We began this outing with fun conversations about birds and the people who enjoy them, the value of the ACES summer internship, and about an exciting visit to Hallam Lake by President Obama the day before. As we birded our way to the visitor center, we enjoyed excellent up-close views of a ruby-crowned kinglet with its red crest feathers showing as they were mostly tucked into its olive-drab plumage. There was a lot of singing and activity, and we worked to get views of the birds. Violet-green swallows perched to preen gave us a chance to see their field marks and unique proportions. Other highlights included watching a fledgling heron trying to catch prey, mallards with ducklings so close that we could hear the sounds of their bills softly mashing the floating plant material on the surface of the water to find seeds and invertebrates to eat. We discussed precocial nestlings and how this system works for waterfowl. Other highlights included excellent views of yellow warblers, a western flycatcher, and a family of house wrens. Join us next Tuesday for Morning Birding at Rock Bottom Ranch!