Photo Galleries

Students from Val Jackson Elementary School check out barn swallow at the Great Plains Nature Center while Nathan Ofsthun provides them with details about the birds.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

A red-winged blackbird was one of the first birds seen as students entered the park. Other field trips have gotten the students good looks at painted and indigo buntings and other memorable birds.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Nathan Ofsthun, background, points to a bird on the far side of a pond at Chisholm Creek Park.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Teacher Tracy Callard walked about a dozen students from Val Jackson Elementary School to the Great Plains Nature Center for birding Monday morning. She used birding in other parts of her teaching.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Val Jackson Elementary Students, from left, Caitlin Cordes, Sarah Figueiredo, Tristen Nguyen, Nicholas Flores and Travis Smith look for birds at Chisholm Creek Park..

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Jacob Baskins, a second-grader, said he greatly enjoyed getting to be outside while on birding field trips.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Students from an excellerated class follow Nathan Ofsthun on a birding trip at Chisholm Creek Park.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Students line the rail of a bridge to check out assorted birds. Teachers said birding helped keep the kids enthusiastic about learning and provided a common ground in subjects like math, social studies and geography.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Nathan Ofsthun, left and teacher Tracy Collard check out a flycatcher deep in the woods at Chisholm Creek Park Monday morning. From the left, the students are Ty Bockner, Gehad Qaki and Tristen Nguyen.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Accomplished birder Nathan Ofsthun dedicated many days to taking kids from Val Jackson Elementary School afield. He was very impressed with how well the first-fifth-graders learned about birds.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Tristen Nguyen points out a bird to Nathan Ofsthun. She's one of several students who have become avid and accomplished birders this spring.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Nathan Ofsthun of the Great Plains Nature Center points out a bird to Val Jackson students. This spring he took the class on birding trips to Chisholm Creek Park, Oak Park and several other local birding hotspots.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

A catbird hiding in dense tree branches was one of several species of birds students found Monday at Chisholm Creek Park.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Nathan Ofsthun of the Great Plains Nature Center points out a bird to Val Jackson students. This spring he took the class on birding trips to Chisholm Creek Park, Oak Park and several other local birding hotspots.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Turtles sunning on a log at Chisholm Creek Park.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

A gander and goose with their goslings at Chisholm Creek Park on Monday.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Nathan Ofsthun, wearing the hat, and students from Val Jackson school look for birds from a bridge at Chisholm Creek State Park.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle

Students top to admire ducklings at Chisholm Creek Park. They also have become good at spotting birds in dense brush, too.

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Michael Pearce / The Wichita Eagle