Imogen Nelson woke up extra early on a cloudy Thursday morning so she could practice using binoculars before her first bird-watching outing at Dixon Creek.

Nelson was one of four Jefferson Elementary students who bundled up against a chilly breeze and joined parent volunteer David Mellinger about 7:15 a.m. for the third of the monthly learning excursions along the winding creek.

"This is my first time doing this, but sometimes, my family goes to Woodpecker Loop," Nelson, 9, said of the trail at the Finley National Wildlife Refuge.

Fellow birders included Kevin Massie, 11, Riley Mellinger, 8, and Sagan Rauscher, 11. The walks started in February and will run through the end of the school year. Seven to eight students usually participate, Mellinger said.

Before starting on their adventure, Mellinger helped each student focus binoculars.

He also advised them to walk slowly and to be as quiet as possible.

"You will actually find most birds by hearing them first," Mellinger said. "You need to keep your attention focused."

Mellinger knows about the importance of sounds. He is an assistant professor at Oregon State University's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, where he studies marine mammal sounds, especially those of whales and dolphins. His interest in bird-watching grew when he worked at the ornithology lab at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

"I just kind of got sucked into the bird world," Mellinger said, admitting he is fascinated by them.

"Holy cow," Mellinger said, "it's a Western bluebird. That's a really cool find. That's the sound of a flicker."

"It looks like a woodpecker," Imogen said.

"It is a kind of woodpecker," Mellinger explained, and the group made its way slowly along a path. "Woodpeckers use their tail to hold them up on the side of trees."

Mellinger said the students have identified about 15 species of birds, primarily crows and Canada geese. The Willamette Valley hosts some 200 species of birds, including gulls, crows, doves, flickers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, swallows, nuthatches, starlings, robins, chickadees and many more.

Riley Mellinger said he likes the sounds made by jays, and Kevin Massie's favorite bird so far is the flicker.

"We have a metal rim on the chimney of our house and flickers bang on it like a wake-up call," he said.

Mellinger is patient with his exuberant students, stopping often to point out a new find, or to offer a lesson about them.

"Oh, I just heard a chickadee," Mellinger said. "Anybody see it? Chickadees can identify themselves by the sound of the 'dee.'"

Sagan Rauscher carried a clipboard with a list of bird species and checked off those the group spotted.

The students grew excited when Mellinger pointed out a large flock of goldfinches in a tree near the school's playground.

"They are so beautiful," he said.

Alex Paul can be contacted at alex.paul@lee.net or by calling 758-9526.