to do it throughout the whole spring semester — even in January when Belle Isle was frozen over.
Third-year environmental studies student Cree Taylor decided to take avian ecology after being involved with a campus window bird collision survey — an initiative that examines if big buildings are safe for the aerial creatures.
“I did that for two years and I saw a lot of dead ones,” Taylor said. “I wanted to see actual living ones for once.”
Taylor does not mind waking up at 6 a.m. for classes of dynamic, community-oriented learning. In fact, she loves how whimsical it makes her feel.
“I think birding is a fun way to be more present,” Taylor said. “I feel like a little kid and I’m just out here.”
The wonder of warblers
The Avian Ecology Lab primarily studies two species: the prothonotary warbler and golden- winged warbler.
Prothonotary warblers are easy to study because they readily nest in boxes, according to Bulluck.
There has been a long term study on the species in the James River since the 1980s. They migrate to Columbia and Panama during the winter and come back to the same exact boxes in Virginia every year.
The prothonotary warbler population is relatively stable, but they have been experiencing long-term decline over the years. With over 30 years of data, students can draw deeper conclusions about how climate change affects the species.
By catching and banding the birds, students gain hands-on experience and skills with long-term data sets that are useful in all fields of ecology.
“We can ask questions that aren’t possible with other species,” Bulluck said.
Blake Lamb, a Ph.D. student studying under Bulluck, researches the imperiled golden-winged warbler. The species does not nest in boxes, but in the Appalachian Mountains. Students have to find them by tracking their behaviors and following them.
Lamb conducts fieldwork at Highland and Bath counties during the summer. The lab works with private landowners as golden-winged warblers require an early successional habitat to nest — meaning young ecosystems.
If forests are allowed to grow and become mature, the nesting habitat for golden-winged warblers disappears.
Farmlands can serve as early successional habitats where the warblers can nest. The level of cows grazing across the land is used as a variable in students’ studies as they try to assess what makes a good area for nesting.
Science is magical
Bulluck wants to open up new avenues for students to experience and learn from the environment. Learning how to identify birds — or any species — opens up the world, and exposing people to a new way of being outside can calm the soul.
To Bulluck, science is a paradox. It relies on numbers and data collection to answer questions, which is the opposite of magical — yet somehow it is.
“When you actually find that relationship, or uncover that unexpected relationship, it does feel pretty magical,” Bulluck said. “Like, ‘we figured this out,’ not that we’re reducing it to something not important, but that we are better understanding the wonders of the natural world.”
Bulluck can recount plenty of magical moments with her students. They recently watched a merlin falcon “tear apart” a songbird.
Last year on a cold, quiet morning, the class struggled to find birds. With a half hour left in the lab, a great horned owl landed on a tree in front of them and started calling. It was a rare sight as the species is nocturnal.
“That felt really special,” Bulluck said.
On another occasion, the class took a trip to South Carolina with the Outdoor Adventure Program. They got up before daylight and walked to the beach as the sun was rising — spotting skimmers, gulls and other shore birds
“We were all just taking it in, and almost speechless with the beauty,” Bulluck said.
Birding for all
For Lamb, he found his love for wildlife as a child. He was obsessed with turtles — and would make his parents pull their car over so he could pick them off the road.
His passion for animals has carried him through a number of schools and degrees — but he said avian ecology has been the most fun class he has ever taken.
“It’s always cool to see young people excited about nature,” Lamb said. “It gives me a lot of hope for the future.”
Lamb hopes students retain their passion for birds — and nature in general — and take it into their careers, as well as spread it to non-environmental studies majors.
One student, Jasmine Cuellar, took the class last semester and is still present on their expeditions as their van driver — as well as a “great birding resource,” according to one student.
“I’ve always liked little creatures anyways, but I think birds specifically really spoke to me, because it’s really truly amazing the kind of challenges they face all the time,” Cuellar said.
For Cuellar, birding brings about both a fun game and a meditative experience. On one hand it is like “Pokémon” — trying “find ‘em all” and seeing new species. On the other hand, Birding teaches people to be patient, to listen more and react less.
“I want to share this feeling with other people,” Cuellar said.
On some days the birds show out in droves. On others, they do not show up at all, and that is ok, Cuellar said. People should not be disappointed, as the chance is just part of life. Things do not always work out how we want them to.
Now, Cuellar has co-founded Birders at VCU, a club for people of all experience levels. They recently held their first bird walk to Hollywood Cemetery, and are planning for more down the line.
Cuellar wanted to build a space for those who might feel intimidated by the idea of joining another birding group. She likes to get new people excited about birding, which she never gets tired of herself.
On top of regular birding trips, the club is planning film screenings, nature journaling, trivia nights, visits from educational speakers, professional development opportunities, resume workshops — among other events.
The club just became an official chapter of the National Audubon Society, a century-old nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats. Through the organization they could connect with other chapters and acquire funding for binoculars, field guides and, of course, snacks.
Those who want to spread their wings can become a birder by checking out the club’s Instagram: @birdersatvcu.