This week we went to visit Cornell’s Ornithology Lab on a Saturday morning. We were able to take a hike through the woods and a tour through the facilities. The hike was a pleasant break from being cooped in and studying for prelims. We got to see quite a few bird species that live in Tompkins county. The songs sung by the birds were definitely more prominent than their physical appearance. Our two tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the field. It provided me with a lot of exposure to a topic I had never been introduced to before.

After the hike, we went for a tour of the facility which is sponsored by grants and private donations. One of the highlights of the trip was seeing all the unique art that had been donated to the lab. In particular, they had a giant wall mural of the world filled with a representative from each family of birds. The level of detail for each bird was amazing. We also got to see preserved specimens of some really cool species. From the skeleton of a platypus to some really odd Australian birds.  In addition, they had framed the skeleton of a 26 foot python from an expedition in 1915.

The experience allowed a brief view in a very fun field that is still discovering and learning a lot of new things.